Match Details
NZ vs PAK, 41st T20I, Super 8 Group 2 T20, T20 WC 2026 live
New Zealand
Pakistan
Commentary
Pakistan Probable XI: Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha (c), Babar Azam, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan (wk), Mohammad Nawaz/Faheem Ashraf, Salman Mirza, Usman Tariq, Abrar Ahmed, Naseem Shah
New Zealand Probable 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, Jacob Duffy
Team News
New Zealand: Lockie Ferguson, who missed the previous game against Canada after flying home on paternity leave, has rejoined the squad. However, a decision on his inclusion in the playing XI will be taken on matchday.
The R Premadasa surface is expected to offer assistance to spinners. While New Zealand had three spin options in their last XI, they could be tempted to bring Ish Sodhi, who is yet to play a game in this tournament, into the mix given the conditions in Colombo.
Mitchell Santner, who missed the last game due to illness after a “dodgy burger,” has recovered and will return to lead the side against Pakistan.
Pakistan: Shaheen Afridi was left out of the XI in the must-win clash against Namibia, with Salman Mirza preferred instead. Mirza impressed and is likely to retain his place in the final XI.
Abrar Ahmed was another notable omission. Pakistan opted for an extra batter in Khawaja Nafay, but he failed to make an impact. Considering the conditions, the Men in Green could bring Abrar back into the XI, with Nafay making way.
Naseem Shah is also in the squad. If Pakistan feel the need for an additional seamer, he could get the nod — potentially ahead of Shaheen. In that case, one of Mohammad Nawaz or Faheem Ashraf might have to sit out.
New Zealand: Lockie Ferguson, who missed the previous game against Canada after flying home on paternity leave, has rejoined the squad. However, a decision on his inclusion in the playing XI will be taken on matchday.
The R Premadasa surface is expected to offer assistance to spinners. While New Zealand had three spin options in their last XI, they could be tempted to bring Ish Sodhi, who is yet to play a game in this tournament, into the mix given the conditions in Colombo.
Mitchell Santner, who missed the last game due to illness after a “dodgy burger,” has recovered and will return to lead the side against Pakistan.
Pakistan: Shaheen Afridi was left out of the XI in the must-win clash against Namibia, with Salman Mirza preferred instead. Mirza impressed and is likely to retain his place in the final XI.
Abrar Ahmed was another notable omission. Pakistan opted for an extra batter in Khawaja Nafay, but he failed to make an impact. Considering the conditions, the Men in Green could bring Abrar back into the XI, with Nafay making way.
Naseem Shah is also in the squad. If Pakistan feel the need for an additional seamer, he could get the nod — potentially ahead of Shaheen. In that case, one of Mohammad Nawaz or Faheem Ashraf might have to sit out.
Preview by Ajay Pal Singh
20 teams began their journey with hopes of lifting the trophy on March 8. Two weeks later, 12 have been eliminated and the tournament now moves into the Super 8 stage of the 10th edition of the T20 World Cup. The first Group 2 clash will see Pakistan take on New Zealand at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Saturday (February 21).
Pakistan qualified for the Super 8s with three wins in the group stage, finishing second in Group A behind India. The Men in Green were pushed to the brink against the Netherlands — and had it not been for a dropped catch by Max O'Dowd and an expensive penultimate over from Logan van Beek that conceded 24 runs, they might have started their campaign with a defeat.
They responded strongly by defeating the USA by 32 runs to avenge last edition’s loss. However, in the much-anticipated clash against arch-rivals India, Salman Ali Agha’s men were comprehensively outplayed. They conceded 175 in 20 overs before being bundled out for 114 in 18 overs.
Facing elimination, Pakistan bounced back in emphatic fashion against Namibia, registering a commanding 102-run victory to seal their Super 8 berth.
Sahibzada Farhan has been head and shoulders above the rest with the bat, while Usman Tariq has led the bowling charts with eight wickets in just three matches.
New Zealand’s journey has followed a similar pattern. They too registered three wins and one defeat in Group D to qualify for the Super 8s.
The Kiwis began their campaign with an impressive win over Afghanistan in a high-scoring contest, before cruising past the UAE by 10 wickets. Their only setback came against South Africa in Ahmedabad. Batting first, New Zealand posted 175, but South Africa chased it down in just 17.1 overs.
They signed off from the league stage with a comfortable win over Canada to confirm their progression.
Between the two sides, New Zealand have held the upper hand in recent meetings, winning six of the last 10 completed fixtures. The Kiwis will look to ride on that momentum heading into the Super 8 clash.
Colombo has traditionally assisted spinners, but in this tournament, batters have enjoyed their time in the middle. The average first-innings score has hovered around the 170-mark, indicating competitive conditions.
Can Pakistan’s spinners tilt the contest in their favour, or will New Zealand’s recent dominance over the Men in Green give them the edge in the Super 8s? Tune in at 6 PM IST (Local Time) for live coverage.
20 teams began their journey with hopes of lifting the trophy on March 8. Two weeks later, 12 have been eliminated and the tournament now moves into the Super 8 stage of the 10th edition of the T20 World Cup. The first Group 2 clash will see Pakistan take on New Zealand at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Saturday (February 21).
Pakistan qualified for the Super 8s with three wins in the group stage, finishing second in Group A behind India. The Men in Green were pushed to the brink against the Netherlands — and had it not been for a dropped catch by Max O'Dowd and an expensive penultimate over from Logan van Beek that conceded 24 runs, they might have started their campaign with a defeat.
They responded strongly by defeating the USA by 32 runs to avenge last edition’s loss. However, in the much-anticipated clash against arch-rivals India, Salman Ali Agha’s men were comprehensively outplayed. They conceded 175 in 20 overs before being bundled out for 114 in 18 overs.
Facing elimination, Pakistan bounced back in emphatic fashion against Namibia, registering a commanding 102-run victory to seal their Super 8 berth.
Sahibzada Farhan has been head and shoulders above the rest with the bat, while Usman Tariq has led the bowling charts with eight wickets in just three matches.
New Zealand’s journey has followed a similar pattern. They too registered three wins and one defeat in Group D to qualify for the Super 8s.
The Kiwis began their campaign with an impressive win over Afghanistan in a high-scoring contest, before cruising past the UAE by 10 wickets. Their only setback came against South Africa in Ahmedabad. Batting first, New Zealand posted 175, but South Africa chased it down in just 17.1 overs.
They signed off from the league stage with a comfortable win over Canada to confirm their progression.
Between the two sides, New Zealand have held the upper hand in recent meetings, winning six of the last 10 completed fixtures. The Kiwis will look to ride on that momentum heading into the Super 8 clash.
Colombo has traditionally assisted spinners, but in this tournament, batters have enjoyed their time in the middle. The average first-innings score has hovered around the 170-mark, indicating competitive conditions.
Can Pakistan’s spinners tilt the contest in their favour, or will New Zealand’s recent dominance over the Men in Green give them the edge in the Super 8s? Tune in at 6 PM IST (Local Time) for live coverage.
Head-to-Head in T20Is
Matches Played: 49
Pakistan Won: 24
New Zealand Won: 23
No-Result: 2
Matches Played: 49
Pakistan Won: 24
New Zealand Won: 23
No-Result: 2
Pakistan Squad: Salman Ali Agha (c), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Nafay (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan (wk), Usman Tariq
New Zealand Squad: Mitchell Santner (c), Tim Seifert (wk), Finn Allen (wk), Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Matt Henry, Jacob Duffy, Ish Sodhi, Kyle Jamieson, Devon Conway (wk), Cole McConchie, Lockie Ferguson