Pakistan’s hopes of the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup remained alive after England beat New Zealand in their final Super 8 match on Friday, February 27 at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. The Harry Brook-led side defeated the Kiwis by four wickets and go to the semi-finals undefeated in the Super 8 stage.
England not only maintained their winning momentum but also handed a glimmer of hope to Pakistan, who continue to fight for a place in the semi-finals. With the win, England secured top spot in Super 8 Group 2 with six points from three matches.
FIFA World Cup T20: The best of England vs New Zealand
Meanwhile, New Zealand are second with three points from as many matches and have a healthy net rate of +1.390. Sitting third in the table with one point from two matches and a net rate of -0.461, Pakistan still have a strong chance of qualifying.
To progress to the semi-finals, the Salman Agha-led side need to beat the Sri Lankan cricket team in their last Super 8 match by 65 runs or successfully chase down the target in 13 overs. If they achieve that, Pakistan will be level with New Zealand on three points, but a better run net would see them progress to the semi-finals.
Pakistan will face Sri Lanka in their final Super 8 match on Saturday, February 28 at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Pallekele. Ideally, Pakistan would want to dismiss Sri Lanka for just over 100 runs to successfully complete the aforementioned equation for their qualification.
However, if they fail to beat Sri Lanka by the above margin, New Zealand will qualify for the semi-finals after finishing second in Group 2. Thus, Pakistan have their destiny in their own hands and would give everything to advance in the tournament.
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Issued by:
Rishabh Beniwal
Published on:
27 Feb 2026 22:50 IST
