Rain could disrupt the opening match between Pakistan and New Zealand in the Super Eights stage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium on Saturday.
According to weather reports, Colombo is experiencing cloudy skies and light rain this afternoon, creating a warm and humid atmosphere.
The temperature stands at around 30°C, but with high humidity, it feels like 37°C, while shaded areas register a RealFeel of 34°C. Winds are blowing from the WNW at 9 km/h, with gusts reaching 26 km/h, creating occasional breezy moments.
Humidity is at 80%, and the dew point is 24°C, reflecting the moist conditions. Rainfall so far has measured 7.6 mm, with a 75% chance of further precipitation.
Cloud cover is nearly complete at 99%, limiting sunlight, while visibility remains moderate at 5km.
By evening, temperatures are expected to drop slightly to 25°C, with a RealFeel of 29°C. The skies will remain fully cloudy, but the rain is likely to stop.
Winds will ease, blowing from the east at 7 km/h with gusts up to 15 km/h. Humidity will rise to 86%, keeping the air sticky, and the dew point will be 23°C. The chance of rain falls to just 25%, while cloud cover stays at 100% and visibility remains steady at 5 km.
Overall, the evening is cooler and drier than the afternoon, but the atmosphere will remain humid under a fully overcast sky.
Earlier on Feb 15, Pakistan finished second in Group A, winning three out of four matches and suffering a single loss to India by 61 runs.
For the Super Eights, they are placed in Group 2 alongside co-hosts Sri Lanka, New Zealand and England.
Historically, Pakistan and New Zealand have clashed seven times in T20 World Cups, with Pakistan leading the head-to-head 5-2.
In all T20 matches between the two teams, they have met 49 times, with Pakistan winning 24, New Zealand winning 23, and two matches ending in a tie.
Pakistan’s remaining Super Eight matches are scheduled against England on February 24 and Sri Lanka on February 28, both in Colombo.
Squads
Pakistan: Salman Ali Agha (c), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Nafay, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan and Usman Tariq.
New Zealand: Mitchell Santner (c), Finn Allen, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi and Cole McConchie.
