PAK vs NZ Toss (Source: AFP)
On Saturday, February 21, Pakistan and New Zealand kickstarted T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 round as the two teams locked horns against each other at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. Rain threat loomed over the game, but the proceedings went as planned as toss too took place on time.
Mitchell Santner returned to the playing XI after missing out in the last match because of food poisoning. He walked down to the centre of the pitch alongside Salman Ali Agha for the toss. Notably, Pakistan won the coin flip and opted to bat first despite overcast condition.
Talking about the team changes, Pakistan have gone ahead with one change as Fakhar Zaman comes in for Khawaja Nafay, while the Kiwis have made three changes. Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson come in, replacing Jacob Duffy, Kyle Jamieson, and Cole McConchie.
Pakistan vs New Zealand T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8: Playing XIs
Pakistan Playing XI: Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha (c), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Usman Khan (wk), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Usman Tariq, Salman Mirza
Also Read: SL vs ENG Head To Head Records- Super 8, ICC T20 World Cup 2026
New Zealand Playing XI: Tim Seifert (wk), Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner (c), Jimmy Neesham, Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson
Pakistan vs New Zealand T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8: Captains Thought
Salman Ali Agha (Pakistan Captain): "We are going to bat first. (Changes) Yes, we have got 1 change. Fakhar is playing. Nafay is not playing. Yes, we have 1 genuine pacer and we also have Faheem Ashraf. He is good as well. So, we have 2 pacers and plenty of spinners."
"(On New Zealand) We know that they are a quality side. We have to play our A game and that's what we will look to do today," he added.
Mitchell Santner (New Zealand Captain): "We have 3 changes. We have gone with an extra spinner. Ish Sodhi instead of Kyle Jamieson. Lockie Ferguson is in for Jacob Duffy. Yeah, looks like it. We are coming in from Chennai."
"(On Pakistan using spin against New Zealand) Yeah, looks like it. We are coming from Chennai. They were quite flat wickets. We have seen a lot of the games throughout the tournament here. We know the challenge we are up against today," he added.
R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, Weather Update
For the unversed, the rain started pouring right after the toss. Notably, at the time of writing this article, the entire ground is covered with blue sheets because of the drizzle. Therefore, a delayed start is expected.
Talking about Colombo weather, there is 67% chances of rain. The bad news here is that the rain is expected to last around 1.5 hours and heavy downpour is expected in the next hour, risking a potential abandonment.
Given the overcast conditions, an entire game of 20 overs is unexpected at the moment and it is to be seen when will the umpires walk out for inspection and whether we will have Sri Lanka and Pakistan play least a five-over game or not.
Also Read: Jacob Bethell May Be Banned From Bowling During England vs Sri Lanka! Here's Why
