Pakistan Wins Toss, Elects to Bat
Pakistan won the toss and chose to bat first against New Zealand in their Super Eight clash of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. The match is being held at the R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo on Saturday.
However, persistent rain has delayed the fixture. The pitch and ground were covered after the toss, and umpires closely monitored conditions before the match could begin. Light drizzle soon turned into heavy rainfall, resulting in the loss of more than an hour and ten minutes of scheduled play.
According to match regulations, if play does not commence by 7:40pm Pakistan Standard Time, overs would be reduced. The official cut-off time is 9:46pm PST. For a minimum five-over-per-side contest, play must start before this deadline.
Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha and New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner were present at the toss, maintaining the usual pre-match formalities despite the weather disruption.
Playing XI and Team Preparations
Both teams have announced their playing XIs for the match. Pakistan’s squad features Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha (c), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Salman Mirza, and Usman Tariq.
New Zealand’s lineup includes Tim Seifert (wk), Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner (c), Jimmy Neesham, Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi, and Lockie Ferguson. Both sides are expected to adjust strategies depending on the rain-affected conditions.
Pakistan and New Zealand have met 49 times in T20Is, with Pakistan leading the head-to-head 24-23, and two matches ending in no result. In T20 World Cups specifically, Pakistan has a 5-2 advantage over New Zealand. Their last T20 World Cup encounter was in the 2022 semi-final, which Pakistan won by seven wickets.
Group Stage Context and Form Guide
Pakistan, New Zealand, England, and co-host Sri Lanka make up Group 2 of the Super Eights. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals. Group 1 features title-holders India, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and West Indies.
Both Pakistan and New Zealand enter the match with solid momentum, each finishing second in their respective groups with three wins out of four matches. Pakistan’s recent form reads W, L, W, W, W, while New Zealand’s is W, L, W, W, L. Analysts expect a competitive contest if the weather allows play to begin.
Fans and officials remain hopeful for a start, as the game could be reduced to a shorter format depending on how long the rain persists. The Super Eight stage is crucial, with every point impacting the race to the semi-finals.
