Pakistan and New Zealand lock horns in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 opener
Both the teams finished 2nd in their respective groups
There are chances of light rain in Colombo for the match
The 2026 ICC T20 World Cup has hit its midpoint, transitioning into the high-stakes Super 8 stage. With the top two finishers from the four opening groups remaining, the field has been condensed into two fresh pools of four.
The second round kicks off tomorrow, February 21, at Colombo’s R Premadasa Stadium 7:00 PM (IST), featuring a heavyweight bout between 2009 winners Pakistan and 2021 finalists New Zealand.
Both sides enter this phase as runners-up. Pakistan secured second place in Group A with 6 points, trailing only India. Similarly, New Zealand finished behind an undefeated South African squad in Group D, also tallying 6 points.
The Green Army opened their account with a nail-biting 3-wicket win fueled by Faheem Ashraf’s late-over heroics. After a comfortable 32-run victory over the USA, they stumbled against India in a 61-run defeat.
However, they regained momentum in their final group fixture, demolishing Namibia by 102 runs behind a brilliant unbeaten century from Sahibzada Farhan.
The Black Caps followed a remarkably similar trajectory. They started strong with a 5-wicket win over Afghanistan and a flawless 10-wicket thrashing of the UAE.
Their only setback came at the hands of Aiden Markram's South Africans, who won by 7 wickets. New Zealand bounced back quickly, sealing their Super 8 spot with a dominant 8-wicket win over Canada.
New Zealand Vs Pakistan, ICC T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8s: Kandy Weather Forecast
According to Google Weather, Saturday evening in Colombo will be humid (85%) with a high chance of light rain (65%). Temperatures will hold steady at 24°C with a gentle northwest wind at 6 mph. Given the high precipitation probability, a rain-interrupted or shortened contest is likely.
New Zealand Vs Pakistan, ICC T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8s: R Premadasa Pitch Report
The surface at the R. Premadasa Stadium is a traditional black-soil wicket, known for being sluggish and two-paced.
While it offers consistent bounce early on, it typically deteriorates quickly, making it a paradise for spinners who can exploit the grip and turn. Power-hitters may struggle to hit through the line, making strike rotation crucial in a mid-scoring game where the average first-innings score is approximately 143.
New Zealand Vs Pakistan, ICC T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8s: Squads
New Zealand Squad: Tim Seifert (WK), Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell (C), Cole McConchie, James Neesham, Kyle Jamieson, Matt Henry, Jacob Duffy, Ish Sodhi, Devon Conway, Mitchell Santner, Lockie Ferguson
Pakistan Squad: Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Agha (C), Babar Azam, Usman Khan (WK), Khawaja Nafay, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Salman Mirza, Usman Tariq, Fakhar Zaman, Shaheen Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Naseem Shah
