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Can Pakistan still qualify for the semifinals: New Zealand’s big win of 61 runs over Sri Lanka has completely changed the equation of Group-1. Sri Lanka is out of the tournament, but this result has raised alarm bells for Pakistan. New Zealand’s net run-rate (+3.050) now looks far out of Pakistan’s reach. Now the only way for Salman Ali Aga’s team to reach the semi-finals is that England defeats New Zealand at any cost on Friday. After this, Pakistan will not only have to register a win against Sri Lanka, but will also have to bridge the huge gap in run-rate. Will Pakistan once again get the support of the ‘law of nature’?
These are the scenarios for Pakistan reaching the semi-finals if Sri Lanka is out of the World Cup.
New Delhi. In the Super-8 stage of T20 World Cup 2026, New Zealand has demonstrated its strength in such a way that alarm bells have rung for other teams. R of Colombo. In the match played at Premadasa Stadium, New Zealand defeated Sri Lanka by a huge margin of 61 runs. This victory has not only put the Kiwis at the forefront of the race for the semi-finals, but has also shown Sri Lanka an official exit from the tournament. This result has created a ‘do or die’ situation for Pakistan. New Zealand team’s huge net run-rate of +3.050 has now become the biggest obstacle in Pakistan’s path. Now the fate of Salman Ali Aga’s team is completely in the hands of England. Will Pakistan once again be able to rely on the ‘rules of nature’ to get a ticket to the semi-finals, or will New Zealand break the hearts of Pakistani fans by defeating England? Let us understand the complete mathematics of the points table.
After this big win over Sri Lanka, New Zealand has now reached second place in the group. He has 3 points and most importantly he has an excellent Net Run Rate (NRR) of +3.050. After England, New Zealand has now become the strongest contender to get a ticket for the semi-finals from this group. If New Zealand wins its last Super-8 match against England in Colombo on Friday, it will qualify directly for the semi-finals and will top the group. Even if New Zealand loses to England, its chances of qualifying are still very high. If Pakistan loses to Sri Lanka on Saturday, New Zealand will go through without any hurdles.
These are the scenarios for Pakistan reaching the semi-finals if Sri Lanka is out of the World Cup.
super 8 group 2 points table
| place | Team | match | won | lost | inconclusive | score | NRR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | England (Q) | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | +1.491 |
| 2 | New Zealand | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | +3.050 |
| 3 | Pakistan | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | -0.461 |
| 4 | Sri Lanka (E) | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | -2.800 |
*Q = qualify, E = Eliminated
Pakistan’s hopes got a big blow
This victory of New Zealand has given sleepless nights to the Pakistan team captained by Salman Ali Aga. Pakistan is now completely dependent on the results of other teams. Pakistan will now pray that the England team captained by Harry Brook defeats New Zealand on Friday. If England beats New Zealand, then Pakistan will have to beat Sri Lanka by a big margin in their last match. They will have to hope that the difference between New Zealand’s defeat and their own win is big enough to leave behind New Zealand’s huge net run rate (+3.050).
The match against Sri Lanka will decide the future of Pakistan
A small relief for Pakistan is that the margin of their defeat against England was very small, due to which their net run rate has not deteriorated much. This World Cup was like a nightmare for the Sri Lankan team playing on home ground. With the 61-run defeat at the hands of New Zealand, Sri Lanka is now completely out of the race for the semi-finals. Now their last match against Pakistan will only be a fight to save face, but this match will decide the future of Pakistan.
About the Author
Active in journalism for about 15 years. Studied from Delhi University. Interested in sports especially cricket, badminton, boxing and wrestling. Covered IPL, Commonwealth Games and Pro Wrestling League events. From February 2022…read more