Sri Lanka will take on Pakistan in Match 50 of the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup on February 28, 2026, at Pallakele International Cricket Stadium in Balagolla in Kandy.
Here, we present our preview and predictions for the game.
Pakistan had their first Super Eight 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 are to have any chance of progressing to the semi-finals.
Winning here alone won’t be enough, though, as they require a favour from England. If England defeat New Zealand, and Pakistan beat Sri Lanka, the Men in Green may make the semis on net run rate. Alternatively, if New Zealand defeat England, this fixture becomes a dead rubber.
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 batters under immense pressure. However, England captain Harry Brook scored an unbelievable century to take his side home, even as wickets tumbled 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 lose to England badly.
As for their opponents, Sri Lanka are out of the tournament after losing their first two Super Eight fixtures. They’ll be playing for pride in this fixture, hoping to exit the tournament on a high in front of their home crowd.
Sri Lanka played superbly in the group stage, where they knocked out one of the title contenders, Australia. Playing at home, there were huge expectations from the island nation, but they have disappointed in the Super Eights.
The SL batting failed miserably against England while chasing a sub-par total. Against New Zealand as well, they were unable to chase a relatively easy target. Their bowling effort was brilliant in both matches, however, but the batters simply failed to deliver, ultimately leading to this situation.
Coming to this fixture, Pakistan are the favourites to win in this game given their stronger batting line-up on paper, which boasts big-hitters lower down the order who can help them reach big totals. Their bowling attack has done fairly well as well, with their spin attack being plainly superior.
Moreover, Pakistan are also desperate for a win, while Sri Lanka only have pride to play for. All these factors indicate that Pakistan will very likely win this game — regardless of whether they overtake New Zealand on net run rate to make the semi-finals.
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
Winners Prediction: Pakistan
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