Advertisement
Advertisement
COLOMBO: England’s dramatic four-wicket win over New Zealand by four wickets in the Group 2 Super Eight fixture has kept Pakistan alive in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.
Before heading into the fixture, Pakistan needed an England win over New Zealand to remain in contention for the semi-final.
England chased down a stiff 160-run target on the third ball of the final over, with Will Jacks hitting a boundary behind fine leg to seal the victory.
New Zealand were in command when Will Jacks and Rehan Ahmed joined hands in the 17th over, with the Three Lions requiring 43 from 18 balls. However, a 22 run over from Glenn Phillips turned the game on its head.
The next over unfolded in a similar manner as Rehan struck boundaries off the first and final deliveries to collect 16 runs. That left England needing just five runs in the final over.
Will Jacks, who remained unbeaten on 32 from 18, was awarded Player of the Match for his all-round contribution.
With this win, England denied New Zealand a direct chance of reaching the semi-finals, leaving their fate dependent on the Sri Lanka- Pakistan clash.
For Pakistan to advance to the semis, they need to beat Sri Lanka by approximately 65 runs or chase the target in about 13 overs.
However, this remains an estimate, with the exact qualification scenario to be confirmed after the conclusion of the first innings.
The first semi-final will be played in Colombo if Pakistan manage to win, according to the required equation.
But a defeat would mean the first semi-final will be staged in Kolkata — unless South Africa lose to Zimbabwe and India somehow top Group 1.
READ: Salman wary of ‘critical situation’ before Sri Lanka clash
