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Pakistan team - (Source: X.com)
Pakistan will certainly believe that “Qudrat ka Nizam” is real, as they had pinned their hopes on England to help them stay alive in the T20 World Cup 2026, and guess what, the Three Lions didn’t disappoint as they snatched the win against New Zealand from the jaws of defeat on Friday evening.
A New Zealand win against England would have taken Pakistan out of the competition, but now their fate lies in their own hands against Sri Lanka on Saturday. However, it won’t be easy for the Men in Green as the Kiwis have 3 points in their bag, and even a win might not guarantee a place in the semis.
With the Salman Agha-led Pakistan team set to play a do-or-die game against Sri Lanka, here is how the Asian side can qualify for the T20 World Cup semis.
How Pakistan can still qualify for the T20 World Cup semis
England have won three out of three and have reached the semis with utmost ease. The battle now commences between Pakistan, and New Zealand, but this is where the net run-rate comes into play.
The Kiwis have a net run-rate of +1.390, while Pakistan’s remains -0.461. Just a win against Sri Lanka won’t secure a semifinal berth for Pakistan on Saturday. The Men in Green need to eclipse the Kiwi net run-rate, and here’s how they can do it.
If Pakistan bats first, they need to win the game by a margin of 65 runs. For example, if the team scores 150, then Pakistan has to restrict the Lankan Lions to 85 runs.
If Pakistan bats second, then whatever Sri Lanka posts, the Men in Green has to chase it down inside 13 overs.
How the England vs New Zealand game panned out
On a sluggish R Premadasa Stadium, New Zealand won the toss and elected to bat first. The team got off to a flying start as Tim Seifert and Finn Allen tore apart the English attack inside the powerplay. However, England needed just one wicket as the Kiwis lost the plot in the middle overs.
Courtesy of some brilliant hitting by Glenn Phillips, the Kiwis managed to post 159/7. In reply, the England side had a horrendous start, losing both Phil Salt, and Jos Buttler quickly.
Centurion from the last game, Harry Brook, steadied the ship alongside Jacob Bethell, but New Zealand bounced back with the wickets of Brook, and Bethell. Tom Banton gave some lusty blows, but it was the unlikely duo of Will Jacks and Rehan Ahmed who changed the course of the game.
The duo slammed 44 runs in 16 balls as England won the game by 4 wickets in the last over of the contest.
Pakistan will fancy their chances against Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka is down in confidence after suffering back-to-back defeats against England and New Zealand. The team has not reached an ICC tournament finals since 2015, and the morale is at an all-time low.
Pakistan has nothing to lose and they will look to seize this opportunity to target the wounded Lankan Lions and win the game.
The Pakistan side is more balanced on paper, and have had the upper hand over Sri Lanka in the T20I format as of late.
Also Read: Glenn Phillips Grabs A Catch Out Of Nowhere To Stun RCB Star In ENG vs NZ Match
