England Win Keeps Pakistan’s T20 World Cup Semi-Final Hopes Alive

Colombo: Pakistan remain in the hunt for a semi-final berth in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 after England defeated New Zealand by four wickets in a crucial Super 8 clash at the R Premadasa Stadium on Friday.

Although England had already secured qualification for the last four, their victory has opened the door for Pakistan to push for the second semi-final spot from Super 8 Group 2. The result means the race will now be decided after Pakistan’s final group fixture.

New Zealand have completed their Super 8 campaign with three points from three matches and a healthy Net Run Rate (NRR) of +1.390. Pakistan, led by Salman Agha, currently have one point and an NRR of -0.461 from two matches, but still have one game in hand.

Pakistan must defeat Sri Lanka in their final Super 8 match on Saturday and also overhaul New Zealand’s superior NRR to advance. Depending on the match scenario, Pakistan need either a 64-run victory while batting first or must complete the chase within 13.1 overs if bowling first.

Earlier in the Super 8 stage, the Pakistan–New Zealand encounter was abandoned due to rain, forcing both teams to share a point. The Blackcaps later strengthened their position with a 61-run win over Sri Lanka, while Pakistan suffered a narrow two-wicket defeat to England.

Had New Zealand beaten England on Friday, they would have progressed to five points and sealed a semi-final berth, eliminating Pakistan from contention. Instead, England’s win has ensured the qualification battle remains open.

If Pakistan manage to beat Sri Lanka and finish level on three points with New Zealand, the team with the better NRR will secure the remaining semi-final spot from the group.

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