Pakistan vs New Zealand T20 World Cup Highlights: Points shared as rain plays spoilsport, match abandoned
PAK vs NZ T20 World Cup Highlights: The Super 8s are a non-starter for the time being, as the first scheduled match is abandoned without a ball bowled. Rain simply refused to relent in Colombo after the toss, and the umpires call it off to leave a no-result on the table.
PAK vs NZ T20 World Cup Highlights: No result in the first match of the T20 World Cup Super Eight stage, as rain ruins any hope for a game in Colombo. Incessant showers over the R Premadasa Stadium means not a single ball bowled, and things grow increasingly more complicated for the group....Read More
Welcome to the T20 World Cup where things are really beginning to heat up. The first group stage is over and done with, and the eight teams which survived are now preparing for the real bloodbath. To begin proceedings we head to Colombo, the R Premadasa Stadium, where Pakistan will get things going against New Zealand.
The two teams find themselves in similar positions after their initial four matches. They have managed to get past the opponents they should have beaten – often commandingly, save for Pakistan's scare at the hands of the Netherlands. However, when faced with opponents that could be considered at par or better than themselves, they were beaten resoundingly – Pakistan folding against India, and New Zealand stuttering against South Africa.
In a very evenly-matched Group B in the Super 8s, every result will matter, and every performance will need to have just that little bit extra against teams which possess weapons of a certain calibre. New Zealand’s strength is their top order power via Finn Allen and Tim Seifert, while Pakistan's has been their spate of spinners to help them dominate on slower surfaces in Sri Lanka.
The RPS in particular has been extremely spin-friendly, with large dimensions and the slow surface combining to neutralise a lot of powerful teams. For New Zealand, this is a threat they will be aware of as they head in to bat – the same all-guns-blazing approach from the flatter Indian decks might not work here, and adapting to that will be key for the top order.
Pakistan will back themselves with the amount of time they have spent in Sri Lanka thus far in the tournament. It's a considerable advantage, and one they will look to convert for a good start in a strong group that also includes England and Sri Lanka. In a stage of the tournament were there are no unimportant matches, this is one that could have an oversized impact on what's to follow.
Squads:
Pakistan: Salman Agha (c), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Nafay, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan, Usman Tariq
New Zealand: Mitchell Santner (c), Finn Allen, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Cole McConchie, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi
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- 21 Feb 2026, 09:10:12 PM IST
Pakistan vs New Zealand Live Score: It's official – the match is ABANDONED
Pakistan vs New Zealand Live Score: Yep, didn't take long. That is that. An hour to the cutoff and any hopes of getting cricket played has been shattered. The toss took place with some hope, but nothing else after that.
A damp start to proceedings for the Super 8s.
- 21 Feb 2026, 09:05:23 PM IST
Pakistan vs New Zealand Live Score: Just over an hour away from the cut-off time
Pakistan vs New Zealand Live Score: Reminder that 10:16 pm is when the game will be called off officially – but it is likely that the groundstaff and the umpires will understand it is a lost cause a decent chunk before that.
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- 21 Feb 2026, 08:46:14 PM IST
Pakistan vs New Zealand Live Score: Still raining – no signs of ebbing
Pakistan vs New Zealand Live Score: Still no good news for you. Are we resigned to seeing no cricket today? Even if we get 5 overs apiece, that would be a thrilling 10-over spectacle given what's at stake. One can hope.
- 21 Feb 2026, 08:25:24 PM IST
Pakistan vs New Zealand Live Score: Starting to lose overs
Pakistan vs New Zealand Live Score: Officially crossed the threshold of where overs will start to ebb away. Will be a shorter match no matter what – if there is a match at all. But we can remain optimistic.
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- 21 Feb 2026, 08:07:21 PM IST
Pakistan vs New Zealand Live Score: England and Sri Lanka won't mind split of points
Pakistan vs New Zealand Live Score: If it does indeed end up being a no-result today, it is probably good news for England Sri Lanka, who will be aware that a win would shoot them right to the top and in control of the group.
However, rain will play a part in all these matches in Sri Lanka – but fingers are crossed.
- 21 Feb 2026, 07:37:53 PM IST
Pakistan vs New Zealand Live Score: Still 2.5+ hours from the cutoff time
Pakistan vs New Zealand Live Score: The official cutoff time for a five-over game is 10:16 PM local/IST, which is still quite a fair ways away – but that time vanishes quickly under a rain delay as we keep waiting for updates.
