Pakistan’s Semis qualification scenario after New Zealand defeat

2026-02-27 - 18:54

New Zealand’s defeat at the hands of England in the Super Eight match in Colombo on Friday has opened the door for qualification of Pakistan for the T20 World Cup Semis. Pakistan is placed third in Group-II standings with one point in two matches and a negative 0.461 net run rate. With three points, New Zealand’s net run rate is 1.390. Pakistan’s victory over Sri Lanka in Kandy on Saturday will help them reach three points, equal to New Zealand, and as such, the qualification will be made on the basis of net run rate. While batting first, Green shirts needed to defeat Sri Lanka by at least 64 runs or more. While batting second, Pakistan will have to chase down the target in 13 overs, which will really be an uphill task. According to cricket analysts, batting second will be a better option due to the clarity of the target. In that match, Pakistan will likely make several changes in the playing eleven. Experts believe that genuine hitters and a strong bowling lineup will be needed to defeat Sri Lanka with a big margin. As such, Khawaja Nafay, Naseem Shah and Abrar Ahmed could come into the team. If Pakistan failed to beat Sri Lanka by a substantial margin, New Zealand would join England from Group-II for the semi-finals. England beat New Zealand in T20 World Cup Super Eight thriller