The England cricket team defeated Pakistan by 2 wickets in the T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 clash at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday. The match between England and Pakistan turned out to be a thrilling one.
Chasing 165, England got over the line in 19.1 overs thanks to a superb knock from Harry Brook, who smashed a classy 100 off just 51 balls. His innings made all the difference in a tense run chase.
With this win, England became the first team to reach the semifinal round of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026. They now have four points from two matches in Group 2 of the Super 8 round. On the other hand, with this heartbreaking defeat, Pakistan remain on one point from two games, and this defeat has dealt a huge blow to their chances of making it to the semi-final.
What Pakistan Needs To Do To Qualify
Pakistan has only one Super 8 match left, against the Sri Lanka national cricket team on February 28. Meanwhile, the England cricket team will play the New Zealand national cricket team on February 27.
For Pakistan to have any chance of reaching the semi-finals, they must beat Sri Lanka. If they win, they will move to three points. But even that might not be enough. Their qualification could still depend on the net run rate and the result of the England vs New Zealand match. In simple terms, Pakistan has to win and then hope other results go in their favour.
Remaining Fixtures in Super 8 Group 2
February 25: New Zealand national cricket team vs Sri Lanka national cricket team
February 27: New Zealand vs England cricket team
February 28: Pakistan national cricket team vs Sri Lanka
Qualification Scenarios
Scenario 1: If Pakistan beats Sri Lanka, they need England to beat New Zealand and Sri Lanka to beat New Zealand. In that case, Pakistan will finish second in the group and qualify for the semi-finals.
Scenario 2: If Pakistan beat Sri Lanka and New Zealand win one of their two matches, both teams could end up on three points. Then, qualification will depend on the Net Run Rate.
Scenario 3: If Pakistan loses to Sri Lanka, they are out of the tournament.
Scenario 4: If matches are washed out due to rain, teams could finish level on points. In that case, the team with the best Net Run Rate among Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and New Zealand will join England in the semi-finals.
Super Eights – Group 1 Points Table
| Rank | Team | Matches | Won | Lost | Tied | N/R | Points | NRR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Indies cricket team | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | +5.350 |
| 2 | South Africa national cricket team | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | +3.800 |
| 3 | India national cricket team | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -3.800 |
| 4 | Zimbabwe national cricket team | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -5.350 |
Super Eights – Group 2 Points Table
| Rank | Team | Matches | Won | Lost | Tied | N/R | Points | NRR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | England cricket team (Q) | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | +1.491 |
| 2 | New Zealand national cricket team | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.000 |
| 3 | Pakistan national cricket team | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | -0.461 |
| 4 | Sri Lanka national cricket team | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -2.550 |
Salman Ali Agha Reflects on Missed Chances
After the match, Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha admitted his side fell short despite a decent start with the bat.
“Started well with the bat, but couldn’t finish the way we wanted to. But some days you have to give credit to other batters. I think Harry batted brilliantly,” he said in the post-match presentation.
He felt Pakistan was slightly under par and pointed to the turning point in the chase. “Our score was a bit short. And then Brook took the game away from us. We threw everything at him,” he continued.
Salman also spoke about Sahibzada Farhan, who has been Pakistan’s most consistent batter in the tournament so far.
“I think he’s batted very well throughout the World Cup. Other batters haven’t played the way we wanted to, but it can happen like that in World Cups, the skipper said.
Shaheen’s Impact and Brook’s Brilliance
There was praise as well for Shaheen Shah Afridi, who made a strong impact with the ball and picked up four wickets.
“He bowled really well today. He’s famous for early wickets, and he did that today,” Salman Ali Agha said of Shaheen.
Still, Agha admitted that England handled the bowling attack smartly, especially Harry Brook, who once again proved to be Pakistan’s biggest challenge.
“Whenever we play against England and lose, it’s always him [Harry Brook] have to say hats off to him and the way he batted today.”
“Very challenging, the way he batted. He can play all around the ground so it can get challenging.”
Even towards the end, Agha believed there was still a slim chance to turn things around.
“The way Nawaz bowled the 19th over, I thought maybe, you never know. Even if there’s a 1% chance, my team will go for it,” he concluded.
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