Pakistan has been eliminated from the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup despite a thrilling 5-run victory over Sri Lanka in their final Super Eight match on February 28, 2026. After a clinical performance by the batters and a disciplined show by the bowlers, the big question on every fan’s mind is: Is Pakistan qualified for semi finals? While the win has put points on the board, the qualification now rests entirely on the Net Run Rate (NRR) and the run gap from today’s victory.
A Historic Partnership: Fakhar Zaman and Sahibzada Farhan
The foundation of this victory was laid by a sensational opening stand between Fakhar Zaman and Sahibzada Farhan. Both openers looked in “full flow” from the very first over, treating the crowd to a display of pure power-hitting.
- Farhan played a career defining knock, scoring a magnificent 100 runs off just 60 balls. He showed great “class” and timing.
- Fakhar smashed a rapid 84 runs off 42 deliveries, including 9 boundaries and 4 massive sixes.
Their 176-run partnership is now being hailed as one of the best in Pakistan’s recent cricket history. This dominant batting display allowed Pakistan to post a massive total of 212/8, leaving the opposition completely clueless.
Why Pakistan is Down by New Zealand
The victory margin was the “real game” today. To jump ahead of New Zealand in the points table, Pakistan needed to restrict Sri Lanka to 147 runs or less.
- The Turning Point: Pakistan’s bowlers started well, but as soon as Sri Lanka crossed the 147-run mark in the 16th over, Pakistan’s semi-final dreams were officially over.
- Final Result: Pakistan won the match by 5 runs, but since they couldn’t stop the flow of runs in the middle overs, they remained down by New Zealand in the NRR rankings.
Final Standings: Group 2
|
Team |
Points |
Net Run Rate (NRR) |
Status |
|
England |
6 |
+1.096 |
Qualified |
|
New Zealand |
3 |
+1.390 |
Qualified |
|
Pakistan |
3 |
-0.123 |
Eliminated |
