New Zealand vs Pakistan - (Source: X.com)
The start of New Zealand and Pakistan’s T20 World Cup Super 8 match has been delayed because of a heavy downpour in R.Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. Notably, rain threatened the first game of the Super 8 round, but showers hit the ground right after the toss.
The match was all set to start on time, and even the toss was held on time, where the Salman Ali Agha-led side opted to bat first and brought Fakhar Zaman in place of Khawaja Nafay. However, right after the toss, groundsmen rushed to cover the entire ground becaue of rain.
At the time of writing this article, the start of the game is delayed, and there are no signs of a start anytime soon. Now the fans are concerned regarding a whitewash. Now, there is also a curiosity among the fans regarding the cut-off time, and this article will shed light on the same.
What Is The Cut-off Time for the Pakistan vs New Zealand T20 World Cup 2026 Match?
For the unversed, the Pakistan vs New Zealand match will start losing overs from 8:30 pm, which is 90 minutes after the scheduled start, which was 7:30 pm IST. Now coming to the cut-off time, then the match will be abandoned without a ball being bowled at 11:10 pm, which is 4 hours and 10 minutes past the scheduled start.
"ICC UPDATE - 2.33 pm GMT - The broadcasters come back live and visuals show that the rain, albeit less heavy now, is steady. They also mention that the cut-off time for a five-overs-a-side contest is 10.16 pm local time, which is 4.46 pm GMT," tweeted ICC.
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.
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.
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Given the overcast conditions, an entire game of 20 overs is unexpected at the moment and next update is expected at 7:30 pm.
Pakistan Opt To Bat Despite Overcast Conditions
Rain threat loomed over Pakistan vs New Zealand match since morning. Usually in overcast conditions, a team that wins the toss opt to field first, which allows them to access the situation better. However, much to everyone's dismay, Salman Agha opted to bat first.
The entire internet is filled with Agha's criticism as the situation has now put Pakistan in a difficult situation, because when New Zealand will come to bat, they will be in a much-better situation.
Let's look at Pakistan and New Zealand's playing XIs for the crucial Super 8 fixture.
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
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
Also Read: Rain Returns In Colombo After PAK vs NZ Toss; Fakhar Zaman Comes In For Khawaja Nafay
