COLOMBO – The highly anticipated opening Super 8 clash of the T20 World Cup 2026 between Pakistan and New Zealand at R Premadasa Stadium ended in a washout on Saturday. Captain Salman Ali Agha won the toss and elected to bat first, but relentless rain prevented even a single ball from being bowled, forcing officials to call off the match.
Pakistan fielded a strong lineup featuring Sahibzada Farhan, Sam Ayub, Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Salman Mirza, and Usman Tariq. New Zealand, led by Mitchell Santner, countered with Tim Seifert (wk), Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi, and Lockie Ferguson.
With no play possible, both teams shared one point each in Group A of the Super 8 stage. This leaves Pakistan preparing for a crucial encounter against England on February 24, followed by a showdown with hosts Sri Lanka on February 28. New Zealand, meanwhile, faces Sri Lanka on February 25 before taking on England on February 27.
Pakistan earned their Super 8 spot by winning three of four group games. They edged Netherlands by 3 wickets, crushed USA by 32 runs, suffered a 61-run defeat to India, and demolished Namibia by 102 runs to secure second place in their group.
New Zealand mirrored that record in Group D, beating Afghanistan by 5 wickets, thrashing UAE by 10 wickets, losing to South Africa by 7 wickets, and bouncing back with an 8-wicket win over Canada.
Attention now shifts to Sunday’s Super 8 double-header. England takes on Sri Lanka at Pallekele, while India clashes with South Africa at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium. Fans hope for better weather as the tournament intensifies.