New Zealand vs Pakistan ICC MT20 WC, 2026, Full Score Card

That's all, folks! Not the start to the Super 8 weekend anyone would have wanted but for now, New Zealand and Pakistan both are on the board with a point each. We now move on to Super Sunday as a double-header awaits. On the 22nd of February, it will be Sri Lanka taking on England in Pallekele first up. That match will begin at 9.30 am GMT, and the rain watch will be on over there as well, although the forecast doesn't look too bad right now. After that enticing contest, it will be the re-match of the 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup Final as India take on South Africa in Ahmedabad. That fascinating contest is scheduled to start at 1.30 pm GMT, but you can tune in to our build-up for both matches a lot sooner. Until then, take care and goodbye!

Points shared, but probably points lost as well - It is always frustrating when a game gets washed out due to rain, and when the stakes are so high, it becomes even tougher for everyone involved. But it is what it is and both New Zealand and Pakistan will feel that it is more of two points lost rather than a point gained. This result could have serious implications for this group and the team winning the game between Sri Lanka and England will have a chance to go clear at the top of Group 2.

UPDATE - 3.43 pm GMT - It’s official now - the match has been ABANDONED due to persistent rain in Colombo. Despite a lengthy wait and hopes of squeezing in a shortened contest, the weather never relented enough for play to begin.

UPDATE - 3.30 pm GMT - Rain, rain, please stay away - New Zealand and Pakistan are eager to get going, but Colombo has other ideas at the moment as the wait continues. This is hardly the start the Super 8 stage deserved, with covers firmly in place and players left cooling their heels. There is still a window for a shortened contest if the weather relents, yet the radar and current conditions are not particularly encouraging. As things stand, a washout is creeping closer to reality, a result that would leave both camps frustrated in what is such a crucial phase of the tournament.

UPDATE - 3.03 pm GMT - Eagerly waiting for an update? Us too. And unfortunately, it is still all the same. The broadcasters come back live and we can see the rain still falling, with some of the crowd completely drenched but still waiting for something positive to happen. The wind seems to have picked up as well and the rain seems to be a bit heavier, too. All we can do is keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best. Also, apologies for the confusion regarding the start time of a five-overs-a-side contest. It is now officially confirmed that 4.46 pm GMT is the latest by which that can happen, so we have about an hour and a half, which isn't much time given there will be time needed to get the field ready if and when the rain eventually stops.

UPDATE - 2.33 pm GMT - The broadcasters come back live and visuals show that the rain, albeit less heavy now, is steady. They also mention that the cut-off time for a five-overs-a-side contest is 11.10 pm local time, which is 5.40 pm GMT and not 4.46 pm GMT, which was earlier anticipated. So, it seems like there is an extra hour or so of buffer for the games going forward.

UPDATE - 2.20 pm GMT - The rain is still falling in Colombo and it has been pretty heavy of late as well. The covers are firmly on but with this much amount of rain, the water will definitely seep onto the field as well. Let's hope that the rain relents soon and we can get the Super 8s underway. Stick around for more updates.

Chapman loves playing against Pakistan - As the wait for the rain to stop continues, here's an interesting fact. Mark Chapman has scored 2056 T20I runs (Hong Kong and New Zealand combined) and out of those runs, he's scored 663 runs against Pakistan. That's almost one-third of his entire T20I career runs coming against tonight's opponents.

UPDATE - 1.49 pm GMT - Not much to report in terms of any change in the weather. Live visuals indicate a steady drizzle, with the entire ground still covered and not a soul on the field of play right now. However, according to a few sources, it seems like we will start losing overs from 2.40 pm GMT and the latest a five-over-a-side game can start is 4.46 pm GMT, so there is time in hand but the rain needs to stop first for any action to take place.

UPDATE - 1.23 pm GMT - Not a positive update from the RPS in Colombo. The rain has now settled in and the entire ground is under covers. The drainage system is fantastic but former Pakistani pacer Waqar Younis, while having a chat with the broadcasters, reckons that once it settles in, the drizzle doesn't go away easily, so we could be in for a longer delay than anticipated. It looks for sure that the start will be delayed. Stay tuned for further updates. A couple of minutes later, the broadcasters confirm that the start of play has been delayed due to rain.

UPDATE - 1.13 pm GMT - Well, as we mentioned earlier about the forecast. Just when the toss happened, it started to drizzle and the covers came over the pitch quickly. So, we might be in for a delayed start here.

The skipper of New Zealand - Mitchell Santner says that they have three changes in the playing XI. Adds that they have gone with an extra spinner. Ish Sodhi will be playing in place of Kyle Jamieson and Lockie Ferguson is back in the starting line up. Santner shares that the last time they played it was a flat wicket in Chennai, but the conditions here are a bit different. Ends up saying that Pakistan have good spinners and they are ready to take them on.

