The England cricket team defeated New Zealand by four wickets in their second Super 8 clash of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026 at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Friday.
It has to be noted that this game was a dead rubber for England as they had already booked a seat for themselves in the semi-finals race. However, this win over New Zealand has kept the chances and hopes of the Pakistan cricket team alive in the ongoing tournament. With England winning this game against New Zealand, the Salman Ali Agha-led side is still in the race for the second semi-final spot from Group 2.
What Pakistan Needs To Do To Qualify For T20 World Cup 2026 Semi-Final
Pakistan must beat Sri Lanka on February 28 to stay in the semifinal race. New Zealand finished the Super 8 stage with three points, and Pakistan can only match that if they win.
However, the net run rate could decide the final spot. New Zealand has a strong NRR of 1.39, while Pakistan’s stands at -0.461. So Pakistan not only needs to win, but they must do so by a big margin — either by 65 runs or by chasing the target in 13 Overs. (Net run rate calculation and New Zealand’s revised NRR, if they lose the match today, are described below in the copy.)
New Zealand’s Qualification Scenarios To Qualify For The T20 World Cup 2026 Semi-Final
If New Zealand loses to England
Kiwis ended Super 8 round with three points — the same maximum Pakistan can reach.
The second semifinal spot will then be decided by net run rate.
If the Pakistan vs Sri Lanka match is washed out
A washout in Kandy means both Pakistan and Sri Lanka will share a point each. In this case, Pakistan ended up with 2 points behind New Zealand. That would be enough for the Kiwis to qualify.
Updated Group 2 Points Table –
| No | Team | P | W | L | T | NR | PTS | NRR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | England | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | +1.096 |
| 2 | New Zealand | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | +1.390 |
| 3 | Pakistan | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | -0.461 |
| 4 | Sri Lanka | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -2.800 |
