New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner said the Kiwis will be keeping a close eye on the Super 8 clash between England and Pakistan in Pallekele on Tuesday. As the race for the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup heats up, all four teams, England, New Zealand, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, remain in contention for a top four finish.
The Black Caps had a slow start to the Super 8s after their match against Pakistan was abandoned due to rain. Ahead of the next match against Sri Lanka in Colombo on Wednesday, Santner stressed that New Zealand would treat every match as a knock-out game from now on.
“Yes, I think it is. I think yes, it is what it is, I mean obviously you want to play every game and Pakistan are in the same boat, so yes, I think we will watch the Pakistan-England game tonight,” Santner said at the pre-match press conference.
“You look at what’s going on there but again any game in the Super 8 is a knockout in a way and we know it is for us and it’s the same for Sri Lanka, so we’ll do everything we can between yesterday and today to prepare but also make sure the guys are fresh for the next game,” Santner added.
England will book their place in the semi-finals if they beat Pakistan on Tuesday, leaving just one place in Group 2 up for grabs. However, if Pakistan win, New Zealand will have a breathing space going into their last two Super 8 matches.
HOW DID NEW ZEALAND GET IT?
New Zealand’s 2026 FIFA World Cup T20 campaign has been a mixed bag. The Black Caps progressed from the group stage with notable wins, including an 8-wicket win over Canada and a 5-wicket win against Afghanistan, but suffered a 7-wicket loss to South Africa in Group D.
In the opening match of the Super8s against Pakistan, rain forced the abandonment of the match, leaving both teams with a joint point. The batting has shown promise with Tim Seifert scoring 173 runs at an average of 57.66 with a strike rate close to 168. The bowlers have not made much of an impact yet, with pacers Lockie Ferguson and Matt Henry taking four wickets each.
T20 World Cup | T20 World Cup Schedule | T20 World Cup Points Table | T20 World Cup Videos | Cricket News | Live Score
– The end
Issued by:
sabyasachi chowdhury
Published on:
February 24, 2026