The captain of Pakistan - Salman Agha says that they have one change in the team as Fakhar Zaman comes in for Khawaja Nafay. Adds that they have gone with one out and out pacer, along with the spinners and Faheem Ashraf. Ends by saying that they are looking forward to the game.

New Zealand (Playing XI) - Tim Seifert (WK), Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner (C) (In place of Cole McConchie), James Neesham, Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi (In place of Kyle Jamieson), Lockie Ferguson (In place of Jacob Duffy).

Pakistan (Playing XI) - Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Agha (C), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman (In place of Khawaja Nafay), Usman Khan (WK), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Salman Mirza, Usman Tariq.

TOSS - It's time for the coin-flip in Colombo. Mitchell Santner has recovered from his illness is back leading the Kiwis. Salman Agha is out there for the Men in Green. The coin lands in favour of Agha and Pakistan elect to BAT first.

PITCH REPORT - Ramiz Raja is pitchside. He has the ground staff circled around him and the covers are firmly in place right now. He starts by saying that there is a 70 percent chance of rain as well. Tells us bit more about the dimensions of the ground. He says that the straight hit is 79 meters, and the square boundaries are 69 meters and 67 meters on either side. Aaron Finch joins him and says that the wicket is tacky and there's hardly any grass on it. Further mentions that the wicket will get slower and slower and the spinners will be hard to get away. Reckons that you can flight the ball a bit more on this ground. They both reckon that batting first is the way to go but with the rain around, the captains might think about fielding first as well.

Weather looks grumpy - The excitement is palpable as we await this riveting contest, but unfortunately, the weather isn’t looking ideal for a game. The forecast predicts heavy rain in Colombo, and the sad part is that, it doesn't seem like a passing shower. But all we can do is cross our fingers and hope for some positive news. Stay tuned for further updates!

The Tariq and Farhan factor - Pakistan enter this stage after a strong Group A campaign. They see themselves finish second behind India. Led by Salman Ali Agha, the team has found its rhythm through standout individual brilliance, most notably from opener Sahibzada Farhan, who currently leads the entire tournament's run-scoring charts with 220 runs. On the bowling front, mystery spinner Usman Tariq has been the breakout star, claiming 8 wickets with an unorthodox action that has baffled many top-order batters. Combined with Saim Ayub's versatile all-round contributions and Shadab Khan's timely middle-order cameos, Pakistan appears to be peaking at the exact moment required for this high-stakes showdown. 

Peaking at the right time - New Zealand arrive in the Super 8s having secured three wins from four matches in Group D, their only blemish being a disappointing defeat to South Africa. The Black Caps have relied on a 'spin-heavy' blueprint led by captain Mitchell Santner, who has distinguished himself as one of the tournament's most economical bowler. Also, as we know Santner missed out the last game against Canada due to illness, but he has recovered now, which is a big boost for the Kiwis. Supporting him, Tim Seifert has been the reliable backbone of the batting unit, amassing 173 runs across the opening round, while Glenn Phillips and Rachin Ravindra recently underscored their form with unbeaten half-centuries in a successful chase against Canada. Jacob Duffy has also been a revelation in his maiden World Cup, emerging as a primary threat in a well-rounded pace attack. 

Ready, set, go! The ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 enters its one of the most clinical phase, as the Super 8 stage kicks off with a high-octane Group 2 clash between New Zealand and Pakistan. Under the floodlights of the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, this opening fixture carries the weight of a tournament reset. Both teams starting at zero points, a victory here is the golden ticket to early momentum in the race for the semi-finals. As the first of only twelve matches in this elite round, this encounter serves as the ultimate litmus test for two sides that have navigated treacherous group stages to remain in contention for global supremacy. 

... MATCHDAY ...

