If rain becomes the villain in the New Zealand-Pakistan match, then who will benefit, who will lag behind in the race for the semi-finals?

New Delhi. Pakistan will play its first match against New Zealand in the Super 8 of the ICC T20 World Cup. This match is to be played this evening at R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. Due to the tough competition between the two teams, the fans are very excited but their hopes may be dashed. Clouds of crisis are looming over the match. The weather department has expressed the possibility of rain. In case the match does not take place, points will be divided between the two teams. Pakistan will suffer loss if the match is not held because its net run rate is low.

Since January 2022, Pakistan and New Zealand have played 24 T20 matches. Of these, New Zealand has won 13 matches, while Pakistan has won 9 matches. Pakistan’s fans still remember the semi-final of the 2022 T20 World Cup, in which Pakistan defeated New Zealand and made it to the final. Pakistan still gets confidence from that victory. The performance of both the teams in this tournament has been full of ups and downs. Both did not play their best cricket in the group stage. New Zealand lost to South Africa, while Pakistan lost to India, hence both the teams finished second in their respective groups.

How will the weather be in Colombo?

Pakistan and New Zealand teams have to play their Super 8 match in Colombo. Weather is the biggest concern here. There is a possibility of rain before and during the match. The match will start at 7 pm local time and rain may continue in the first half. If the ground gets wet then the start of the match may be delayed. The temperature will be between 24 to 26 degrees Celsius and the humidity will be more than 80 percent.

Who will benefit from the match being washed out?

If the T20 World Cup Super 8 match to be played in Colombo is canceled due to rain. Pakistan team will suffer more loss than New Zealand. By winning 3-3 matches in the group stage, both the teams have 6 points but Pakistan will lag in net run rate. If the points are equal to reach the semi-finals, the matter will come down to net run rate. New Zealand’s net run rate is 1.227 while Pakistan has reached Super 8 with 0.976.