In a classic case of cricket’s cruel mathematics, New Zealand have booked their place in the semi-finals of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 despite not playing on the final day of Super Eight Group 2 action.
Pakistan produced a heroic effort, posting an imposing 212/8 against co-hosts Sri Lanka at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, only to watch their hopes evaporate in a nail-biting chase. Pakistan won the match by just 5 runs — Sri Lanka finishing on 207/6 — but the margin was nowhere near the 65-run victory (or equivalent) required to overhaul New Zealand’s formidable net run rate of +1.390.
Sahibzada Farhan smashed a brilliant century and Fakhar Zaman blazed 84 off 42 balls, forging a world-record opening stand of 176 that had Pakistan dreaming of the last four. But when Sri Lanka stormed past the crucial 147-run mark in the 16th over — powered by Dasun Shanaka’s explosive 76* off just 31 deliveries — Pakistan’s fate was sealed. The narrow 5-run win improved Pakistan’s NRR but left them third in the group on 3 points, behind England (6 points, +1.096 NRR) and New Zealand (3 points, +1.390 NRR).
This marks New Zealand’s third semi-final appearance in the last four editions of the tournament — a testament to their consistency in the shortest format.
Group 2 had been a rollercoaster. England had already qualified as table-toppers after thrashing New Zealand by 4 wickets the previous day. That result briefly breathed life into Pakistan’s campaign, but the equation was always daunting: beat Sri Lanka by around 65 runs or chase any target inside roughly 13 overs.
In the end, the Black Caps’ earlier demolition of Sri Lanka by 61 runs and their rock-solid NRR proved decisive. New Zealand finished with 3 points from three matches (1 win, 1 loss, 1 no-result), comfortably ahead of Pakistan on the tie-breaker.
For Pakistan, it was another agonising exit. Despite flashes of brilliance from Farhan and Zaman, the inability to restrict Sri Lanka proved fatal. Sri Lanka, already eliminated, played with freedom and nearly pulled off a miracle chase that would have sent shockwaves through the tournament.
New Zealand now join England from Group 2 in the semi-finals (exact opponents to be confirmed from Group 1). The Black Caps will head into the knockouts with renewed belief, knowing their bowling attack and fielding have been among the tournament’s best.
With the semi-finals looming, all eyes now turn to the business end of the 2026 T20 World Cup, where the Black Caps will look to go one step further than their previous near-misses.