The field narrows - A journey that started with 20 teams has now narrowed down to 8 warriors left standing in the race for the ultimate prize. The Super 8 stage of the 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup kicks off in Colombo, where New Zealand go up against Pakistan at the R Premadasa Stadium. Before we look at the journey of the two teams, it is important to understand how the Super 8 stage will work. Format of the Super 8s - Two qualifiers from each of the four groups have made it to the Super 8 stage. The eight teams have been divided into two groups of four, where each side will play the others once. At the end of this phase, the top two teams from each group will progress to the semi-finals. The pre-seeding system - For logistical reasons and to make it easier for fans to plan travel, the ICC introduced pre-seeding for the Super 8 stage. The top eight-ranked teams were allocated specific slots in the two groups in advance. If any of those preseeded teams failed to qualify, the team progressing instead would inherit that position. That scenario played out in Group B, where Zimbabwe advanced in place of Australia and stepped into their designated slot. The Super 8 Groups - That pre-seeding has resulted in Group 1 featuring the group toppers in India, South Africa, the West Indies and Zimbabwe. Group 2 comprises the runners-up in England, New Zealand, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. With heavyweight contests lined up in both pools, the battle for the final four promises to be fiercely contested. Group of death challenge - New Zealand were placed in Group D, widely dubbed the group of death, featuring 2024 runners-up South Africa, 2024 semifinalists Afghanistan, along with the UAE and Canada. It was a competitive pool on paper, with very little margin for error. The Kiwis navigated the challenge well and finished as runners-up in the group. Pace unit assessment - Their group stage matches were played in Chennai and Ahmedabad. In Ahmedabad, there was not much assistance for the quicks, and Chennai, unusually, did not offer much for the spinners either. Their pacers went at an economy rate of 9.27 in the group stage, and the likes of Matt Henry, Jacob Duffy and Kyle Jamieson will welcome the shift to Colombo, where conditions could offer slightly more assistance. There may not be a lot with the new ball, but their variations could come into play. Lockie Ferguson returned home for the birth of his first child and missed the Canada game, but he is expected to rejoin the squad for the Super 8 phase. Spin options - As far as spin is concerned, captain Mitchell Santner was their frontline spinner during the group stage, with Glenn Phillips and Rachin Ravindra chipping in. With Pakistan having 6 right-handers in their top 7 and given the Colombo conditions, there could be a temptation to bring in Ish Sodhi. However, his numbers against Pakistan are not particularly encouraging, with a bowling average of 29.27 against them. Batting outlook - With the bat, New Zealand have relied on the aggressive starts from Finn Allen and Tim Seifert at the top. Both have produced one notable score but have not been consistent. One of the biggest positives from the Canada game was Rachin Ravindra's unbeaten fifty in the chase, which ended a run of 14 innings without a half-century. His role will be crucial in the Super 8s, given how adept he is against spin. Daryl Mitchell will also have a key role in the middle overs with his ability to use his feet and play the sweep effectively against spin. Pakistan's journey so far - Pakistan survived an early scare against the Netherlands before brushing aside the USA and then suffering a defeat against India. Their qualification eventually came down to the final league game against Namibia, where they managed to get the job done and seal their place in the Super 8s. Batting concerns - Their batting has looked shaky throughout the group stage. Sahibzada Farhan has been the standout performer with 220 runs, while no other batter has managed to cross the 100-run mark. Left-handed opener Saim Ayub has a highest score of just 24 in the tournament. While he has made his presence felt with the ball, Pakistan will want him to come good with the bat if they are to go deeper into the competition. The struggles have also been evident for skipper Salman Agha and Babar Azam. There has been a lack of clarity in their approach with the bat. Against India, they went hard in the Powerplay, lost four wickets and paid the price. That seemed to have a knock-on effect in the Namibia game, where they appeared tentative in the first six overs. In two of their four matches, they failed to score more than 60 runs between overs 6 and 16, going at under six an over through the middle phase. Spin strength - Where Pakistan have truly stood out is in the spin department. They were the most successful spin unit in the group stage in terms of wickets, with 26 scalps, and also boasted the second-best average of 16.07 and the second-best economy rate of 6.9 among the 20 teams. That control in the middle overs has been the backbone of their campaign so far. Pace dynamics - Shaheen Afridi has lacked the bite with the new ball that once made him so threatening, conceding runs at an economy of 11.22 in the group stage. In contrast, fellow left-arm quick Salman Mirza has made a strong impression. As Pakistan move into the Super 8 phase, they are likely to prioritise form over reputation and persist with Salman. Form (Last 5 completed T20Is, most recent first) - New Zealand - WLWWL | Pakistan - WLWWW. Trends favour setting a target - At the R Premadasa Stadium, the numbers from the group stage offer an interesting trend. The average first innings score across the five matches played here was 173, suggesting competitive but not overly high scoring conditions. 4 of those 5 games were won by the side batting first, and notably, both night games at the venue were also won by teams setting a target. Among venues that hosted four or more matches in the group stage, R Premadasa Stadium recorded the second-lowest overall economy rate at 7.97. Recent history vs World Cup record - In March last year, these two sides squared off in a five-match T20I series in New Zealand, where New Zealand dominated the contest 4-1 against Pakistan. However, when it comes to their T20 World Cup meetings, Pakistan have historically had the edge, winning 5 of the 7 encounters between the two sides, including the previous two clashes on this stage. With recent bilateral form favouring New Zealand but World Cup history leaning towards Pakistan, which narrative will hold firm under the Colombo lights?