As South Africa and West Indies battled it out in Ahmedabad, Arshdeep Singh revealed how the Indian team was glued to the television watching the game closely. It is a similar situation as the Pakistan side will also face on Friday, February 27, when New Zealand and England face each other in a Super 8 clash at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
The Super 8 Group 2 match between England and New Zealand will be played at the R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo. The match will start at 7 PM IST. JioHotstar and Star Sports will provide live coverage and telecast of the match.
The equation is simple for Salman Ali Agh and his men after their loss to England. Pakistan (NRR -0.461) need to beat Sri Lanka by around 70 runs in their last game – and also hope England beat New Zealand. England’s winning margin will have a direct impact on Pakistan’s chances. If England’s game against New Zealand is lost, the Kiwis go through. If England win by 20 runs, Pakistan would then need 50 runs over Sri Lanka to reach the semi-finals. With that in mind, the Blackcaps will be looking to get the job done against Harry Brook and his men.
Even a hard-fought loss can be enough for New Zealand at the end of the day, but after being knocked out in the group stage of the 2024 World T20 by Afghanistan, Mitchell Santner’s side will know that it is always better to take fate in their own hands.
BUTTLER WOES
When it comes to T20 cricket and the T20 World Cup, Jos Buttler is rightly considered a legend. The former England captain single-handedly took away games from the side with the bat and was dangerous for England right at the top of the order.
However, the keeper was just trying to get going in the ongoing ICC event. They have scored 62 runs in six matches at an average of 10.33 and a strike just above 110. England have struggled with one explosive start at the top and that is directly related to Buttler’s form.
Harry Brook and Tim Southee came in to defend the keeperhe says it’s all about one play that turns the tide.
“I’ve played with Jose and against Jose a lot. He’s one of the most dangerous white-ball hitters to play the game. I think when you’re that good and you’ve got a little bit of swing, I guess you feel a little bit more pressure, but he hits it just as well as he does in the nets. I’m sure there’s only a few good shots from him.”
Buttler has a decent record against the Blackcaps, scoring 364 runs in 18 matches at an average of 36.4 and a strike rate of 151.03. So if England are to play a perfect game before progressing to the semi-finals, they will need one of their most experienced batsmen to step up.
MIDDLE ROW CONCERT TO NEW ZEALAND?
Anytime you look at a New Zealand side, it’s always a collective effort that excels in whatever competition or series they’re in. However, the middle order seems to be a bit of a problem for them at the moment in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026.
The middle order was exposed during the Sri Lanka match when Daryl Mitchell and Mark Chapman failed after the top four were back in the pavilion. They needed a big partnership from Mitchell Santner and Cole McConchie to bail them out and that will be something that will need to be addressed.
Mitchell and Chapman will need to step up significantly, especially if they return to India to play the semi-finals.
ENG vs NZ: HEAD-TO-HEAD
England hold the upper hand over New Zealand in T20Is, securing 16 wins compared to 10 losses, along with one tie won via a Super Over.
In T20 World Cup meetings, England have triumphed in four of the seven encounters, including the last encounter in Brisbane in 2022.
ENG vs NZ: COLOMBO PITCH AND WEATHER REPORT
The same pitch that was used in the New Zealand and Sri Lanka game, which aided the spin as the Blackcaps rocked the co-hosts and knocked them out of the competition. In the six matches at the ground so far, the team has only won once while chasing a total, and that will be on the minds of the captains as they draw.
In a way, it is a good thing for the fans and Pakistan that no rain is predicted for the contest. That means we get the full game and the result.
ENG vs NZ: TEAM NEWS AND PREDICTED XI
England have stuck with the same squad for their last five matches and we don’t expect any changes to the squad. New Zealand may also opt to stick with the same team that saw them win against Sri Lanka. If they prefer another seam option then Jimmy Neesham could come in.
England (Predicted XI): Phil Salt, Jos Buttler (wk), Harry Brook (capt), Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Liam Dawson, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid.
New Zealand (Premise XI): Tim Seifert (wk), Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Mark Chapman, Mitchell Santner (capt), Cole McConchie, Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson.
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Published on:
27 Feb 2026 12:02 IST
