New Zealand National Cricket Team vs Pakistan National Cricket Team Match: New Zealand and Pakistan will face off in a crucial Super 8 contest in the 41st match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Saturday, February 21, 2026. Both sides finished second in their respective groups with three wins and one loss. New Zealand, led by Mitchell Santner, registered convincing victories over Afghanistan, the United Arab Emirates and Canada. Their only setback came against South Africa, who beat them by seven wickets in Ahmedabad on Feb. 14.
Pakistan opened their campaign with a narrow win over the Netherlands and followed it up with a 31-run victory against the United States in Colombo. They then suffered a 61-run defeat to India at the same venue on Feb. 15. However, Pakistan sealed their Super 8 qualification with a commanding 102-run win over Namibia in their final group match.
Group 2 of the Super 8 stage also includes England and Sri Lanka, making the opening match crucial for early momentum.
Weather forecast
According to weather forecast, Colombo may experience light to heavy showers on Saturday. The city has more than an 85% chance of rain, with temperatures expected to hover around 23 degrees Celsius in the evening. There is also a 24% chance of thunderstorms, raising the possibility of interruptions.
Pitch report
The R. Premadasa Stadium typically offers a surface that favors batters early in the innings before slowing down as the match progresses. Spinners often come into play in the middle overs as the pitch becomes more responsive to turn.
Average T20 International scores at the venue range between 142 and 167.
Squads:
New Zealand Squad: Tim Seifert(w), Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell(c), Cole McConchie, James Neesham, Kyle Jamieson, Matt Henry, Jacob Duffy, Ish Sodhi, Devon Conway, Mitchell Santner, Lockie Ferguson
Pakistan Squad: Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Agha(c), Babar Azam, Usman Khan(w), Khawaja Nafay, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Salman Mirza, Usman Tariq, Fakhar Zaman, Shaheen Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Naseem Shah
Probable Playing XIs
New Zealand: Finn Allen, Tim Seifert (wk), Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner (c), James Neesham, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Jacob Duffy.
Pakistan: Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha (c), Babar Azam, Usman Khan (wk), Khawaja Nafay, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Usman Tariq.
Live streaming and broadcast details
Fans in India can watch the match live on the Star Sports Network. Streaming will be available on the JioHotstar app and website with a subscription.
New Zealand vs Pakistan Match Details
Match: NZ vs PAK • 41st Match, Super 8 Group 2 (Y2 v Y3), ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026
Date: Saturday, February 21, 2026
Time: 7:00 PM LOCAL, 1:30 PM GMT
Venue: R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
