The Super 8 clash of the T20 World Cup 2026 between Pakistan and England at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy was a vital encounter for both sides. England came into the contest after their victory against the co-host Sri Lanka at the same ground, while Pakistan were not in the mood after their opening clash of the stage got rained off against New Zealand in Colombo. 

Winning the toss in the game, Pakistan decided to bat first on a surface which they believed would slow down in the second innings with the old ball as they posted 164 for the loss of nine wickets in their allotted twenty overs after their opening batter, Sahibzada Farhan, smashed 63 runs in 45 balls with the help of seven boundaries and a couple of sixes.

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England did not make a great start with the bat as they lost three wickets in just 5 overs of the chase before their captain, Harry Brook, stood like a wall before the opposition and ended up with 100 runs in 51 balls with the help of ten boundaries and four sixes at a strike rate of nearly 200 to put them at a strong position.

How can Pakistan qualify for T20 WC 2026 semifinals?

With the victory, England have qualified thanks to two successive wins at a net run rate of 1.491, while Pakistan sit in third position with one shared point with New Zealand but at a damaged net run rate of -0.461. Now the question remains how they would reach the semifinal of the tournament.

The next game of the group will be between Sri Lanka and New Zealand in Colombo, and for Pakistan to qualify, they will hope that New Zealand doesn’t win that clash. In case New Zealand wins, they will have three points and a better net runner than Pakistan, which will be a tough job for Pakistan to get through.

If New Zealand loses the game, then they will find themselves in the same position as Pakistan and will be up against a strong England side in their last Super 8 encounter. In Kandy, Pakistan will now know the NRR they will need to get over the mark when they face Sri Lanka.