Pakistan get lucky as rain wipes out Super 8 clash: Rain saved Pakistan, Salman had made a blunder on the toss

New Delhi. Pakistan and New Zealand shared the points among themselves in their first Super 8 match of T20 World Cup 2026. The match was abandoned due to rain at R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Saturday (21 February). Pakistan captain Salman Ali Aga had once again committed a blunder and in this respect the rain was beneficial for him. People believed that he had made a mistake by winning the toss and choosing to bat, especially in such a weather when the sky was cloudy.

It started raining immediately after the toss and the game could not start for two hours and ten minutes continuously. Ultimately the match was cancelled. Not a single over was bowled, and both players and spectators were left disappointed due to continuous rain. Former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar said that if the match had taken place, New Zealand would have got the advantage, even if the match was short. He said that in rain-affected matches, the team batting in the second innings usually has the advantage, especially when the target is decided by the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method.

What was the mistake?

Experts and fans were surprised when Pakistan captain Salman Ali Aga won the toss and decided to bat first, even though the weather was cloudy and there was a possibility of rain. Gavaskar told Geostar, “If there is even a little play, the team batting in the second innings always has the advantage. They have 10 wickets, they know what the target is and at what rate they have to score runs.”

He further said, “This situation would have been beneficial for the opening batsmen that New Zealand has. New Zealand’s openers would have had an advantage in the chase. To be honest, I was also surprised when I heard that Pakistan won the toss and chose to bat first. We knew that there could be rain in Colombo, so it was surprising to win the toss and choose to bat first.”

Both Pakistan and New Zealand made it to the Super 8 by finishing second in their respective groups. Pakistan lost only to India in the group stage, while New Zealand suffered its only defeat against South Africa. Now Pakistan is hopeful that the weather will remain clear during the match against England in Pallekele on Tuesday. At the same time, New Zealand will face Sri Lanka in Colombo on Wednesday.

Interestingly, there is a possibility of rain in the match between England and Sri Lanka in Pallekele on Sunday, which has further increased the concern regarding the weather. Group 2, which includes Pakistan, New Zealand, England and Sri Lanka, is going to play all its Super 8 matches in Sri Lanka, so all the teams are keeping an eye on the weather.