How did Pakistan got eliminated from T20 World Cup 2026 even after winning against Sri Lanka?

Pakistan beat Sri Lanka in their last Super 8 game of T20 World Cup 2026 despite Dasun Shanaka’s sensational half-century.

In a must win-big match for Pakistan in T20 World Cup 2026, they batted superbly in the first innings for the first 17 overs, which helped them eventually post a total in excess of 200. A historic opening stand by Sahibzada Farhan, who smashed his second century of the competition, and Fakhar Zaman made life difficult for the Sri Lanka bowlers.

However, Pakistan suffered a mini-collapse in the end, losing 8 wickets for less than 40 runs. Having dropped Babar Azam from the team, his absence was clearly felt by the middle-order. In reply, Sri Lanka seemed to be going nowhere after the loss of in-form batter Pathum Nissanka.

But Pavan Rathnayake kept Sri Lanka team alive with a clinical 58 off 37 balls. With 28 needed off the last over, skipper Dasun Shanaka almost pulled off a miracle scoring 22 runs off the first four balls against Shaheen Shah Afridi.

With just six needed off the next two, he tried a scoop shot and missed, and was later completely done by a pin-point wide yorker by the premium fast bowler. It was heartbreak for Lanka fans, who ended the Super 8 stage with no wins and three defeats.

How did Pakistan got eliminated from T20 World Cup 2026 even after winning against Sri Lanka?

Despite the win, Pakistan have now been knocked out of the tournament. To qualify, they needed to restrict their opponents to a total of 147. A win by 65 runs would have helped them surpass New Zealand’s NRR of +1.390.

However, Pakistan’s close victory by just 5 runs meant their run rate at the end of their Super 8 matches remained negative. As a result, both Sri Lanka and Pakistan have been eliminated.

New Zealand qualify for yet another ICC T20 World Cup semi-final, and will clash against South Africa on March 4 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

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