Pakistan’s hopes of reaching the semi-finals will be challenging

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T20 World Cup 2026: New Zealand beats Sri Lanka and moves towards semi-finals

New Delhi. The match has taken an exciting turn in the Super-8 stage of the T20 World Cup 2026. By defeating Sri Lanka by 61 runs, New Zealand not only eliminated them from the tournament but also put itself in a strong position in the race for the semi-finals. Under the captaincy of Mitchell Santner, the Kiwi team is currently at second place in the points table of Super-8 Group-2 with 3 points. At the same time, Pakistan team is still in the race, but their fate no longer depends only on their performance.

Pakistan’s roadmap

Pakistan’s first Super-8 match against New Zealand was abandoned due to rain, leaving each team with one point each. After this, New Zealand strengthened its points by defeating Sri Lanka. Now the equation is clear to Pakistan, but it is not easy. They have to win against Sri Lanka on February 28 at any cost, and this win is necessary by a big margin.

Pakistan’s hopes

On February 27, New Zealand will face the England team which has already reached the semi-finals. If New Zealand wins this match, Pakistan will be directly out of the tournament. At the same time, if the England team defeats New Zealand, then Pakistan’s hopes can remain alive.

net run rate challenge

However, even after New Zealand’s defeat, Pakistan will not be satisfied with just victory; He also needs to improve his net run rate (NRR). Currently New Zealand’s net run rate is +3.050, while Pakistan’s is -0.461. The difference between the two is quite big, which will not be easy to overcome.

Complexity of equation

If England beats New Zealand by 15 runs, Pakistan will have to beat Sri Lanka by at least 55 runs. On the other hand, if England wins by just 1 run, Pakistan will have to beat Sri Lanka by 69 runs. The lesser the victory margin of England, the more the pressure on Pakistan will increase.

Pakistan’s goal

It is clear that Pakistan needs three things to reach the semi-finals: first, England’s victory; Second, a big win against Sri Lanka; And third, better net run rate. This challenge is not easy for the team led by Salman Aga, but hope always remains alive in cricket.

Now everyone’s eyes are on the matches of 27th and 28th February. Will England open the way for Pakistan? Will Pakistan be able to win by a big margin? These questions will decide who will reach the semi-finals of T20 World Cup 2026.