Rain has interrupted the Super Eight opener between Pakistan and New Zealand at the ICC T20 World Cup in Colombo’s R Premadasa Stadium, after Salman Agha won the toss.
According to Cricinfo, if the match does not begin by 8:10 pm Sri Lankan time (7:40 pm Pakistan time), overs will start being reduced as per tournament regulations.
While rain could deprive cricket fans of a thrilling contest, both teams also risk missing out on a crucial point in the Super Eight stage.
Under tournament rules, if rain prevents both sides from playing at least five overs per innings, the match will be abandoned and each team will be awarded one point.
International Cricket Council (ICC) has not allocated a reserve day for the Super Eight matches of the T20 World Cup.
Pakistan have made one change to their playing XI, with Fakhar Zaman coming in for Nafay. Team captain Salman Ali Agha highlighted their strategy ahead of the clash, saying, “We have two pace options and a lot of spin options. We have to play our A-game.”
New Zealand have made three changes, bringing in Sodhi and Ferguson while Jamieson and Duffy miss out. Captain Mitchell Santner acknowledged the challenge posed by Pakistan, noting, “We know the challenge Pakistan pose. They have some good spinners.”
Both teams progressed to the Super Eight after defeating lower-ranked opponents in the group stage, though each suffered defeats against stronger rivals in their respective groups.
Between October 2022 and April 2025, Pakistan and New Zealand have faced each other 41 times across formats, underlining the familiarity between the two sides.
New Zealand face the added challenge of adjusting to a new venue, having played all four of their previous matches in Chennai and Ahmedabad.Pakistan, meanwhile, have played only one match at the R Premadasa Stadium — against India — but contested their other three games in Colombo at the Sinhalese Sports Club.
The contest is expected to hinge on Pakistan’s spin attack against New Zealand’s batting line-up. The Black Caps have lost only 14 wickets across four matches so far in the tournament.
New Zealand XI: Tim Seifert (wk), Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner (capt), Jimmy Neesham, Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson
Pakistan XI: Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha (capt), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan (wk) Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Salman Mirza, Usman Tariq