New Zealand vs England - (Source: X.com)
On Friday, February 27, England locked horns against New Zealand in Super 8 of T20 World Cup 2026. The two teams met at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. England have already qualified for the semis but the ongoing match is crucial for New Zealand's qualification.
For the toss, Harry Brook and Mitchell Santner walked down the pitch for the toss and the luck favoured the Kiwis. New Zealand eventually opted to bat first, asking England to field.
Talking about the team changes, England have made a solitary change - Rehan Ahmed - IN, while Jamie Overton - OUT. Meanwhile, the Kiwis have gone ahead with an unchanged XI.
ENG vs NZ Playing XIs
New Zealand Playing XI : Tim Seifert (wk), Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner (c), Cole McConchie, Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson
England Playing XI : Philip Salt, Jos Buttler (wk), Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Harry Brook (c), Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Liam Dawson, Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid
ENG vs NZ Captains Thoughts
Mitchell Santner (New Zeanad Captain): "We will bat first. (On the importance of qualification and mindset) You’ve got to win games if you want to win a World Cup. So first things first, we’ve got to try and get that win on the board. We know what might happen if the pitch plays the same as the other night, but we’re ready for the challenge."
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(On whether the pitch looks similar and if that helps) It looks pretty good, to be fair. Last game, it probably played better than we expected. If it does something similar, it’s the same group of players, but you still have to adjust your plans accordingly.
Harry Brook (England Captain): "[on chasing] We would have won the toss and batted as well. We watched the game the other night and there was a bit of spin there. We've spoken about adapting to the conditions as much as possible. It'll be a good challenge."
"[on not having pressure of qualification] They are an amazing side. If we can beat them and try and knock them out and put them under pressure, that'll be awesome from us. The main message is to go out there, play with freedom and look to take it to them."
Why Did England Drop Jamie Overton?
It is an used surface here at the R. Premadasa Stadium, which has favoured the spinners. Therefore, the Three Lions decided to go ahead with an extra-spinner. Notably, Jamie Overton didn't do much wrong in the tournament but it was a tactical decision.
Talking about Jamie Overton's performance, the right-arm seamer and right-handed batter has 30 runs in four innings and picked up nine wickets, which does not leave any scope for him to be dropped on the bench.
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