Pakistan vs Sri Lanka T20 World Cup LIVE Score: PAK know they must thump already-eliminated SL after lucky break

By Samira Vishwas On Feb 28, 2026

Basically, if Pakistan beat co-hosts Sri Lanka today and improve their net-run rate in the process, to the extent they leave New Zealand behind in Group 2, they will qualify for the semis along with England.

Pakistan’s net-run rate at present is -0.461. New Zealand, on the other hand, have a net run rate of 1.390. So, one can see Pakistan will really have to register a big win to qualify.

Fans would remember how Pakistan were almost out of the 2022 T20 World Cup, but then the Netherlands staged one of the biggest upsets of T20 World Cup history to help the Pakistanis through to the next stage. They ended up playing the final where they were beaten by England.

And there have been more similar instances. In fact, during the 1992 World Cup, they were totally in the doldrums before some lucky results from other matches sustained them in the tournament, and they went on to win it.

Indian fans and the cricket world at large won’t mind if Pakistan do qualify because if India beat the West Indies tomorrow at the Eden Gardens, it will be them lining up against Pakistan in the semis, in all likelihood. South Africa are favourites to finish first in the group as they play Zimbabwe in Delhi in the first match tomorrow.

Pallekele might be the best ground in Sri Lanka to provide the weight of runs and the kind of scoring rate that Pakistan need to qualify – it is a smaller ground and not quite as slow as Colombo RPS, and Pakistan will be gunning either for a first-innings score in excess of 200, or a chase of sub-150 that the attacking openers can take down.

The concern will be the nothing-to-lose Sri Lankans, who have shown quality of their own with a big win over Australia in the group stages, and with strong bowling performances against England and New Zealand. It was their batting that failed them in those matches, but the likes of Pathum Nissanka will want to leave their fans with something to celebrate.

Squads:

Pakistan Squad: Salman Ali Agha (c), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Mohammad Nafay (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan (wk), Usman Tariq.

Sri Lanka Squad: Dasun Shanaka (c), Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Kusal Mendis, Kamindu Mendis, Kusal Perera, Charith Asalanka, Janith Liyanage, Pavan Rathnayake, Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushmantha Chameera, Dilshan Madhushanka, Pramod Madushan, Dushan Hemantha

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