New Delhi: The opening Super Eight fixture of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 between Pakistan and New Zealand at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo was abandoned on Saturday due to persistent rain, forcing officials to call off the match without a ball being bowled.
Both teams will share one point each.
Pakistan Skipper Salman Agha opted to bat after winning the toss. Shortly after the coin flip, rain disrupted the proceedings, and officials asked the ground staff to bring the covers onto the playing surface.
Pakistan and New Zealand compete in Group 2 of the Super Eight stage alongside England and co-hosts Sri Lanka. Tournament organisers have scheduled all Group 2 matches to be played in Sri Lanka, according to icc-cricket.com.
With no play possible, match officials abandoned the contest, awarding one point to each side. As a result, Pakistan and New Zealand begin their Super Eight campaign in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 with shared points, keeping the contest for semifinal qualification wide open.
