The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 stage begins February 21 at Colombo’s R. Premadasa Stadium. New Zealand enters following a record-breaking group stage where Tim Seifert (89)* and Finn Allen (84)* shared an unbeaten 175-run stand against the UAE, the highest partnership in tournament history.
Despite a seven-wicket loss to South Africa, they advanced with three wins. Pakistan qualified as the final Super 8 team after a 102-run rout of Namibia, headlined by Sahibzada Farhan’s maiden T20I century. This landmark 50th T20 meeting sees Pakistan holding a narrow 24-23 historical edge.
New Zealand vs Pakistan Betting Odds and Market Analysis
The betting markets see this as one of the most competitive matches in the Super 8 stage. The odds are extremely close because both teams have nearly identical head-to-head records and similar recent form coming into this game.
Here is a look at the current odds from the major betting platforms for this Super 8 clash.
| Platform | New Zealand Win Odds | Pakistan Win Odds | Toss Odds (NZ) | Toss Odds (PAK) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1xBet | 1.88 | 1.95 | 1.90 | 1.90 |
| Stake | 1.90 | 1.92 | 1.91 | 1.89 |
| 4RABET | 1.87 | 1.97 | 1.88 | 1.92 |
| BetVibe | 1.89 | 1.94 | 1.90 | 1.90 |
Pakistan holds the slimmest of edges in the odds, but these numbers are too close to call either way. One good over or one key wicket at the right time could decide everything.
New Zealand vs Pakistan Match Details and Fixture Information
This Super 8 Group 2 fixture is a critical contest as two experienced T20 nations look to secure their route to the semifinals of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.
Here is the complete match information for this Super 8 showdown at Colombo.
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Match | NZ vs PAK, 41st Match, Super 8 Group 2 (Y2 v Y3) |
| Tournament | ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 |
| Date | Saturday, February 21, 2026 |
| Time | 7:00 PM LOCAL / 1:30 PM GMT |
| Venue | R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo |
The R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo will set the stage for this all-important Super 8 battle, where both teams know that every point and every run counts from here.
New Zealand vs Pakistan Squad Lists and Team Composition
Both teams have brought their full strength squads into the Super 8 stage. The captains are expected to back their most experienced and in-form players for such a high-stakes knockout match.
New Zealand Squad
Mitchell Santner (c), Finn Allen, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway (wk), Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Seifert (wk), Ish Sodhi, Kyle Jamieson, Cole McConchie
Pakistan Squad
Salman Agha (c), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Nafay, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Afridi, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan (wk), Usman Tariq, Salman Mirza (wk)
Both sides carry real match-winners throughout their lineups. On the right day, players from either team are capable of pulling off something completely match-defining on their own.
Pitch Report of R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
The R. Premadasa Stadium is one of Asia’s most spin-friendly venues. The surface tends to start reasonably fair but slows down as the match progresses, giving spinners more and more help as the innings develops.
The conditions at Premadasa will play a major role in how both captains plan their batting orders and bowling rotations.
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Pitch Behaviour | The pitch starts fairly balanced but gets slower as the game goes on. Spinners get extra grip and turn in the middle and death overs. |
| Batting Conditions | Batters need time to settle in at the start. Once comfortable, scoring gets easier, but the second innings are always harder to bat in. |
| Bowling Support | Seamers are effective with the new ball in the opening overs. Spinners take control from the middle overs onward and become very hard to score against. |
| Ground Dimensions | The straight boundary is approximately 86 metres. Square boundaries range between 63 and 67 significantly shorter metres. |
| Average 1st Innings Score | The average first-innings total here is around 158 runs. The lowest score successfully defended at this venue is 123. |
| Toss and Dew Impact | Captains often prefer to bat first here because the pitch supports spin heavily in the second innings, making chasing very difficult in the later stages. |
The short square boundaries mean power hitters on both sides will look to target the sides. But spinners like Ish Sodhi for New Zealand and Shadab Khan for Pakistan will be the key figures in the middle overs.
