Match Details
ENG vs NZ, 49th T20I, Super 8 Group 2 T20, T20 WC 2026 live
New Zealand
England
Commentary
New Zealand (Probable 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 (Probable XI): Phil Salt, Jos Buttler (wk), Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Harry Brook (c), Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Liam Dawson, Jamie Overton/Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid
Preview by AkshayaKrishna Polya
England take on New Zealand at R.Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, in a Super 8, Group 2 game on Friday (February 27).
The two-time champions were the first team to qualify for the semi-finals, with impressive wins against Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
The Kiwis, on the other hand, need to win this contest to ensure a semi-final spot on Friday itself; otherwise, they need to wait for the result of the Pakistan vs Sri Lanka fixture on Saturday.
Given the weather in Sri Lanka previously, a washout will also be enough for the Black Caps to get through, but the overhead is set to be clear for the match day.
Having already qualified for the semis, England might tend to check their bench strength, which could open the door for the likes of Rehan Ahmed, Luke Wood, Ben Duckett and Josh Tongue. However, the Harry Brook-led side hasn't made any changes to their playing XI in the last five games. Buttler and Banton's form is a concern, but they are likely to stick with the same XI.
Although a defeat in this fixture doesn't put the Mitchell Santner-led unit out of the tournament, it allows the Men in Green to come into the picture, giving Pakistan a sniff to qualify given they meet the required conditions in addition to a win against Sri Lanka on Saturday. They have as many as five spin options - Santner, Ish Sodhi, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra and Cole McConchie - in the XI. If there is any necessity to bring in a seamer, then there are Jacob Duffy, Kyle Jamieson and Jimmy Neesham waiting in the ranks.
After solid spells from Jofra Archer, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid and Liam Dawson helped England to restrict Pakistan to 164/9, it was a Harry Brook masterclass that set up the win for the European side. After losing Phil Salt for a golden duck, Brook promoted himself to number 3 and steadied the ship despite losing wickets at the other end. At 58/4, there were nerves in the England camp, but Brook's one-man show turned the tide completely in his team's favour. Sam Curran and Will Jacks supported their skipper in rebuilding and strengthening England's position in the run chase.
Brook became the first captain to score a T20 World Cup ton and also the third England batter, after Jos Buttler and Dawid Malan, to score hundreds in all three formats. His outrageous century got England close to the win before a couple of hiccups delayed the inevitable that Archer finished with a boundary on the very first ball of the 20th over, sealing a two-wicket victory and a semi-final spot.
Speaking of the Kiwis, they were put under a lot of pressure by the Sri Lankan spinners. After sharing a point each with Pakistan, the Black Caps were asked to bat on a rank turner in Colombo. A couple of batters got starts but failed to convert, and suddenly the floodgates were opened as New Zealand's middle order crumbled, leaving the team in deep waters at 84/6. Santner's 26-ball 47 and McConchie's unbeaten 23-ball 31 lifted New Zealand to a challenging 168/7 that was indeed proved to be too much for the lacklustre Sri Lankan batting line-up.
Rachin Ravindra showed his bowling skills and was the star of the show with his 4/27. Matt Henry, who started the collapse with a first-ball wicket of Pathum Nissanka, finished with 2/3. Santner and Phillips shared a wicket as New Zealand restricted Sri Lanka to just 107/8. The 61-run win gave NZ a massive boost in the net run rate.
It is said to be the same pitch that was used for the game between New Zealand and Sri Lanka. Both sides have enough spin options in them to keep the batters in check.
Can England remain unbeaten in the Super 8s, or will New Zealand lock their spot in the semis with a win? To know, join us at 6 PM IST and Local Time on Friday for its live coverage!
England take on New Zealand at R.Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, in a Super 8, Group 2 game on Friday (February 27).
The two-time champions were the first team to qualify for the semi-finals, with impressive wins against Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
The Kiwis, on the other hand, need to win this contest to ensure a semi-final spot on Friday itself; otherwise, they need to wait for the result of the Pakistan vs Sri Lanka fixture on Saturday.
Given the weather in Sri Lanka previously, a washout will also be enough for the Black Caps to get through, but the overhead is set to be clear for the match day.
Having already qualified for the semis, England might tend to check their bench strength, which could open the door for the likes of Rehan Ahmed, Luke Wood, Ben Duckett and Josh Tongue. However, the Harry Brook-led side hasn't made any changes to their playing XI in the last five games. Buttler and Banton's form is a concern, but they are likely to stick with the same XI.
Although a defeat in this fixture doesn't put the Mitchell Santner-led unit out of the tournament, it allows the Men in Green to come into the picture, giving Pakistan a sniff to qualify given they meet the required conditions in addition to a win against Sri Lanka on Saturday. They have as many as five spin options - Santner, Ish Sodhi, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra and Cole McConchie - in the XI. If there is any necessity to bring in a seamer, then there are Jacob Duffy, Kyle Jamieson and Jimmy Neesham waiting in the ranks.
After solid spells from Jofra Archer, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid and Liam Dawson helped England to restrict Pakistan to 164/9, it was a Harry Brook masterclass that set up the win for the European side. After losing Phil Salt for a golden duck, Brook promoted himself to number 3 and steadied the ship despite losing wickets at the other end. At 58/4, there were nerves in the England camp, but Brook's one-man show turned the tide completely in his team's favour. Sam Curran and Will Jacks supported their skipper in rebuilding and strengthening England's position in the run chase.
Brook became the first captain to score a T20 World Cup ton and also the third England batter, after Jos Buttler and Dawid Malan, to score hundreds in all three formats. His outrageous century got England close to the win before a couple of hiccups delayed the inevitable that Archer finished with a boundary on the very first ball of the 20th over, sealing a two-wicket victory and a semi-final spot.
Speaking of the Kiwis, they were put under a lot of pressure by the Sri Lankan spinners. After sharing a point each with Pakistan, the Black Caps were asked to bat on a rank turner in Colombo. A couple of batters got starts but failed to convert, and suddenly the floodgates were opened as New Zealand's middle order crumbled, leaving the team in deep waters at 84/6. Santner's 26-ball 47 and McConchie's unbeaten 23-ball 31 lifted New Zealand to a challenging 168/7 that was indeed proved to be too much for the lacklustre Sri Lankan batting line-up.
Rachin Ravindra showed his bowling skills and was the star of the show with his 4/27. Matt Henry, who started the collapse with a first-ball wicket of Pathum Nissanka, finished with 2/3. Santner and Phillips shared a wicket as New Zealand restricted Sri Lanka to just 107/8. The 61-run win gave NZ a massive boost in the net run rate.
It is said to be the same pitch that was used for the game between New Zealand and Sri Lanka. Both sides have enough spin options in them to keep the batters in check.
Can England remain unbeaten in the Super 8s, or will New Zealand lock their spot in the semis with a win? To know, join us at 6 PM IST and Local Time on Friday for its live coverage!
Head-to-Head in T20Is:
Matches Played: 30
England Won: 17
New Zealand Won: 10
No-Result: 3
Matches Played: 30
England Won: 17
New Zealand Won: 10
No-Result: 3
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
England Squad: Harry Brook (c), Phil Salt (wk), Jos Buttler (wk), Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton (wk), Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Jofra Archer, Liam Dawson, Adil Rashid, Luke Wood, Josh Tongue, Rehan Ahmed, Ben Duckett (wk)