COLOMBO: Unsettled weather could impact Pakistan’s opening Super Eights fixture against New Zealand in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium on Saturday.
Forecasts indicate overcast conditions across Colombo, with spells of light rain contributing to warm and humid weather. The temperature is hovering around 30°C, although high humidity makes it feel closer to 37°C. In shaded areas, the RealFeel is approximately 34°C. Winds from the west-northwest are blowing at 9 km/h, with gusts reaching 26 km/h.
Humidity levels stand at 80%, with a dew point of 24°C underlining the sticky conditions. Around 7.6 mm of rain has already fallen, and there remains a 75% probability of further showers. Cloud cover is virtually total at 99%, restricting sunshine, while visibility is around 5 kilometres.
Conditions are expected to improve slightly in the evening. Temperatures should dip to about 25°C, with a RealFeel of 29°C. Although skies will stay fully overcast, rain is forecast to ease. Winds will shift easterly at 7 km/h, with gusts up to 15 km/h. Humidity is set to climb to 86%, and the dew point will settle at 23°C. The likelihood of rain decreases to 25%, with visibility steady at 5 kilometres.
Pakistan progressed to the Super Eights after finishing second in Group A with three wins from four matches, their only defeat coming against India.
They are placed alongside Sri Lanka, New Zealand and England in the next round. Historically, Pakistan lead New Zealand 5-2 in T20 World Cup meetings and hold a narrow 24-23 edge overall in T20 encounters.
Squads
Pakistan: Salman Ali Agha (c), 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 and Usman Tariq.
New Zealand: Mitchell Santner (c), Finn Allen, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi and Cole McConchie.
