Pakistan and New Zealand will clash in Colombo on Saturday to kick off the Super Eight stage of the T20 World Cup 2026.
Pakistan booked their spot in the Super Eight with a commanding 102-run win over Namibia, bouncing back from their opening defeat to rivals India. Captain Salman Agha described it as a “complete performance,” but leg-spinner Shadab Khan warned that tougher tests lie ahead against England and co-hosts Sri Lanka.
“There are eight strong teams, so every match will be high-pressure,” Shadab said.
New Zealand finished their group stage with an eight-wicket win over Canada, though they were briefly challenged by opener Yuvraj Samra, who scored a scintillating 110 off 65 balls. The Kiwis had earlier suffered a heavy loss to group winners South Africa but secured victories against Afghanistan and the UAE. Mitchell Santner, New Zealand’s captain and key spinner, missed the Canada match due to illness, with Daryl Mitchell leading the side. Santner is expected to return against Pakistan, potentially prompting the inclusion of Ish Sodhi to strengthen the spin department in Colombo’s spin-friendly conditions.
Pakistan’s squad selection is also under scrutiny. Shaheen Shah Afridi was surprisingly rested against Namibia after taking a wicket in each of his first three games but conceding too many runs. Salman Mirza filled in for him, but Shaheen is expected back against New Zealand.
Pakistan may also consider adjusting their batting and bowling lineup, potentially including Naseem Shah for an extra fast bowler and reconsidering Babar Azam’s position in the order, possibly moving him to opener or replacing him with Fakhar Zaman in the middle order.
This match will mark the 50th T20 encounter between Pakistan and New Zealand, with Pakistan narrowly leading the head-to-head tally 24–23.
The Super Eight format sees each team in two groups of four, with Pakistan drawn alongside Sri Lanka, England, and New Zealand. Each team will play the other three in their group, and the top two sides will advance to the semi-finals. All teams start with zero points; results from the initial group stage do not carry over.
Likely lineups:
New Zealand: Finn Allen, Tim Seifert (w), Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner (c), James Neesham, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Jacob Duffy
Pakistan: Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha (c), Babar Azam, Usman Khan (w), Khawaja Nafay, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Usman Tariq
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