Pakistan stay alive in T20 World Cup 2026 after England’s four-wicket win over New Zealand
England beat New Zealand as Will Jacks’ 18-ball 32 turned a tense chase of 160
Salman Mirza publicly defended Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha following online abuse
Sri Lanka, already eliminated, seek to salvage pride at Pallekele after a dismal tournament
India’s Rinku Singh will rejoin the India squad after his father’s death
The ICC T20 World Cup 2026 will confirm another semi-finalist after Pakistan’s make-or-break Super Eight match against Sri Lanka at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Saturday.
England, already through to the semi-finals, gave Pakistan a fighting chance by beating New Zealand in a thriller on Friday, setting up Saturday’s all-important clash. Ahead of that, let’s take a look at the biggest storylines and talking points from the T20 World Cup 2026:
Pakistan Remain in Hunt
Obviously, the biggest outcome of England beating New Zealand by four wickets on Friday is that Pakistan remain in the hunt for a semi-final spot. However, the 2009 champions have a mountain to climb after a washout against New Zealand and a narrow defeat to England in the Super Eight.
A win against Sri Lanka in their next encounter will take them level on three points with New Zealand, but the Kiwis have a markedly better net run rate (NRR). To overcome that hurdle, Pakistan need to beat Sri Lanka by 64 runs or more, or chase down the total in around 13.1 overs – an extremely difficult task.
Jacks Powers England Win
England continued the trend of barely edging their opponents in the T20 World Cup as they crawled to a four-wicket win over New Zealand. Batting first, the Kiwis posted a competitive target of 160.
England’s chase stuttered as wickets continued to fall, as the Three Lions were 58/4 at one point. A 33-run knock from Tom Branton gave them some hope, but they were six wickets down and needed 42 from the last three overs.
Then, Will Jacks and Rehan Ahmed forged a fantastic partnership. A 22-run over off Glenn Phillips put the chase back on track before Jacks’s 18-ball 32 carried England over the line with three balls to spare.
Mirza Defends Agha
Ahead of the must-win match against Sri Lanka, Pakistan’s squad has been facing some unwanted off-field issues as captain Salman Ali Agha has been the target of vile abuse from some supporters.
However, former Pakistan fast bowler Salman Mirza defended Agha, saying, “Any such act which targets the player’s family is a very shameful thing, because the player always wants to do good on the ground.”
“If he doesn’t perform well on any given day, that doesn’t mean you should target their families,” he added. “I don't think this should happen at all.”
Last Chance For SL To Save Face
Co-hosts Sri Lanka have had a terrible tournament. Their elimination at the hands of New Zealand continued the 12-year run of not making the finals of any ICC tournament. More than the loss itself, it was the nature of the loss that hurt the Sri Lankan fans, as they could only manage 107/8 in 20 overs against NZ’s total of 168/7.
The result was that the 35,000 fans at the R. Premadasa Stadium booed their own team. Skipper Dasun Shanaka, after the match, oddly blamed the “negativity outside” for Sri Lanka’s poor results in the tournament.
Against Pakistan, the Lankans have a final chance to save face in front of their fans. They might already be out, but a statement win on Saturday can dispel some of the negativity from Colombo.
Rinku To Rejoin India Squad
India face their own do-or-die match against West Indies on Sunday, but their preparations were jolted by the news that Rinku Singh’s father died of cancer on Friday. The lower-order batter flew back home from Chennai to be with his family.
However, the Men in Blue got a boost as Rinku Singh is scheduled to rejoin the squad in Kolkata on Saturday, with BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia confirming the news.
New Zealand, meanwhile, saw Matt Henry granted paternity leave following the match against England. The pacer will return home to attend the birth of his second child.
Elsewhere…
In other news, the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 will reportedly start on March 28, with the final being played on May 31. The schedule announcement has been delayed due to the upcoming assembly elections in Assam, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal.
Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir are on the brink of winning their maiden Ranji Trophy title. They currently hold a 477-run lead over Karnataka at stumps on Day 4, with six wickets still in hand.
