Kamal Ghorui
The Super Eight clash between Pakistan and New Zealand in the Twenty20 World Cup was washed out without a ball being bowled after heavy rain in Colombo on Saturday.Persistent drizzle right after the toss — which Pakistan won and opted to bat — at the Premadasa stadium did not relent with umpires finally calling the match off at 9:05pm local time (15:35 GMT).
Not even a five-over match was possible by the 10:16 pm (1646 GMT) cut-off time, giving the two teams one point each. Pakistan, New Zealand, England and co-hosts Sri Lanka are in Group 2 of the Super Eights.
Earlier, Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha won the toss and chose to bat against the side led by Mitchell Santner, but heavy rain delayed play. Both New Zealand and Pakistan qualified for the Super 8 stage after winning three out of their four T20 World Cup 2026 group-stage matches, respectively.While New Zealand registered wins against Afghanistan, UAE and Canada, Pakistan clinched victories against USA, Netherlands and Namibia. New Zealand’s sole loss came against the T20 WC 2024 runners-up South Africa while Pakistan lost to the defending champions and arch-rivals India.
Is there a reserve day?
There is no reserve day for this Super 8 fixture. Both teams will now share one point each — a scenario that could severely dent their semi-final hopes.This means the Super Eight phase begins without a ball bowled in the opening fixture. The decision was confirmed after conditions did not improve enough to allow a start. Both sides will share one point each, which could affect their chances of reaching the semi-finals.It is a disappointing development for both teams, and fans.
