New Zealand vs Pakistan, 41st Match, Super 8 Group 2 (Y2 v Y3), ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 - Commentary

21:07 Local Time, 15:37 GMT, 21:07 IST: Right then, rain’s walked in like the ultimate party pooper and had the final say in the opening Super 8s clash. No result, one point each and both teams are off the mark - just not quite the way they’d imagined when they set their alarms. But don’t worry, the cricket carnival rolls on tomorrow with a mouth-watering double-header. England face Sri Lanka at the Pallekele International Stadium, where the clouds might try to steal some limelight again. Later in the day, it’s a blockbuster as India lock horns with South Africa at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad and thankfully, the forecast there looks much better. Four heavyweights. Two big games. Fingers crossed the rain gods take the day off and we get a proper and power-packed double-header. That’s it from us tonight. See you tomorrow. Goodbye and good night!

21:02 Local Time, 15:32 GMT, 21:02 IST: Looking at the live pictures, the rain hasn’t relented. The entire ground remains under covers, with the players spending time chatting among themselves in the dressing room. A handful of fans are still waiting in the stands, but even their hopes seem to be fading as they watch the rain continue to fall.

20:48 local, 15:18 GMT, 20:48 IST: "Nothing has changed. It's still raining steadily and with as much intensity, and people still waiting patiently in the stands. The radar shows more rain headed towards the city. Plenty of water on the covers and we started losing overs since 8:10 pm. Chances of a match here look bleak at the moment," cautions Pratyush.

Mahesh: If play resumes, I predict a tight, low-scoring contest because of the rain interruption. New Zealand might have a slight edge due to their balanced bowling attack and ability to adapt in shortened games. However, if Pakistan’s top order clicks early, they can easily turn the momentum in their favor.

Rahil Umar Wani: The pressure on Babar is immense right now. His recent struggles with both form and strike rate are hurting Pakistan's batting order badly. When your best batter isn't firing, it sends shockwaves through the middle order. One gutsy match-winning knock from Babar can turn things around.

20:01 local, 14:31 GMT, 20:01 IST: Entire ground is covered as steady rain keeps us waiting. We will start losing overs from 8:10 PM. The cut-off time for a 5-over contest is 10:16 PM.

Saksham Jeswani: My prediction for semi-finals is India, West Indies, England and Sri Lanka looking at the pitches in Sri Lanka, and i think Sri Lanka will qualify for the semi-finals and maybe West Indies gonna surprise us.

Vivek Reddy: My dad, who hasn’t watched a single cricket match in the last 20 years, is sitting with me to watch this tournament, all because of the way Tariq bowled in the IND vs PAK match. “Kya kar raha hai yeh ladka!” is what he said I’m really loving this time with him.

19:52 local, 14:22 GMT, 19:52 IST: Still raining, still steady. The screen here says "RAIN RAIN GO AWAY". Interestingly, about 2000 fans who have made it have stayed put. Maybe they know something about weather forecasts here that we don't," is the latest from the venue.

Majid from Pakistan: Is it time to have an honest conversation about Babar Azam's role? 66 runs in 4 matches at a 115 SR is a luxury Pakistan can't afford in the Super 8s. On a tacky Premadasa surface, you need intent, not just survival. Is Fakhar Zaman's inclusion a sign that the management is finally losing patience?

Rohit: India are the clear favourites to reach the final. Despite facing tough situations earlier in the tournament, different players have stepped up at crucial moments, showing the team’s depth and balance.

Prijith: Is there Reserve day for Super 8 matches if its completely washed out on the day it is scheduled? or Will each teams share a point each? - No reserve day for Super 8s. If the game gets washed out, both teams will share a point each.

Raseen from srilanka : Farhan and Saim Ayub should open the innings. Babar Azam should come in at number one down, followed by Fakhar Zaman. Salman Ali Agha should lead the team as captain. I strongly believe that this batting order will provide stability, aggression, and balance, giving the team a great chance to win

Soyam Swarup: Looking at the type of form the Kiwi openers are in, Pakistan really need to work hard in the Powerplay in the 2nd innings to stop them from get going. Both the in-form openers being right-handed and Pakistan having right handed spinners might give the Kiwis an upper hand.

Ishan Agrawal: As Super 8 stage gets underway , my prediction for final is South Africa vs Pakistan

Ravish: Rain has decided it can't miss the Super 8 party either, turning up on Day 1 of Super 8s to remind everyone it's an all-rounder too.

