Pakistan may recall Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi after dropping them against Namibia
New Zealand skipper Mitchell Santner expected to return after missing the Canada fixture
India opener Abhishek Sharma trained closely with Gautam Gambhir after three consecutive ducks
Brothers Albie and Morne Morkel will face each other when India play South Africa
India vs Pakistan group clash sets new digital record with 163 million reach
The ICC T20 World Cup 2026 enters the Super 8 stage, with the first match between Pakistan and New Zealand set to be played at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Saturday.
After 40 group-stage games, eight teams have moved on to the next round, where they have been divided into two groups of four. India, South Africa, West Indies, Zimbabwe (Group A), and England, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Pakistan (Group B) will compete for a spot in the semi-finals.
Let’s have a look at the major talking points and other tidbits you might have missed from the T20 World Cup:
PAK vs NZ: Babar-Shaheen Comeback On Cards; Santner Available
The experienced duo of Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi were dropped by Pakistan for their final group-stage match against Namibia. The pair were among several senior players who disappointed against India. However, with Pakistan moving on to the Super 8, it remains to be seen whether Babar and Shaheen will be recalled to the playing XI.
One player who is likely to make a comeback is New Zealand’s Mitchell Santner. The Kiwi skipper missed the last match against Canada but will be available for the next fixture. “He had a dodgy burger last night, so hopefully he will be okay in 24 hours,” Daryl Mitchell said ahead of the Canada game.
PAK vs NZ: Tariq’s Action Makes Kiwis Wary
New Zealand’s Mark Chapman said that the Black Caps are wary of Pakistan spinner Usman Tariq and his “unique action”, which will be key during the upcoming game.
“Obviously, Usman Tariq has a pretty unique action with the way that he stops at the crease, so I mean that’s something to factor in,” Chapman said. “But for us, Pakistan have a number of really good spinners, so each of them poses their own threat.”
However, the Kiwi batter said that New Zealand, having played Pakistan regularly in white-ball cricket, will use their knowledge to their advantage on Saturday.
Albie vs Morne as India Face South Africa
The two brothers – Albie Morkel and Morne Morkel – will be up against each other on the sidelines as India take on South Africa in their T20 World Cup Super 8 match on Sunday. Albie will be in the South African dugout, acting as the Proteas team’s “specialist consultant”. Meanwhile, Morne is India’s bowling coach.
“No, we don’t talk to each other,” Albie said. “I saw him (Morne) arrive at the ground. But we haven’t been talking a lot. Good to see him, though.”
Abhishek Sharma Trains With Gambhir
Abhishek Sharma has had a rotten T20 World Cup so far, registering three consecutive ducks in the tournament. Under considerable pressure to deliver, the Indian opener was seen spending significant time practising with head coach Gautam Gambhir during Friday’s training session.
The duo reportedly discussed certain aspects of the batter’s game before Abhishek took part in a high catch session. Bowling coach Morne Morkel later said that the Indian team “expect him to do well” in the Super 8 stage.
Final Group-Stage Points Table
With the group stage concluding after 40 games, the final points table across the four groups has been revealed. India, Zimbabwe, West Indies, and South Africa topped Groups A, B, C, and D, respectively, while Pakistan, Sri Lanka, England, and New Zealand ended in second place.
IND vs PAK Breaks Viewership Record
The group fixture between India and Pakistan on February 15 registered a reach of 163 million on JioHostar. This made it the highest digital reach attained by an ICC T20 event, including the T20 World Cup 2024 final. The match logged 20 billion minutes of total watch time across all platforms.
