The Super 8 match between Pakistan and New Zealand was washed out due to rain (AP Photo)
T20 World Cup 2026: After a toss mistake Pakistan , following an unexpected choice to bat first, Pakistan was spared in their Super 8 opener against New Zealand at R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo due to rain.
There was a forecast. The rain grew more intense over time. As a result, the umpires rendered their rulings ahead of schedule. Rain caused the first Super 8 of the T20 World Cup between Pakistan and New Zealand to be cancelled.
Several World Cup matches in Sri Lanka have been impacted by rain. Rain has previously caused disruptions to games. Colombo may have rain on Saturday, according to the Sri Lankan Meteorological Department. On Saturday night, there was also some light rain. However, the rain ceased prior to the throw, and it proceeded as planned. After a toss mistake Pakistan, Pakistan chose to bat first.
Photo: PTI.
But it began to rain again before the game began. The field was once more covered by the field workers. Initially, it was believed that the rain would soon stop. However, the rain became more intense with time. In the locker room, the cricket players were chatting among themselves. There was not much time left. Additionally, the overs were beginning to run out. The 5-over game last began at 10:16 p.m.
Following the cancellation of their initial Super 8 match of the T20 World Cup 2026 due to rain at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Saturday, February 21, Pakistan and New Zealand exchanged points. In retrospect, many felt that Pakistan had made a mistake at the toss by choosing to bat on a foggy evening at the famous site, making them the fortunate of the two teams.
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NZ against PAK , Super 8 Highlights
According to former India captain Sunil Gavaskar, even in a shortened match, New Zealand would have had the advantage after a toss mistake Pakistan, if any play had been available. In rain-affected matches, he noted, the team batting second usually has an advantage, especially when objectives are revised using the Duckworth–Lewis–Stern (DLS) technique.
Explain the blunder.
Salman Ali Agha opted to bat first in Colombo (AP Photo)
After a toss mistake Pakistan, Despite the cloudy weather and impending rain, Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha won the toss and decided to bat first, surprising pundits and supporters.
It’s a huge benefit for New Zealand because of the type of opening batsmen they have. It works well for the New Zealand opening batsmen in a chase scenario. When I learned that Pakistan had chosen to bat at the toss, I must admit that I was taken aback. It was unexpected that they decided to bat first after winning the toss because we knew there might be some rain in Colombo,” he continued.
Both New Zealand and Pakistan advanced to the Super 8 stage after placing second in their respective groups. In the group stage, New Zealand’s only loss was to South Africa, while Pakistan’s only loss was to India.
Now, Pakistan will be hoping for brighter sky on Tuesday when they play England in Pallekele. Meanwhile, on Wednesday, New Zealand will play Sri Lanka in Colombo.
With all of their Super 8 matches set to take place in Sri Lanka, Group 2, which consists of Pakistan, New Zealand, England, and Sri Lanka, will be closely monitoring the weather.
The decision to postpone the game was also communicated to the captains of both teams. Mitchell Santner, the captain of New Zealand, shook hands with Salman Ali Agha, the captain of Pakistan.
After a toss mistake Pakistan, Due to this match, neither team received two points. New Zealand and Pakistan will both have to settle for one point. To get to the World Cup semi-finals, every point counts. However, from the start, New Zealand and Pakistan both dropped a point. Both teams are thus sad that they were unable to participate.