ICC Men’s T20 WC 2026 | Match 41: New Zealand vs Pakistan | Preview and Predictions

New Zealand will take on Pakistan in match 41 at R. Premadasa Stadium on 21th February 2026. 

Here, we present our preview and predictions for Match no. 41 between New Zealand and Pakistan 

ICC Men’s T20 WC 2026 Super8 Group 2 | Match 41: New Zealand vs Pakistan | 19:00 IST, February 21, 2026

We are finally into the Super8 stages and we have two teams capable of beating anybody on their day, however, neither side has looked near their best as they head into this Super8 opener. Thus, with a clean slate and renewed optimism, both teams will be gunning to start their Super8 stage with a victory. 

For New Zealand, the batting department has done relatively well with both openers leading the runscoring chart. The likes of Glenn Philips, Mark Chapman and Daryl Mitchell have also done a commendable job when called upon, however, they’ll be more relieved with the fact that someone of Rachin Ravindra’s calibre finally got some runs under their belt following a lean run of form. 

However, the bigger concern for them will be how quickly their batters can adapt to the Sri Lankan conditions and whether their bowlers can finally step up after some sub-par showing during the group stages. In the bowling department, Lockie Ferguson and Matt Henry lead the chart with four wickets each while their spinners have only picked up four wickets altogether with skipper Santner picking just one wicket. 

As for their opponents, the Men in Green have been performing below par so far in this tournament, however, their win against Namibia in the final group game was the closest they came to putting in a complete team performance. 

After coming away with a narrow victory against the Netherlands – a match which they were very close to losing but held on thanks to some Dutch self-implosion – they then did a decent job of seeing off the USA after what happened in the 2024 edition. However, a gut-wrenching defeat to India woke up past demons and it was evident with the way they started their innings against Namibia in the final group encounter. 

However, a brilliant unbeaten 100 from Sahibzada Farhan – who is also the tournament’s highest run-getter so far with 220 runs – and cameos from skipper Salman Ali Agha (38 off 23) and all-rounder Shadab Khan (36* off 22) ensured Pakistan posted a daunting 199 for 4 on the board in this crucial encounter. 

As the tournament progressed, Pakistan’s reliance on their spin bowlers has become more evident. The likes of Saim Ayub, Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan, Usman Tariq and Abrar Ahmed have strangled the life out of most batters, giving them an edge in these slow and turning wickets in Sri Lanka. That said, the controversial Usman Tariq stands tall in this group with eight wickets to his name while both Saim Ayub and Shadab Khan share five wickets each.  

In terms of weather forecast and pitch report, there is a 65% chance of rain on matchday. There will be 97% cloud cover with the possibility of late thundery showers. As evident from the four games played here at this venue so far, the surface here at the R. Premadasa offers a balanced contest, with teams batting first winning all four games. Scores ranging from 160-180 have been successfully defended, thus anything around that mark should make it an exciting contest. 

Looking ahead to this fixture, both teams are coming into this game with a victory behind them, thus confidence will be high on both sides. While there isn’t much to choose between these two great cricketing nations, the fact that New Zealand will be playing their first game in Sri Lankan conditions while Pakistan have been playing in similar conditions for months now, does give the Men In Green an edge heading into this contest. Thus, we’ll be backing Pakistan to win this crucial Super8 fixture. 

Fantasy XI: Sahibzada Farhan (c), Tim Seifert, Saim Ayub, Finn Allen, Shadab Khan, Glenn Philips (vc), Mohammad Nawaz, Mitchell Santner, Usman Tariq, Ish Sodhi, Abrar Ahmed 

Venue: R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo 

Winners Prediction: Pakistan