T20 World Cup: Rain washes out Pakistan-New Zealand Super Eight clash, both teams share points
Cricket
Pakistan and New Zealand share one point each after rain washes out their T20 World Cup 2026 Super Eight clash in Colombo.
COLOMBO (Dunya News) – Persistent rain forced the abandonment of the Super Eight fixture between Pakistan and New Zealand in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, with not a single ball bowled at R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo on Saturday.
Officials confirmed the decision after prolonged monitoring of conditions, with the outfield remaining too wet to permit any play. The washout meant both teams were awarded one point each in the crucial second-stage encounter.
The highly anticipated contest never got under way after steady showers that began around the toss failed to clear. Ground staff kept the covers firmly in place throughout, and officials eventually called off the match due to unplayable conditions.
Earlier, Pakistan had won the toss and elected to bat first in their opening Super Eight appearance. Captain Salman Ali Agha had said the plan was to post a strong total and defend it against New Zealand, but the weather intervened before play could begin.
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) February 21, 2026
Pakistan have decided to bat first at R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo #PAKvNZ | #T20WorldCup | #BackTheBoysInGreen | #WeHaveWeWill pic.twitter.com/sdU7u0Nw3C
The abandonment leaves both sides sharing the spoils, a result that could prove significant in the tightly contested Super Eight standings.
With one point each added to their tally, Pakistan now turn their attention to upcoming fixtures against England and Sri Lanka as they look to keep their semi-final hopes alive. New Zealand will also reassess their campaign following the rain-hit stalemate in Colombo.
Playing XIs
New Zealand: Tim Seifert (wk), Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner (capt), Jimmy Neesham, Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson
Pakistan: Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha (capt), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Salman Mirza, Usman Tariq
