ICC Men’s T20 WC 2026 | Match 50: Sri Lanka vs Pakistan | Preview and Predictions

Sri Lanka will take on Pakistan in Match 50 of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in the Super 8 on 28th February, 2026 at the Pallakele International Cricket Stadium in Balagolla in Kandy. 

Here’s our preview and prediction for the game. 

ICC Men’s T20 WC 2026 Super8 Group 2 | Match 50: Sri Lanka vs Pakistan| 19:00 IST, February 28, 2026

Pakistan had their first Super 8 fixture against New Zealand washed out which earned them a valuable point. However, they lost to England in the next one and are in dire need of a win in their last game if they want to have any chance of progressing to the semi-final. Though winning alone won’t be enough, they would also need a favour from England. If England defeat New Zealand and Pakistan beat Sri Lanka, the qualification would depend on the superior Net run-rate (NRR) between New Zealand and Pakistan. Alternatively, if New Zealand defeats England, this fixture becomes a dead rubber irrespective of who wins this match. 

In their previous match, Pakistan had done well to set a competitive total on the board for England. Shaheen Shah Afridi then struck early and took three wickets to put the English batting order under intense pressure. However, England captain Harry Brook scored an unbelievable century to take his side home with wickets tumbling at the other end. The much-vaunted Pakistani spin attack looked toothless and wayward barring newbie Usman Tariq who proved to be a puzzle for the English batters. The loss against England now leaves them under massive pressure to win against Sri Lanka with a huge margin and hope that New Zealand loses to England badly. 

As for their opponents Sri Lanka, they are out of the tournament, having lost both their Super 8 fixtures. Sri Lanka would only be playing for pride in this fixture and hoping to exit the tournament on a high in front of their home crowd. 

Sri Lanka had played superbly in the group phase where they knocked out one of the title contenders Australia from the tournament. Playing at home, there were huge expectations from the island nation but they have disappointed in the Super 8. Their batting failed miserably against England when chasing a sub-par total and then against New Zealand as well, they were unable to chase a relatively easy target. Their bowling effort was brilliant in both matches but the batting failed to deliver, ultimately leading to this situation. 

Pakistan on the other hand, came through an easier Group where they struggled in their opening game and lost to India but recovered well against Namibia and USA to reach the Super 8. 

Coming to the current fixture, Pakistan could be the favourite in this game as they have a better batting lineup than Sri Lanka with big hitters lower down the order that can help their side reach a big total. Their bowling attack has done fairly well and their spin attack is also superior. Pakistan will also be desperate for a win as they still have a chance to make the semis while Sri Lanka has nothing much to play for. All the above factors indicate that Pakistan would more likely end up victorious in this match. 

Fantasy XI: Pathum Nissanka, Sahibzada Farhan, Kusal Mendis (wk), Fakhar Zaman, Pavan Rathnayake, Shadab Khan, Dasun Shanaka (c), Usman Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Tariq, Dushmantha Chameera. 

Venue: Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Balagolla, Sri Lanka

Winner’s Prediction: Pakistan