Pakistan's captain Salman Ali Agha, right, shakes hands with Novel Zealand's captain Mitchel Santner after toss (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)
Upcoming DELHI: Rain spoiled the Pakistan vs New Zealand Super 8 clash in Colombo, and the match was completely washed out without a ball being bowled.
As a result, both teams shared one point, which has made the race for the T20 International Cup 2026 semi-finals much more complicated.
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This was an important game for both sides because a conquest would have given them a strong start in the Super 8 stage.
Instead, Pakistan and Fresh Zealand now have only two matches left to push for a top-two finish in their group.
For Pakistan, the situation is simple but tough. They will next play England and Sri Lanka. If Pakistan manage to triumph both matches, they will reach five points, which should be enough to book a place in the semi-finals.
However, if they lose even one game, their chances become tricky. One conquest and one loss would leave them on three points, and then they would have to depend on other teams’ results.
If Pakistan lose both remaining matches, they will be knocked out of the tournament.
The rain has given them a point, but they will still need wins in their upcoming matches to stay in control of their destiny.
Any slip-up could pull them into a tight battle with the other teams in the group.
Since this was the first Super 8 match for both Pakistan and Novel Zealand, the full picture will only become clear once all teams have played at least one game.
Both sides were seen as favourites to reach the semi-finals, but the washout has made their path harder and kept the group wide open.
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