Pakistan's updated qualification scenario for T20 World Cup 2026 semi-final
Pakistan have very little chance of qualifying for the T20 World Cup 2026 semi-finals.
Although Pakistan are still not out of the race for the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup 2026, their chances of finishing in the top two in the points table are very slim.
In Group 2, England have become the first team to book a berth in the semis by winning two games in a row. Moreover, Sri Lanka have been eliminated following their defeat against England and New Zealand in the Super 8.
England hold the top spot in the Group 2 points table with four points. New Zealand are in second place with three points from two matches. Pakistan are next with one point in an equal number of games. Both New Zealand and Pakistan have tough competition for the knockout stage.
Notably, if New Zealand defeat England in their last match, Salman Agha & Co. will be eliminated from the T20 World Cup 2026.
However, if England beat New Zealand, Pakistan could progress to the next round based on Net Run Rate (NRR). For this to happen, they also need to win their next match against Sri Lanka at any cost.
How can Pakistan qualify for the semi-finals?
Pakistan’s match against Sri Lanka will be played one day after the England vs New Zealand clash. Hence, the T20 World Cup 2009 champions will have a slight advantage as they will know the exact margin of victory against Sri Lanka to achieve a better NRR than the Kiwis.
If England defeat New Zealand by one run, the Salman Agha-led side will have to crush Sri Lanka by 69 or more runs. If England win by 15 runs, then Pakistan will have to win by 55 or more runs. Therefore, the greater England’s margin of victory, the smaller Pakistan’s margin of victory.
Meanwhile, the ENG vs NZ game will take place on February 27 at R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. The PAK vs SL match will be played on February 28 at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Pallekele.
What are Pakistan’s qualification scenario for the T20 World Cup 2026 semi-finals?
Pakistan can qualify for the semi-final of the T20 World Cup 2026 if England beat New Zealand and Salman Agha & Co. finish with a better Net Run Rate than the Black Caps. If ENG beat NZ by 1 run, Pakistan will have to beat Sri Lanka by 69 runs. If England wins by 15 runs, Pakistan will have to win by 55 runs.
Who will Pakistan face in their last Super 8 match?
Pakistan will clash with Sri Lanka in their last Super 8 match on February 28.
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Vikas Singh Derek is a core cricket-lover since childhood and has always followed the sport both in his personal and professional life. He started his school life by watching cricket at home with family. Later, he played cricket on the field at local clubs during college. After his Master's in Journalism from Mumbai, he followed his passion by covering cricket news across various digital media. Since 2015, he has been an aspiring sports journalist and cricket content writer with over 50K+ articles.