T20 World Cup 2026: The Super 8 stage of the T20 World Cup 2026 began with an anti-climactic splash on Saturday, Feb 21 as persistent rain in Colombo forced an abandonment between Pakistan and New Zealand. The R. Premadasa Stadium was under covers for the better part of the evening, and despite the groundstaff’s best efforts, the officials were forced to call off the game without a single ball being bowled.
With no reserve days scheduled for the Super 8 matches, both teams were awarded one point each. This “No Result” has immediately cramped the qualification math for Group 2, turning every upcoming fixture into a virtual knockout.
Super 8 Points Table: Group 2 Standings
Pakistan and New Zealand lead the table by default, but their “1” in the points column feels more like a missed opportunity than a lead.
| POS | TEAM | PLD | W | L | NR | PTS | NRR |
| 1 | New Zealand | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.000 |
| 2 | Pakistan | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.000 |
| 3 | England | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.000 |
| 4 | Sri Lanka | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.000 |
Super 8 Points Table: Group 1 Standings
Group 1 starts its journey tomorrow in Ahmedabad. All eyes are on the heavyweight clash between the defending champions and the Proteas.
| POS | TEAM | PLD | W | L | NR | PTS | NRR |
| 1 | India | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.000 |
| 2 | South Africa | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.000 |
| 3 | West Indies | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.000 |
| 4 | Zimbabwe | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.000 |
Rain Washes Out PAK vs NZ Clash
The washout has effectively stripped Pakistan of their “safety net.” To reach the semi-finals comfortably, they now likely need to win both their remaining matches against England (Feb 24) and Sri Lanka (Feb 28).
The focus now shifts to Kandy, where England takes on co-hosts Sri Lanka tomorrow. A win for either side will propel them to the top of Group 2 with 2 points, leaving the “washed-out” duo of Pakistan and New Zealand in a precarious position. Meanwhile, in Group 1, India will look to assert dominance against South Africa in what is expected to be a sold-out Narendra Modi Stadium.
