England Beat Pakistan To Qualify For Semis. Photo: England Cricket- X
PAK vs ENG, T20 World Cup 2026: In a match that swung like a pendulum until the final over, England secured a breathtaking two-wicket victory over Pakistan at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday, Feb 24. The win propels England into the semifinals of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 with a game to spare, while Pakistan’s tournament hopes now hang by the thinnest of threads.
Electing to bat first, Pakistan’s innings was a story of a brilliant start and a disastrous finish. Sahibzada Farhan continued his dream run, top-scoring with a fluent 63 off 45 balls. He shared a stabilizing partnership with Babar Azam (25) after early inroads by Jofra Archer.
At 122/3 in the 16th over, Pakistan looked set for a daunting total. However, England’s spin twins turned the game. Liam Dawson (3/24) and Adil Rashid (1/31) dismantled the middle order, at one stage taking three wickets in just four balls. A late 11-ball cameo of 23 by Shadab Khan proved vital, dragging the total to 164.
The chase began in sensational fashion as Shaheen Shah Afridi produced a trademark opening spell, dismissing Phil Salt for a golden duck and trapping Jos Buttler (2) LBW in his second over. With England reeling at 18/2, the pressure was immense.
Enter Harry Brook. The England captain played what many are calling the greatest innings of his career. Amidst a flurry of wickets at the other end—including Jacob Bethell and Tom Banton falling cheaply to mystery spinner Usman Tariq—Brook remained composed. He reached a magnificent 100 off just 51 balls, an innings punctuated by daring lofts over extra cover and clinical finishing.
Despite Brook’s century, Pakistan refused to go down. Shaheen Afridi (4/30) returned to bowl Brook immediately after he reached his milestone, leaving England needing 10 runs with only three wickets left.
The match reached a fever pitch in the 19th over when Mohammad Nawaz struck twice, removing Will Jacks (28) and Jamie Overton (0) in quick succession. Suddenly, England were 161/8, needing 3 runs with only tail-enders Jofra Archer and Adil Rashid at the crease. A nervous Archer held his nerve, steering a boundary through third man off the first ball of the final over to seal the win and spark wild celebrations in the English dugout.
Debayan Bhattacharyya is a seasoned sports journalist and digital media professional, currently serving as the Chief Sub Editor at ITV Digital (NewsX). A true Football-Fanatic Bong, his professional journey began at Zee Media, where he kicked off his career as a Sub-Editor for the sports team at India.com and CricketCountry. His ability to blend insightful analysis with rapid-fire news delivery soon led him to Times Network, where he served as a Senior Copy Editor for Times Now. Before his current role at NewsX, Debayan spent a significant tenure at OneIndia’s MyKhel as a Senior Sub Editor.
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