The opening Super Eights clash of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 between Pakistan and New Zealand was abandoned without a ball being bowled after persistent rain at the R Premadasa Stadium on Saturday.
Heavy showers set in soon after Pakistan won the toss and chose to bat, with covers remaining firmly in place as rain continued throughout the evening.
Match officials made the first inspection at 7:40pm Pakistan Standard Time (PST), but conditions failed to improve sufficiently to allow play.
The cut-off time for a minimum five-over contest was set at 9:46pm PST. With rain still falling and the outfield unfit, the umpires were left with no option but to call off the match, resulting in both sides sharing a point at the start of the Super Eights stage.
The washout was a frustrating outcome for Pakistan, who were looking to build momentum after progressing from the group stage, and for New Zealand, who had also entered the second phase aiming to make an early statement in a tightly contested tournament.
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Both teams will now turn their attention to their remaining Super Eights fixtures as the race for the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup 2026 gathers pace.
Playing XIs
Pakistan: Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha (captain), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Salman Mirza, Usman Tariq.
New Zealand: Tim Seifert (wicketkeeper), Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner (captain), Jimmy Neesham, Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson.
