Pakistan’s T20 World Cup 2026 campaign is over, and this time there was no late twist to save it.
Needing not just a win but a massive one against Sri Lanka in their final Super 8 game, Pakistan were effectively knocked out the moment Sri Lanka crossed the 147-run mark in the chase. Even if Pakistan won the match by five runs, the net run-rate equation had already turned against them, ending their semi-final hopes in Group 2.
Sahibzada Farhan’s efforts go in vain
Pakistan had given themselves a platform with a commanding first-innings effort, posting 212/8 after a blistering opening stand led by Sahibzada Farhan and Fakhar Zaman. Farhan’s hundred and Fakhar’s attacking innings had briefly revived hopes that Pakistan could pull off the kind of runaway win needed to overtake New Zealand on net run rate.
But this was never only about winning the match. Pakistan’s path depended on controlling the margin, and every run Sri Lanka scored was a blow to their qualification chances. Once Sri Lanka moved past 147, the mathematics were settled. Pakistan’s bowlers may still have been in the game, but the tournament equation was not.
Notably, the Sri Lankan innings was carried by Pavan Rathnayake and skipper Dasun Shanaka. While Rathnayake played a brilliant hand and scored 58 runs off 37 balls, Dasun Shanaka fought till the end for his team. He scored an unbeaten 76 runs off 31 deliveries and took the game to the last over. While Sri Lanka needed 28 runs off the last over, Shanaka slammed 22 and had the Pakistan team on the edge. In the end, Shaheen Afridi defended the five runs to give Pakistan the consolation.
The result underlines the damage done earlier in the Super 8s, when Pakistan left themselves needing a near-perfect final outing and for outside results to fall into place. New Zealand’s position in the group had already become central to Pakistan’s calculations, and other results only increased the margin-based pressure on Pakistan heading into this match.
So even if the scoreboard eventually shows a Pakistan win, the bigger story remains the same: Pakistan could not defend the one number that mattered most.
They may have finished their Super 8 campaign with points from the night, but not with a place in the semis.
