If NZ vs PAK match is canceled due to rain, which team will benefit? There could be a big upset in the race for the finals

Today Pakistan will play its first match against New Zealand in the Super 8 of ICC T20 World Cup 2026. This game is scheduled to be held in the evening at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, where a tough competition is expected between the two teams and the fans are full of excitement. But the weather department’s warning has put a cloud of crisis over this match, where the possibility of rain is said to be very strong.

If the match is canceled or not completed due to rain, then both the teams will get one point each, but this will cause more loss to Pakistan because its net run rate is far behind that of New Zealand. After the group stage, both the teams have 6-6 points, but the net run rate can play a decisive role in the race for the semi-finals.

Threat of rain looms in Colombo

The weather in Colombo can become the biggest challenge for the match today. The match will start at 7 pm local time, but the Meteorological Department has predicted a strong possibility of rain before the match and in the initial overs. The temperature is expected to be between 24 to 26 degrees Celsius while the humidity will be more than 80 percent. If the ground gets wet then the risk of delay or cancellation of the match will increase.

Who benefits and loses if the match is canceled?

If this Super 8 match is completely washed out due to rain, it will be a big blow to Pakistan. Both teams won 3-3 matches in the group stage and scored 6 points, but New Zealand is far ahead in net run rate. New Zealand’s net run rate is +1.227 while Pakistan’s is +0.976. If the points remain equal, the path to the semi-finals will be decided on the basis of net run rate, hence victory is necessary for Pakistan.

Head-to-head record of both teams

Since January 2022, Pakistan and New Zealand have played 24 T20 matches. Of these, New Zealand won 13 matches while Pakistan won 9. Pakistani fans still remember the semi-final match of the 2022 T20 World Cup, where Pakistan defeated New Zealand and made it to the final. That victory gives the team strong confidence even today.

Performance of both teams in group stage

The performance of both the teams in the group stage of this tournament was up and down. New Zealand lost to South Africa while Pakistan lost to India. For this reason, both the teams stood second in their group and could not show their best cricket. Now both need better performance in Super 8.