There was a light-hearted moment before the high-pressure clash between England and New Zealand in Colombo when New Zealand’s national anthem accidentally played in fast forward.
The unexpected goof-up left players smiling and laughing, easing tension ahead of the must-win Super Eight match at the R Premadasa Stadium.
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On the field, New Zealand won the toss and chose to bat first.
Captain Mitchell Santner kept the same playing XI as the previous game, while England made one change, bringing in Rehan Ahmed for Jamie Overton.
After the toss, Santner explained his decision clearly.
“We’re going to bat first. You have to win games if you want to win a World Cup. Nice to have a run on this wicket the other night. We know what it’s going to do. Does look the same. Looked good in the last game and spun more than we thought. If it’s flatter, have to adjust accordingly. You try to use the dimensions in your favour. Same team,” he said.
England skipper Harry Brook said he would have batted first too.
“Would’ve won the toss and batted as well. Watched the game the other night, and there was spin here. They’re an amazing side. If we can beat them and try to knock them out, that’ll be great. I think we fielded amazingly throughout the competition. There was mis-execution in the previous game. I think I’ll be sticking at number three. Jamie Overton is out, Rehan Ahmed is in,” he added.
England have already reached the semifinals, while New Zealand must win to qualify.
Get the latest ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 updates, including the full schedule, teams, live scores, points table, and key series stats such as top run-scorers and wicket-takers.