So let's take a look around the grounds and what we can expect from the World Cup going forward.
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- 21 Feb 2026, 07:29:34 PM IST
PAK vs NZ T20 World Cup Live Score: Does a shortened game favour NZ's power-hitters?
PAK vs NZ T20 World Cup Live Score: If we are to have cricket today, it would appear that overs will have to be sacrificed. New Zealand might not mind that – their power-hitting stocks are just that touch better than Pakistan's with Seifert, Allen, Phillips and Mitchell all capable of making these long boundaries look normal.
At the moment, grounds still covered, and the rain hammering down.
- 21 Feb 2026, 07:11:32 PM IST
PAK vs NZ T20 World Cup Live Score: Rain continues to fall in Colombo
PAK vs NZ T20 World Cup Live Score: No positive update yet. The rain steadily continues to drizzle. We will bring you updated time as soon as we hear something, but no scope for it at the moment.
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- 21 Feb 2026, 06:54:59 PM IST
PAK vs NZ T20 World Cup Live Score: Rain back with a vengeance – whole ground covered
PAK vs NZ T20 World Cup Live Score: Not great scenes from Colombo as the entirety of the Premadasa playing surface is covered up and the rain thunders down. Could be a while before we see action here – the teams wait.
- 21 Feb 2026, 06:50:09 PM IST
PAK vs NZ T20 World Cup Live Score: Playing XIs
PAK vs NZ T20 World Cup Live Score: Fakhar comes in for Nafay for Pakistan, and as many as three changes for New Zealand as they go with the extra spinner.
Pakistan: Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Agha (c), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Usman Khan (wk), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Salman Mirza, Usman Tariq
New Zealand: Tim Seifert (wk), Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner (c), James Neesham, Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson
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- 21 Feb 2026, 06:35:30 PM IST
PAK vs NZ T20 World Cup Live Score: Salman Agha opts to BAT FIRST but rain makes a return!
PAK vs NZ T20 World Cup Live Score: Just as the coin goes up, the rain comes down. Visible drizzle as Salman Ali Agha opts to bat first. One change for Pakistan, and a handful for New Zealand.
Hopefully this little shower is just a passing one.
- 21 Feb 2026, 06:28:22 PM IST
PAK vs NZ T20 World Cup Live Score: Teams are warming up before the toss
PAK vs NZ T20 World Cup Live Score: The good news is that the teams are warming up on the pitch with the rain staying away at the moment. A couple of minutes from the toss – hopefully no interruptions.
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- 21 Feb 2026, 06:15:00 PM IST
PAK vs NZ T20 World Cup Live Score: Only one match abandoned thus far in WC
PAK vs NZ T20 World Cup Live Score: So far, the World Cup has gone forth fairly seamlessly. Only the Zimbabwe-Ireland game was abandoned without a ball bowled – but the weather begins to grow worse in Sri Lanka, as rain becomes more and more frequent. Hopefully by the end of the evening, the number remains at one.
- 21 Feb 2026, 06:00:06 PM IST
Pakistan vs New Zealand T20 World Cup Live Score: 65% chance of precipitation for majority of the evening in Colombo
Pakistan vs New Zealand T20 World Cup Live Score: As per the BBC Weather Forecast, rain is expected with a 65%+ chance for much of the evening: it goes down to around 50% at 9:30 pm local, but that is not much of an improvement either.
At the moment, reports indicate that the rain has subsided, and hopefully it stays away long enough for some amount of cricket. The R Premadasa Stadium's drainage is renowned, and it might have to work heavy-duty tonight.
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- 21 Feb 2026, 05:41:06 PM IST
Pakistan vs New Zealand T20 World Cup Live Score: Weather could play a role in Colombo
Pakistan vs New Zealand T20 World Cup Live Score:One thing to watch out for in Colombo will be the skies. A steay drizzel throughout the day, and although it has reportedly eased out, dark clouds remain over the Premadasa which could play spoilsport. Something we will keep an eye on.
- 21 Feb 2026, 05:31:14 PM IST
Pakistan vs New Zealand T20 World Cup Live Score: Premadasa promises low-scoring games, first innings runs crucial
Pakistan vs New Zealand T20 World Cup Live Score: Well, low-scoring by modern T20 standards, anyway. Over the course of the tournament, scores of 170-180 have proven to be enough, outside of Zimbabwe's remarkable chase against Sri Lanka with time to spare. The go-to has been to get runs on the board early in the first innings, then rely on a slowing pitch to defend those. Par score should be around 170 here.
