England kept Pakistan’s T20 World Cup 2026 hopes alive with a win over New Zealand in their final Group 2 Super 8 clash at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Friday. Chasing New Zealand’s 159/7, England were nowhere in the chase until the 18th over when Will Jacks smashed Glenn Phillips for 22 runs to turn the match on their head.
With five runs to win, a four off Jacks’ helmet sealed England’s four wicket win. With this win, England finished the Super 8 stage on top of Group 2 with three wins and six points. New Zealand are placed second with three points from four games. Pakistan are third in the group with just a point from two games. Sri Lanka stand last in the group and are already eliminated.
In the process, England will play the semifinal two at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on March 5. The Harry Brook-led side will play either India or West Indies, who fight in a virtual quarterfinal on March 1 in Kolkata.
T20 world Cup 2026 Group 2 updated points table
| Team | Matches | Win | Loss | NR | Points | NRR |
| England (Q) | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | +1.096 |
| New Zealand | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | +1.390 |
| Pakistan | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | -0.461 |
| Sri Lanka (E) | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | -2.800 |
What Pakistan need to do for semis qualification?
With just a point, Pakistan can still qualify for the semifinal, provided they win big against Sri Lanka on February 28 at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium. A win for Salman Ali Agha’s side will take them to three points from four points, the same as New Zealand. In that case, the net run rate (NRR) will come into play. At the moment, New Zealand have a NRR of +1.390 while Pakistan have -0.461.
Scenario 1: If Pakistan bats first
In case Pakistan bats first, Salman Agha’s side need to win by 65 runs or more.
Scenario 2: If Pakistan chase
In case Pakistan are chasing a total, the Men in Green need to win the match within 12.4 overs.
Scenario 3: What if rains washes out SL vs PAK?
In case there is a rain washout in Pallekele, both Pakistan and Sri Lanka will share a point each. It won’t be enough for Pakistan as they would not be able to surpass New Zealand’s three points.
Who will England face in semifinal 2?
While England will take the flight to Mumbai from Colombo on Saturday, India and West Indies are gearing up for the high-stakes clash at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Sunday in Group 1. With Zimbabwe already eliminated from the race and South Africa booking their spot in the last four, it’s a winner-takes-it-all situation between the two former champions.
For India, the Men in Blue need just a win to join South Africa, England and either New Zealand or Pakistan in the semifinals. For West Indies, they also need a win to qualify. Both India and West Indies are at two points each. However in case of a washout, West Indies will qualify owing to their better NRR than that of India.
Catch the live action of the T20 World Cup 2026 with the complete T20 World Cup 2026 Schedule, and the T20 World Cup 2026 Points Table. Also, know who are currently leading the charts for Most Runs in T20 World Cup 2026 and Most Wickets in T20 World Cup 2026.
