When South Africa and the West Indies were battling it out in Ahmedabad, Arshdeep Singh revealed how the Indian team were glued on to the TV, watching the game closely. This is a similar situation that the Pakistan side will also be doing on Friday, February 27, as New Zealand and England will be facing off in the Super 8 clash at the R. Premadasa stadium in Colombo.
The Super 8 Group 2 match between England and New Zealand will be played at the R. Premadasa stadium in Colombo. The match will get underway at 7 pm IST. JioHotstar and Star Sports will provide livestreaming and TV coverage of the match.
The equation is simple for Salman Ali Agha and his men after their loss to England. Pakistan (NRR -0.461) must beat Sri Lanka by around 70 runs in their final match — and also hope England defeat New Zealand. England’s winning margin will directly impact Pakistan’s chances. If the England vs New Zealand game is washed out, the Kiwis go through. If England win by 20 runs, Pakistan would then need a 50-run victory over Sri Lanka to reach the semi-finals. With this in mind, the Blackcaps will be looking to get the job done against Harry Brook and their men to go through.
Even a hard-fought loss can end up being enough for New Zealand at the end of the day, but having been edged out in the 2024 T20 World Cup group stage by Afghanistan, Mitchell Santner’s side will know that it is always better to keep destiny in your own hands.
BUTTLER WOES
When it comes to T20 cricket and the T20 World Cup, Jos Buttler is rightfully considered to be a legend. The former England skipper has single-handedly taken games away from sides with the bat and has been dangerous for England right at the top of the order.
However, in the ongoing ICC event, the wicketkeeper has just struggled to get going. In six matches, they have scored 62 runs in six matches with an average of 10.33 and a strike-rate just above 110. England has struggled for that one explosive start at the top and it has been directly connected to Buttler’s form.
Harry Brook and Tim Southee have come in to defend the wicketkeeper, saying that it is all about just one game to change the tide.
“I’ve played with Jos and played a lot against Jos. He’s one of the most dangerous white-ball batters to have played the game. I think when you’re that good and you have a little blip then I guess you feel a little bit more pressure, but he’s hitting it as well as he has in the nets. I’m sure he’s only a couple of good strikes away.”
Buttler has a decent record against the Blackcaps, scoring 364 runs in 18 matches with an average of 36.4 and a strike-rate of 151.03. So if England want to have that one perfect game before heading into the semi-finals, they will need one of their most experienced batters to stand up.
MIDDLE ORDER A CONCERN FOR NEW ZEALAND?
Whenever you look at a New Zealand side, it is always about the collective effort that stands out in any competition or series they’re involved in. But the middle-order currently seems to be a bit of an issue for them in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026.
The middle-order was exposed during the Sri Lanka match as Daryl Mitchell and Mark Chapman failed after the top four were back in the pavilion. They needed a big partnership from Mitchell Santner and Cole McConchie to save them and this will be something that need to sort out.
Mitchell and Chapman will need to step up massively, especially if they will be heading back to India to play the semi-finals.
ENG vs NZ: HEAD-TO-HEAD
England hold the upper hand over New Zealand in T20Is, having secured 16 victories compared to 10 losses, along with one tied match that they won via a Super Over.
In T20 World Cup meetings, England have triumphed in four of their seven clashes, including their most recent encounter in Brisbane in 2022.
ENG vs NZ: COLOMBO PITCH AND WEATHER REPORT
The same pitch that was used in the New Zealand and Sri Lanka game, which was conducive for spin, as the Blackcaps rattled the co-hosts and dumped them out of the competition. In the six matches so far at the ground, only once have a team won while chasing a total and this will be on the mind of the captains at the toss.
The good thing for fans and Pakistan, in a way, is that there is no rain predicted for the contest. This means that we will get a full game and a result.
ENG vs NZ: TEAM NEWS AND PREDICTED XIs
England have stuck with the same team for the last five games and don’t expect any changes to be made to the lineup. New Zealand may also decide to stick with the same team that got them the win against Sri Lanka. If they prefer another seam option, then Jimmy Neesham could come in.
England (Predicted XI): Phil Salt, Jos Buttler (wk), Harry Brook (capt), Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Liam Dawson, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid.
New Zealand (Predicted XI): Tim Seifert (wk), Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Mark Chapman, Mitchell Santner (capt), Cole McConchie, Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson.
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