Pakistan-New Zealand Super Eights match postponed due to weather conditions

Rain Forces Abandonment of Pakistan-New Zealand T20 World Cup Match

A rainstorm at Colombo’s R Premadasa Stadium led to the abandonment of a crucial match between Pakistan and New Zealand in the Super Eights stage of the 2026 T20 World Cup. The match, scheduled to open the second phase of the tournament, was called off without a single ball being bowled.

The rain began as soon as Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha won the toss and chose to bat first on Saturday. Post-toss interviews were completed before the teams took shelter due to the forecast suggesting the game would be in doubt. Over 60 ground staff were present to cover the square and a significant portion of the playing surface.

The persistent rain ultimately led to the umpires declaring the Group 2 match off at 9:05pm local time (15:35 GMT). By the 10:16 pm (16:46 GMT) cut-off time, no five-over match was possible. As a result, both teams earned one point each.

The abandoned match marked an early setback for Pakistan and New Zealand in their quest to progress through the tournament. The two teams will now await further developments before their next scheduled encounter.

Source: Al Jazeera