PAK vs NZ, T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8: Rain Wins, Both Teams Share a Point

The first match of the T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 stage ended before a single ball was bowled. Rain descended on the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Saturday evening and never let up, forcing the abandonment of the Pakistan vs New Zealand Super 8 opener — a result that satisfies nobody and complicates the qualification arithmetic for both sides immediately.

Rain Dominated From the Toss Itself

Pakistan captain Salman Agha won the toss and chose to bat first, making the routine announcement in what was already a light drizzle. By the time both teams had walked off the field following the toss, the rain had grown heavier. Groundstaff put the covers on, the players retreated to the dressing rooms, and the waiting game began.

The match started losing overs from 8:10 PM IST with the latest possible start time for a minimum five-over-per-side game set at 10:16 PM IST. As the hours passed, water collected visibly on the covers, the rain showed no intention of relenting, and the inevitable verdict arrived well before that cut-off. The match was called off, with both Pakistan and New Zealand collecting one point each.

Playing XIs That Never Got to Play

Pakistan made one change from their previous lineup, bringing in Fakhar Zaman in place of Khawaja Nafay. Captain Salman Agha explained that they wanted to go heavy on spin, fielding just two pacers — Faheem Ashraf and Salman Mirza — while leaning on multiple spin options. The full Pakistan XI was: Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Agha (c), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Usman Khan (wk), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Salman Mirza, and Usman Tariq.

New Zealand made three changes to their previous setup. They brought in an extra spinner in Ish Sodhi in place of Kyle Jamieson, and Lockie Ferguson — returning after the birth of his first child — came in for Jacob Duffy. Captain Mitchell Santner acknowledged the pitch conditions in Colombo and noted the spin challenge Pakistan poses. The full New Zealand XI was: Tim Seifert (wk), Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner (c), James Neesham, Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi, and Lockie Ferguson.

What This Means for Both Teams

The washout creates immediate pressure on both sides. Each team has two Super 8 matches remaining. To guarantee a semi-final spot, both Pakistan and New Zealand now need to win their remaining two games outright. One win and one loss will leave them dependent on results elsewhere in the group, while two consecutive defeats would confirm elimination.

For Pakistan, the dropped point stings harder given where their tournament has already been slightly shaky. Sahibzada Farhan is the highest run-scorer of the entire tournament, but beyond him the batting unit has been inconsistent throughout the group stage. Babar Azam in particular has been a major talking point — he has struggled for strike rate across all formats recently, and after failing to score in Pakistan’s final group game he did not even face a ball against the Netherlands. The question of where Babar bats and how he responds under pressure remains one of the defining subplots of Pakistan’s campaign.

New Zealand’s middle order issues have been documented throughout this tournament. Their openers Finn Allen and Tim Seifert have been their most reliable weapons, but Rachin Ravindra has contributed almost entirely against weaker opponents — 59 of his 72 tournament runs came against Canada alone. Daryl Mitchell and Mark Chapman have not provided the kind of match-winning contributions the team needs at this stage. With two difficult matches now ahead, those problems must be solved urgently.

The Bigger Picture: Super 8 Group 2 Standings

Both teams now sit on one point after their respective group-stage records — three wins and one loss each — plus the washed-out Super 8 point. The rest of the Super 8 Group 2 picture will clarify further as the round progresses, but Pakistan and New Zealand are now staring at a scenario where every match from here becomes a virtual knockout. The margin for error that existed at the start of Saturday evening has effectively vanished into the Colombo rain.

What’s Next

Sunday brings a packed cricketing day. England face Sri Lanka in the day game at Pallekele, while India take on South Africa in Ahmedabad in the night game — both Super 8 fixtures that will shape the broader qualification landscape. Pakistan will next play in their second Super 8 fixture, where anything short of a victory could effectively end their semi-final aspirations. New Zealand find themselves in an identical corner. The rain may have handed both teams an equal outcome tonight, but it has made the road ahead considerably steeper for both.