Despite the defeat against England, the Men in Green sit third at the points table
Sahibzada Farhan (R) and Babar Azam run between the wickets during the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup group stage match between Pakistan and USA at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground in Colombo on February 10, 2026. PHOTO: AFP
Pakistan’s hopes of reaching the semi-finals of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 remain alive but fragile, with qualification now hinging on a combination of results and net run-rate calculations in Super Eights Group 2.
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.
For Pakistan, the qualification scenarios are now clear.
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If New Zealand lose both of their remaining Super Eights matches — against England and Sri Lanka — Pakistan will only need to beat Sri Lanka in their final group game to finish in the top two and progress.
Should New Zealand lose one of their remaining fixtures, Pakistan must not only defeat Sri Lanka but also rely on a favourable net run rate (NRR) comparison to edge past the Black Caps.
However, if New Zealand wins both of its remaining matches, Pakistan will be eliminated regardless of its own result.
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.
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As the Super Eights reach a decisive phase, Pakistan’s campaign now depends as much on results elsewhere as on their own performance.
Sri Lanka and England will play in Colombo today.
