Pakistan Eliminated Despite 212 as Net Run Rate Ends Semi-Final Hopes

KANDY: Pakistan’s journey in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 has come to an end despite posting a commanding total against co-hosts Sri Lanka in their crucial Super Eights encounter at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Saturday.

After being asked to bat first by Sri Lanka skipper Dasun Shanaka in the decisive Group 2 clash, Pakistan made full use of the opportunity. The 2009 champions racked up an imposing 212/8 in their allotted 20 overs, powered by a brilliant century from Sahibzada Farhan and a fluent half-century by Fakhar Zaman.

However, qualification for the semi-finals was not solely dependent on winning the match. Pakistan needed to restrict Sri Lanka to 147 or fewer to surpass New Zealand’s superior net run rate. Despite defending a massive total, the bowlers were unable to keep Sri Lanka below the required threshold, as Pavan Rathnayake’s unbeaten fifty guided the hosts past 147 in just 15.5 overs.

With that, Pakistan are set to finish third in the group standings, remaining behind New Zealand’s net run rate of 1.390, regardless of the final outcome of the match.

The early exit continues a disappointing trend for the former champions, who also failed to advance beyond the group stage in the 2024 edition. Since finishing as runners-up in 2022, Pakistan have been unable to break into the knockout rounds of the tournament.

Their 2026 campaign had begun on a positive note with convincing victories over the Netherlands and the United States, before a painful defeat to arch-rivals India halted their momentum. A dominant 102-run win against Namibia in their final group fixture secured their place in the Super Eights, as they ended second in the table with six points from four matches, behind defending champions India.

In the Super Eights, a rain-affected washout against New Zealand left Pakistan with no margin for error. A narrow two-wicket defeat to England further complicated their path, making them reliant on other results to stay in contention.

Although New Zealand managed to defeat Sri Lanka in one of their remaining fixtures, the margin was not significant enough to open the door for Pakistan. As a result, the Green Shirts’ campaign concludes in the Super Eights, falling short of another semi-final appearance.