PAK vs NZ, T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 Match Prediction: Who will win today’s game between Pakistan and New Zealand?

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The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 enters its most elite phase as Pakistan and New Zealand will kick off the Super 8 stage at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. Both teams progressed from the group stages as ‘second seeds’ but remain clinical contenders.

Pakistan arrives with massive momentum after a 102-run thumping of Namibia, highlighted by a historic maiden T20I century from Sahibzada Farhan. New Zealand, meanwhile, booked their spot with a solid win over Canada, though they’ll be wary of the spin-friendly conditions awaiting them in the Sri Lankan capital.

Matches played: 49 | Pakistan won: 24 | New Zealand won: 23 | No result: 2

The surface is expected to be a slow, turning track, typical of the R. Premadasa Stadium. In this tournament, spinners have been the primary architects of victory here, as seen in Pakistan’s recent matches where Usman Tariq and Abrar Ahmed dominated the middle overs. The pitch offers significant grip, making it difficult for batters to play cross-batted shots once the ball loses its shine. While the Powerplay provides the best opportunity to score, the team batting first generally has a psychological advantage on a deteriorating surface. Expect a competitive total to be around 155–165.

Pakistan: The Men in Green have found a new hero in Sahibzada Farhan, whose unbeaten 100 off 58 balls against Namibia makes him the tournament’s leading run-scorer. While Babar Azam’s strike rate remains a point of discussion, the middle-order stability provided by skipper Salman Ali Agha and the explosive finishing of Shadab Khan make them dangerous. Their biggest strength is their spin-heavy bowling attack, which is perfectly suited for Colombo. The inclusion of Abrar Ahmed alongside Usman Tariq creates a “mystery spin” tandem that New Zealand’s middle order has struggled against in the past.

New Zealand: The Black Caps welcome back captain Mitchell Santner after an illness-related rest. His return is vital given the spin-friendly nature of the pitch. Finn Allen and Tim Seifert will look to provide a rapid start, but the real test lies with Glenn Phillips and Daryl Mitchell in the middle overs. New Zealand’s pace quartet, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Kyle Jamieson and Jacob Duffy, will need to rely heavily on cutters and variations rather than out-and-out pace on this sluggish track.

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Pakistan: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Nafay, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan, Usman Tariq

New Zealand: Mitchell Santner (captain), Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi

Case 1:

Case 2:

Match result: Pakistan to win the contest.

Also READ: Pakistan to lift T20 World Cup 2026? Here’s how Australia’s group stage exit benefits Salman Ali Agha’s side