Virender Sehwag gives reality check, roasts Pakistan's chances of reaching T20 World Cup semis: ‘Nahi hone wala'

Former India opener Virender Sehwag believes Pakistan won't reach the T20 World Cup semi-finals.

Updated on: Feb 28, 2026, 13:00:21 IST

Written by Vishesh Roy

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Former India opening batter Virender Sehwag minced no words, categorically saying that he doesn't believe Pakistan have the arsenal to make it to the T20 World Cup 2026 semi-finals. The Salman Ali Agha-led side remains in contention for the last four only because of England, which won its Super 8s contest against New Zealand in Colombo on Friday. However, Pakistan's net run rate is way inferior to the Kiwis', and a win against Sri Lanka will only bring them level with the Black Caps on points.

Pakistan will take on Sri Lanka in the must-win match on Saturday. (AP)

A win for Pakistan wouldn't be enough, and the Green Shirts need to win by at least 65 runs if they post 160 runs on the board. If chasing the same score, then they need to get over the line in a maximum of 13.2 overs to leapfrog New Zealand and qualify for the semi-finals.

During a panel discussion on Cricbuzz, when the anchor listed the scenario for Pakistan if they are to bat first against Sri Lanka, Sehwag replied, “Nahi hone wala. Aage padh (It won't happen, read further).”

Also Read: Mohammad Amir does it again; predicts India's future in T20 World Cup: ‘Pakistan qualify kare na kar, par…’

Then the anchor shifted her focus to the task at hand, if Pakistan are to chase. Hearing the equation, the Nawaab of Najafgarh said, “Wo bhi nahi hone wala. (This too won't happen).”

“It won't happen, that's what I was saying. It is not that easy for Pakistan. The prayers might have been accepted for the England-New Zealand match. But the prayers won't work for Pakistan in the game against Sri Lanka. They have been praying for so long, and it has not worked. So I don't think this is possible,” Sehwag said further on Cricbuzz.

‘Pakistan can’t score 160'

Sehwag said that if Pakistan qualify for the semi-finals, then it would be down to Sri Lanka playing some poor cricket and making things easy for Agha and the rest of the team. He questioned how Pakistan can even chase 160 in 14 overs when they are having trouble posting such a score in the first place.

“If they somehow qualify, very good. If they score 160 and then win by 60 runs, Sri Lanka would have to play some poor cricket. They would need to be bowled out for 90, which is not possible. Chasing the total down in 13.2 overs is possible, but their batting is not like that," he added.

“Pakistan are anyway not able to score 160, how will they chase the total down in 14 overs? It will be tough,” he added.

England have already qualified for the semi-finals after topping Group 2 in the Super 8s, and one between Pakistan and New Zealand will be the second team to qualify from this group.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Vishesh Roy
Vishesh Roy is a sports journalist with a strong focus on cricket. He began his career at Asian News International (ANI), where he covered a range of high-profile events, including the India Open, Legends Cricket League, the England–India Test series in Ahmedabad in 2021, and the inauguration of the Narendra Modi Stadium. During his tenure at ANI, he also reported extensively on domestic cricket, covering several Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy matches across the country. While cricket remains his primary beat, Vishesh has also reported on tennis, football and WWE. After a stint of over three years at ANI, Vishesh moved to NDTV, where he gained hands-on experience in digital-first journalism, with a particular emphasis on live blogs and real-time news reporting. He joined Hindustan Times in October 2024 and quickly established himself with a series of exclusive interviews and source-driven stories. Ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, Hindustan Times was the first to report that the two-day event would be held in Saudi Arabia. In the early months of his tenure, Vishesh secured interviews with leading cricketers, including Pat Cummins, Shreyas Iyer, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Rashid Latif. He has also closely tracked the rise of emerging talents such as Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Priyansh Arya by speaking to their current and childhood coaches. His background in on-field reporting has helped Hindustan Times Digital break exclusive stories on major developments, including Virat Kohli’s return to the Ranji and Vijay Hazare Trophy, IPL scheduling, and the T20 World Cup controversy involving Bangladesh and Pakistan.Read More

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