Pakistan need to win by 65 runs or inside 13 overs to overtake Kiwis and deny them place in the final four
Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to field first in the Super Eights Group 2 clash of the T20 World Cup against Pakistan at Pallekele on Saturday, with Pakistan’s qualification for the semi-finals hinging on a complex combination of results and net run-rate calculations.
Pakistan made three changes to their side, with Babar, Saim Ayub, and Salman Mirza not playing. Sri Lanka made two changes to their line-up, with Mishara coming in for Kusal Mendis, who misses out due to injury, while Hemantha is out and Janith comes in.
Sri Lankan captain said, “It’s a good pitch. Might be dew later in the day. We’ve got some good players in our line-up. We’ve got to do our basics right. Here, we need to do well in all three departments.”
Pakistan captain Salman Agha said, “Massive opportunity. We would have bowled first… [The goal now?] Put up a good total and restrict them. It’s a mix: it can be tough, sometimes you can have freedom to play your shots.”
Pakistan’s hopes of reaching the semi-finals of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 remain alive but fragile. After two matches, Pakistan sit third in the group with one point from a washed-out match against New Zealand and a defeat to England.
England, with two wins from two, has already secured a semi-final spot and leads the table on four points.
At present, Pakistan’s NRR stands at -0.461, placing added pressure on them to secure a convincing victory against Sri Lanka should qualification come down to margins.
Sri Lanka, at the bottom of the group with no points and an NRR of -2.550, still has matches against both New Zealand and Pakistan, giving them a potential role as spoilers.
Pakistan have an inferior run rate so need to win by 65 runs or inside 13 overs to overtake the Kiwis and deny them a place in the final four. If Pakistan qualify then the semi-final would be played in Colombo.
Pakistan: Sahibzada Farhan, Fakhar Zaman, Salman Agha (c), Khawaja Nafay, Usman Khan (wk), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Abrar Ahmed, Usman Tariq
Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara (wk), Charith Asalanka, Pavan Rathnayake, Kamindu Mendis, Dasun Shanaka (c), Janith Liyanage, Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushmantha Chameera, Dilshan Madushanka
