COLOMBO, Sri Lanka: Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha won the toss and elected to bat first against New Zealand in their opening Super Eight match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium on Saturday.
The high-stakes encounter marks the 50th T20I meeting between the two sides, with Pakistan holding a narrow 24-23 advantage in the head-to-head record.
In T20 World Cups specifically, Pakistan lead 5-2, including their famous semi-final victory in 2022.
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Pakistan have decided to bat first at R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo 🏟️#PAKvNZ | #T20WorldCup | #BackTheBoysInGreen | #WeHaveWeWill pic.twitter.com/sdU7u0Nw3C
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) February 21, 2026
Team Changes
Pakistan have made two key changes, bringing explosive opener Fakhar Zaman and leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed into the playing XI.
Fakhar, who boasts 439 runs against New Zealand at a strike rate of 134.25, replaces Khawaja Nafay, while Abrar comes in for an unspecified change to bolster the spin attack on a surface expected to favour slow bowling.
New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner returns after illness, strengthening their spin department.
The Black Caps have also included Ish Sodhi for his first game of the tournament, capitalising on spin-friendly Colombo conditions.
Lockie Ferguson was unavailable after being granted paternity leave.
Weather Concerns
Rain delays the start of the match 🌧️#PAKvNZ | #T20WorldCup | #BackTheBoysInGreen | #WeHaveWeWill pic.twitter.com/4DBOAPJ0XT
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) February 21, 2026
Persistent rain threatens to interrupt proceedings, with forecasts indicating a 74 per cent likelihood of precipitation during match hours.
Both teams endured disrupted preparations; New Zealand’s training was cut short, while Pakistan cancelled their practice entirely due to a waterlogged outfield.
With no reserve days for Super Eight matches, any rain interruption could result in both teams sharing a point.
Key Battles
Pakistan will rely on tournament-leading run-scorer Sahibzada Farhan, who struck a century against Namibia, while New Zealand’s Tim Seifert arrives in devastating form with 173 runs in four matches, including two half-centuries.
The contest between New Zealand’s powerful middle order, boasting the tournament’s highest strike rate of 165.94, and Pakistan’s spin trio on a turning track could prove decisive.
Pakistan Playing XI
Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha (c), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Salman Mirza and Usman Tariq.
New Zealand Playing XI
Tim Seifert (wk), Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner (c), Jimmy Neesham, Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi and Lockie Ferguson.
Following this encounter, Pakistan face England in Kandy on February 24 and Sri Lanka on February 28, with New Zealand meeting the same opponents in their remaining Super Eight fixtures.