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- 21 Feb 2026, 05:20:10 PM IST
Pakistan vs New Zealand T20 World Cup Live Score: Captain Santner could be MVP for NZ tonight
Pakistan vs New Zealand T20 World Cup Live Score: New Zealand need to get to grips with this Premadasa surface very quickly, but there is one player who will automatically become much more dangerous with spinning, slow conditions – captain Mitchell Santner himself. He loves slowing the ball up, adding loop and revs, and that could make for a killer combination on the kind of pitch promised in Colombo. If he can take responsibility and spin a web, New Zealand will feel they have a superpower up their sleeve.
- 21 Feb 2026, 05:10:04 PM IST
Pakistan vs New Zealand T20 World Cup Live Score: Is there tension between coach Hesson and captain Agha?
Pakistan vs New Zealand T20 World Cup Live Score: During Pakistan's must-win game against Namibia earlier this week, Salman Ali Agha appeared to have a bone to pick with coach Mike Hesson as he exploded in frustration soon after his dismissal. The coach later commented that there was no problem between either of them, and it was just the heat of the game getting to the skipper – but more than anything, it is just an episode that is indicative of the tension and the biting that has been going on in this Pakistan squad.
Not all is rosy with Babar Azam being demoted in the batting, Shaheen's selection vs India being called out as a regret, and Shadab Khan being at war with members of the media and punditry. All of which can be a dangerous thing.
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- 21 Feb 2026, 04:55:07 PM IST
Pakistan vs New Zealand T20 World Cup Live Score: Pakistan's advantage of playimng all games in SL will come into effect
Pakistan vs New Zealand T20 World Cup Live Score: Pakistan have the advantage of knowing exactly where they are playing their games, and getting playing time at those three Sri Lankan venues. With three games at the SSC already, this is their second game at the Premadasa; while they lost their first one to India, they will have plenty of data and things to learn from that match that will help them out this time around.
- 21 Feb 2026, 04:45:05 PM IST
Pakistan vs New Zealand T20 World Cup Live Score: New Zealand's first game in Sri Lanka
Pakistan vs New Zealand T20 World Cup Live Score: So far, New Zealand have played their games in Chennai, with one being played in Ahmedabad. They have made use of good, flat batting conditions – even at Chepauk – with attacking cricket and powerful batting. Things change now, as the entirety of the Super 8 fixtures will be played in Sri Lanka, where conditions have been vastly different. This is especially the case for today's venue at the Premadasa.
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- 21 Feb 2026, 04:30:04 PM IST
Pakistan vs New Zealand T20 World Cup Live Score: New Zealand's path to the Super 8
Pakistan vs New Zealand T20 World Cup Live Score: New Zealand had their own very similar path to the Super 8 stage, winning out comfortably against Afghanistan, UAE, and Canada, without hardly ever breaking a sweat. However, against the strong South African team, they were treated to some of their own medicine as Aiden Markram hit them around the park and out of the game.
New Zealand are a well-made and very solid T20I team, but need to find that little x-factor to consistently beat the best of the best.
- 21 Feb 2026, 04:20:03 PM IST
Pakistan vs New Zealand T20 World Cup Live Score: Pakistan's path to the Super 8
Pakistan vs New Zealand T20 World Cup Live Score: Pakistan won 3 games and lost one in their group, playing three games at the SSC and one at the Premadasa in Colombo. They started off with a scare against the Netherlands, coming away with a win by the skin of their teeth. They proceeded to bury demons with a confident win against the USA, but were then hammered in the rivalry match against India by 61 runs. A massive 102-run win against Namibia ensured no further hiccups.
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- 21 Feb 2026, 04:10:12 PM IST
Pakistan vs New Zealand T20 World Cup Live Score: First game of Super Eights stage
Pakistan vs New Zealand T20 World Cup Live Score: The initial group stage out of the way with eight teams through and 12 teams going home earlier than they would have liked. All four initial group leaders in one group, the runners-up in the other after the pre-seeding. Here are how the groups shake up:
Group 1 (play in India): India, Zimbabwe, South Africa, West Indies
Group 2 (play in Sri Lanka): Sri Lanka, Pakistan, England, New Zealand
- 21 Feb 2026, 04:00:44 PM IST
Pakistan vs New Zealand T20 World Cup Live Score: Hello and welcome!
Pakistan vs New Zealand T20 World Cup Live Score: The Super 8s are here for the T20 WC! New Zealand and Pakistan get us going in Colombo RPS. Stay tuned for updates.
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