Pakistan national cricket team was eliminated from the T20 World Cup 2026 despite registering a narrow five-run victory over Sri Lanka national cricket team in a Super Eight Group 2 encounter at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Saturday.
Pakistan, invited to bat first, produced one of their most dominant batting displays of the tournament, piling up 212 for 8 in 20 overs. Opener Sahibzada Farhan delivered a stunning 100 off 60 balls, becoming the first player to score two centuries in a single edition of the event. Fakhar Zaman complemented him with a blistering 84 off 42 deliveries.
The pair stitched together 176 runs for the opening wicket, the highest opening partnership in the tournament’s history, laying a commanding platform. However, despite the imposing total, Pakistan’s fate hinged on net run rate permutations.
Sri Lanka’s chase of 213 saw them reach 148, a mark that mathematically confirmed Pakistan’s elimination from the tournament regardless of the final result. Though Pakistan eventually restricted Sri Lanka and secured a five-run win, the margin proved insufficient to alter the standings.
With Pakistan’s exit confirmed, New Zealand national cricket team claimed the remaining semi-final berth from Super Eight Group 2.
The outcome marked a dramatic end to Pakistan’s campaign, where individual brilliance, including Farhan’s historic feat and Fakhar’s explosive stroke play, ultimately could not compensate for earlier results that left qualification dependent on complex calculations.
The defeat in the larger context ends Pakistan’s hopes of advancing further in the 2026 edition, despite one of their strongest batting performances of the tournament. [KNT]
