Kandy, Sri Lanka -The Pakistani hopes of progressing to the finals in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 have taken a huge fall following their Super 8s loss to England however, the team isn’t completely out of the running as of.
At their Super Eights match at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday, Pakistan suffered a narrow two-wicket loss against England and allowed to the Three Lions to become the first team to earn an entry into the final four of the tournament. England beat Pakistan’s total of 164/9 in 19.1 overs remaining and Pakistan now navigating a difficult way to qualify.
The Men in Green had earlier had to endure a sloppy performance against New Zealand in their Super Eights opening match, leaving them with only one point from their two games. The team is now, with England already at four points and guaranteed qualifying for the semifinals, Pakistan sit third in Group 2 in Group 2 behind England as well as New Zealand, and ahead of Sri Lanka on net run rate.
Summary of the Match: England Edge Pakistan
Batting first, Pakistan put up a competitive score of 164/9, driven by a steady performance of Sahibzada Farhan, who scored 63 runs in 45 balls. Farhan’s innings provided vital stability following the loss of early wickets, with the contributions of Fakhar Zaman (25) and Shadab Khan (23) aiding in guiding Pakistan to a respectable score.
In the rematch, England found themselves in difficulties early, slipping at 58/4 on the powerplay. But the captain Harry Brook played an innings that was match-defining, scoring an unbeaten century of 100 runs from just 51 deliveries -in order to keep England’s pursuit alive. Brook’s innings featured 10 fours and 4 sixes. He was hailed for being the only captain in T20 World Cup history to make 100 runs.
Despite the effective bowling of India’s Shaheen Shah Afridi, who scored four wickets, as well as Usman Tariq’s 2 wickets, England’s determination saw them smash the targets with just five balls remaining. Jofra Archer secured the victory by scoring a boundary off the opening ball of the last over, ending an exciting chase.
Qualification Scenarios: Pakistan’s Slim Chances
With only one Super Eights match remaining – in the final match against Sri Lanka — Pakistan have to navigate a complicated sequence of events in order to make it to the semifinals. Their progress is not just on winning their final game but also on the success when playing games that involve New Zealand and Sri Lanka.
A simple way for Pakistan is to allow New Zealand to lose both of their remaining games – in the two remaining matches against Sri Lanka and England -which would allow Pakistan to finish higher than them should Pakistan beat the Men in Green beat Sri Lanka. If this happens, Pakistan would finish with three points, while New Zealand would remain on one point, which leaves Sri Lanka with a maximum of two points should they defeat Pakistan.
Another possibility is the possibility of a tie in points. If Pakistan defeat Sri Lanka but New Zealand take victory in one of their remaining games, both teams may be left in the third position with three points. In this scenario the Net running rate (NRR) will likely decide the second semifinal spot, which is currently held by England. Pakistan’s NRR is at a disadvantage to the NRR from New Zealand, meaning they should be ideally looking for a dominating victory over Sri Lanka while hoping New Zealand suffers a lot in other games to increase their overall NRR.
The most undesirable scenario for Pakistan is should New Zealand win both of their remaining games. In this scenario, New Zealand would secure five points and would automatically earn the semifinals in the second round which would eliminate Pakistan regardless of the outcome with Sri Lanka.
The Standings and the Implications
Following two Super Eight games, England lead the group by four points, and an impressive net run rate +1.491. Pakistan is third, with one point and negative net run rates and New Zealand sit second with one point (from washed out) and an unbalanced NRR. Sri Lanka, having lost one match, are yet to open their points account.
The next two fixtures -between Sri Lanka vs New Zealand and England against New Zealand — will have a major impact on Pakistan’s future. The possibility of a Sri Lanka win over New Zealand could boost Pakistan’s chances of securing success in the final game and. However, a comfortable win by New Zealand could push Pakistan out of contention, even before the final game.
The Pakistani Super Eights Outlook
Pakistan’s performance in their last Super Eights match against Sri Lanka on February 28 will be crucial. The team will need to secure an impressive victory to increase their NRR as well as keep their semifinal hopes alive. Due to the extremely competitive points table as well as the numerous permutations that a narrow win is not enough in the event that New Zealand also pick up an advantage in their other games.
While still mathematically viable but the path to the semifinals is becoming significantly more difficult. The team and their supporters will now have to rely on the an impressive performance as well as luck in other group games to make it to the knockout phase.