With England becoming the only side to qualify for the semi-finals from Group 2, the toss-up for the second spot from the group is between New Zealand and Pakistan. Despite losing to England, the Men in Green firmly remain in the mix to qualify for the Top 4 of T20 World Cup 2026.
Pakistan’s net run-rate could pose problems for them
On Wednesday night at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, New Zealand thwarted Sri Lanka by 61 runs to boost their net run-rate to 3.050. With their match against Pakistan washed out, the Black Caps are sitting pretty at the second spot with three points and an excellent net run-rate. Pakistan are third with only one point but have a net run-rate of -0.461. If the 2009 Champions are to qualify, they will need England to beat New Zealand. However, Pakistan will still have their task cut out as they must beat Sri Lanka by a higher margin to leave the Kiwis behind on net run-rate.
The following two games of Group 2 will not only decide the semi-finalists but also the venue of the semi-final. Should New Zealand qualify, the first semi-final will take place in Kolkata. Should Pakistan manage to sneak through, Colombo will stage the marquee fixture.
Pakistan have lost to both full-member teams in T20 World Cup 2026
Captained by Salman Ali Agha, Pakistan have beaten Associate nations in Namibia, USA and the Netherlands. Nevertheless, they came up short against arch-rivals Team India and England. Hence, they need a slice of luck and must lift their performance against Sri Lanka to reach the Top 4.
The Asian nation had won the title in 2009 and qualified for the semi-finals twice and final once ever since. The 2022 edition’s final at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) saw Pakistan losing to England.
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