New Zealand overwhelmed Sri Lanka by 61 runs in Colombo on Wednesday, February 25, strengthening their bid for a place in the T20 World Cup semi-finals alongside England, who have already secured qualification.
Pakistan’s hopes of reaching the last four now rest on a narrow margin after Sri Lanka’s exit from the tournament. The emphatic victory lifted New Zealand’s Net Run Rate to +3.050, placing them in a commanding position in Group 2, behind England.
England sealed their berth in the semi-finals after a two-wicket win over Pakistan in the Super Eights.
Pakistan remain in contention but face a demanding task. With a Net Run Rate of -0.461, they must defeat Sri Lanka by 70 runs in their final Super Eights fixture. In addition, Pakistan require England to overcome New Zealand, with the margin of that result set to prove decisive.
Should England’s match against New Zealand be abandoned due to weather, New Zealand will advance to the semi-finals.
According to ESPNcricinfo, if England defeat New Zealand by 20 runs, Pakistan would need a 50-run victory over Sri Lanka to progress.