19:31 local, 14:01 GMT, 19:31 IST: The waiting game continues. And here is Pratyush with some ominous news: "The radar suggests that the steady rain will be around for a while and there are heavier spells on the way."

Sanket Sugaonkar: Pakistan is batting really deep as someone like Faheem is batting at 9, and with Fakhar's inclusion it has that experience and versatility as well but with that depth you must bat aggressively without putting much price on your wicket.

19:00 local, 13:30 GMT, 19:00 IST: "It's a very steady mizzle at the moment," pings Pratyush.

Usman Tariq: “I was not expecting that I would get this much hype and appreciation from all the legends and from you guys (commentators). I’m really enjoying every moment and really enjoying my performances. I’m looking forward to bringing some more energy and excitement. Honestly, six or seven years ago I was playing domestic cricket. I don’t think I would have been that much prepared the way I am today. So I don’t know what my response would have been at that time. Yes, even this action was developed from the beginning when I used to bowl with a tennis ball. If you check my action in slow motion, you’ll see the timing is still there, but I’m moving slowly. I just try to break the fractions of my bowling action. That’s how it is working for me. It has been there from the beginning, and it’s working really well for me. We have a plan and we’ll try to execute that plan. If there is something in the wicket for the spinners, it will definitely help us execute our plans. This is another game and we are really focused on winning it. It would be a good start to win the first game of this round. Yes, of course (talking about headband). Sometimes the hair comes in front of my eyes and distracts me, so that’s why I wear the headband. And since it has been appreciated so much, I just want to keep wearing it now, even with short hair."

Pitch and conditions: In terms of ground dimensions, the straight boundary measures around 79 metres, while the square boundaries are 69 and 67 metres. Former Australia captain Aaron Finch shared his initial thoughts on the pitch. He felt the surface looks slightly tacky, with very little live grass, meaning the new ball is unlikely to do much early. As seen in previous games at the venue, the wicket tends to slow down as the match progresses. One key trend during the tournament has been the effectiveness of slower spinners. Those who give the ball more flight have been harder to score off compared to spinners who fire it in quicker. The ball tends to hold in the surface, grip more, and sit up slightly, making stroke-making difficult. In contrast, pace on the ball has generally been easier to put away. Given the bigger boundaries and the surface not coming nicely onto the bat, spinners can afford to be brave, toss the ball up, and try to deceive batters in the air.

18:38 Local Time, 13:08 GMT, 18:38 IST: "Covers back on. it wil be this kind of a day i suppose," warns Pratyush. It's drizzling now and they are covering the entire ground," he further adds.

New Zealand (Playing XI): Tim Seifert(w), Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner(c), James Neesham, Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson

Pakistan (Playing XI): Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Agha(c), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Usman Khan(w), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Salman Mirza, Usman Tariq

Mitch Santner: We have 3 changes. We have gone with an extra spinner Ish Sodhi instead of Kyle Jamieson. Lockie is back for Duffy. Could be a little bit different here (compared to the conditions in Chennai), but we have seen a lot of the games throughout the tournament here and we know the challenge they possess. Should be entertaining, they got some good spinners.

Salman Agha: We gonna bat first. We have one change. Fakhar is playing and Nafay is not playing. We have one pacer, Faheem Ashraf - he is a good all-rounder. So we have 2 pacers and lot of spin options. They are a quality side, we know that. We have to play our A game and that is what we look forward to today.

Good news for the Kiwis: Santner has recovered from his illness and is striding out towards the pitch for the toss formalities...

18:24 local, 12:54 GMT, 18:24 IST: Here is an important update from Pratyush. "Mike Hesson just checked with one of the umpires, who is standing under the umbrella. But I can't spot any rain in the air. Broadcast folks and the NZ team all going about their jobs as usual. All three umps converge and the outcome is that groundsmen are removing the covers." And for those wondering, "don't think the toss is delayed, tv crews rushing into their positions by the pitch side"

Latest from the ground: Matt Henry and James Neesham are other bowlers to mark their run-ups! Pakistan new ball bowlers... erm... Faheem Ashraf and Salman Mirza marking their run-ups.

18:14 local, 12:44 GMT, 18:14 IST: "Hello from the Premadasa!" greets, Pratyush Sinha,our correspondent from the venue. "It's heavily forecast, there's been a light shower in the evening already but all dry for now. Lights are on, teams are warming up. Also, During the pre-match PC yesterday, Lockie Ferguson was on his way to Colombo after his short paternity leave. A little over 24 hours later, he's marking his run-up in Colombo," he quickly adds.