New Zealand vs Pakistan Weather Forecast
Colombo is known for its warm and humid evenings, and this match has a very real risk of rain disruption. Both teams and their fans will need to keep a close eye on the forecast before the game.
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Temperature | Around 29°C, warm evening conditions are comfortable for players |
| Weather | Heavy thunderstorms are forecast for the evening |
| Precipitation | Rain probability is around 80%, with heavy thunderstorms likely to disrupt the match |
| Humidity | Around 79%, extremely high for Colombo evenings |
| Wind | Wind speed expected around 13 km/h |
The rain risk is very high. If play is interrupted, the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method will come into effect. Both teams will hope for a full match, but the weather may have a big say in the final result.
New Zealand vs Pakistan T20I Head-to-Head Record
This is one of T20 cricket’s most competitive and balanced rivalries. Both teams have pushed each other hard across nearly five decades of international T20 cricket.
New Zealand and Pakistan have faced each other in 49 matches in T20. Out of these 49 games, New Zealand have won 23, whereas Pakistan have come out victorious on 24 occasions. 2 matches ended without a result.
| Aspect | Result |
|---|---|
| Total Matches Played | 49 |
| New Zealand Won | 23 |
| Pakistan Won | 24 |
| No Result | 2 |
Pakistan holds a one-match lead in the head-to-head, but the numbers are as close as they could be. This rivalry has always been tightly fought, and this Super 8 clash looks set to continue that tradition.
New Zealand vs Pakistan: Key Players to Watch
Both teams have match-winners spread across every position in the lineup. A single big performance from any of these players could swing the entire match in one direction.
Here are the key players to watch when New Zealand face Pakistan in the Super 8.
| Players | T20I Stats |
|---|---|
| Glenn Phillips (NZ) | 2,224 runs in 92 matches at an average of 32.23, a powerful middle-order batter |
| Daryl Mitchell (NZ) | 1,856 runs in 99 matches at an average of 27.70, reliable and composed under pressure |
| Lockie Ferguson (NZ) | 70 wickets in 47 matches at an economy of 7.34, express pace bowler who can trouble any lineup |
| Ish Sodhi (NZ) | Experienced leg-spinner who is very effective in home and away Asian conditions |
| Babar Azam (PAK) | One of the best T20 batters in the world, with 4,571 T20I runs and a consistent top-order presence |
| Sahibzada Farhan (PAK) | 1,142 runs in 43 matches at an average of 27.85, an aggressive opener in excellent form |
| Shadab Khan (PAK) | 979 runs and 123 wickets in 121 matches, Pakistan’s most complete all-rounder |
| Shaheen Afridi (PAK) | Left-arm pace bowler who is dangerous with the new ball and a match-winner on any surface |
New Zealand’s bowling attack has the variety to challenge Pakistan’s batting. Pakistan’s pace attack, led by Shaheen, has the ability to rip through any lineup on a lively surface early on.
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New Zealand vs Pakistan Live Streaming and TV Broadcasting Guide
Fans from several countries around the world can watch this Super 8 clash live through official broadcasters and streaming platforms. Here is where you can catch the action on February 21.
| Region / Country | Television | Streaming Platform |
|---|---|---|
| India | Star Sports Network (English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada) | JioHotstar |
| Pakistan | PTV, Myco | Tamasha, ARY Zapp, Tapmad |
| United Kingdom and Ireland | Sky Sports Cricket, Sky Sports Main Event | NOW |
| United States | Willow TV | Willow DTC, CricBuzz DTC, Willow YouTube |
| Australia | – | Prime Video |
| Sri Lanka | Dialog TV, TV Supreme (free-to-air), PEO TV | ThePapare.com, Dialog Play app |
| UAE and MENA | CricLife Max via StarzPlay | StarzPlay |
| Netherlands | – | NOS |
| New Zealand | SKY Sport | SKY Sport digital |
For all other countries, ICC.tv provides global access to the full tournament through a pay-per-match or tournament pass option.
