PALLEKELE: New Zealand reached the Twenty20 World Cup semi-finals after Pakistan crashed out despite a tense five-run victory against already-eliminated Sri Lanka in a Group 2 Super Eights match in Pallekele on Saturday.An inferior net run-rate meant Pakistan had to win big against Sri Lanka in order to pip New Zealand and join group leaders England in the last four.

They racked up 212-8 after Sahibzada Farhan (100) and Fakhar Zaman (84) combined in a T20 World Cup record 176-run opening stand.

Pakistan had to restrict their opponents to 147 or less to make the last four, but Sri Lanka finished on 207-6 nearly snatching a victory.

Pavan Rathnayake made 58 and Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka smoked an unbeaten 76 off 31 balls.

Pakistan’s previous highest total at a T20 World cup was 201-5 which they made against Bangladesh in Kolkata in the 2016 edition.

SL concede five-run loss to Green-shirts in a thrilling Super Eights match

Defending champions India will play West Indies in a virtual quarter-final in Kolkata on Sunday with the winners claiming the last semi-final spot.

“It could have been a different story had we won the toss,” Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha said. “Dew was a factor, and we couldn’t execute our plans [in bowling].

“Then it was a very good pitch and restricting them below 148 was going to be a challenge. But we tried.”

Put in to bat in a do-or-die match at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Pakistan could not have asked for a better start.

Sahibzada led their charge with scintillating power-hitting as he and Fakhar denied Sri Lanka a breakthrough until the 16th over.

Sri Lanka’s sloppy fielding did not help their cause either. Dunith Wellalage dropped Sahibzada on 75, while Janith Liyanage caught the batter on 76 but stepped onto the boundary cushion in the process.

Right-handed Sahibzada, who also bettered Indian Virat Kohli’s record of most runs (319, 2014 T20 World Cup) in a T20 World Cup with his tally of 383, needed 59 balls to become the first batter to score two hundreds in the same edition of the tournament.

The partnership came to an end when Fakhar dragged a Dushmantha Chameera delivery onto his stumps, which triggered a late collapse. Fakhar cracked four sixes and nine fours during his 42-ball knock.

Sahibzada was caught in the covers off the bowling of Dilshan Madushanka after a stellar knock studded with five sixes and nine fours. Madushanka was the best Sri Lankan bowler with 3-33.

Having already been eliminated, Sri Lanka faltered early in their chase and were 33-2 having lost both openers inside five overs.

Charith Asalanka fell after a brisk 25 and spinner Abrar Ahmed (3-23) dismissed Kamindu Mendis in his next over.

Rathnayake’s belligerent 58 could not force a win for Sri Lanka but knocked Pakistan out of the tournament.

Shanaka, whose job is reportedly at risk after leading Sri Lanka’s poor campaign, injected fresh excitement into the dead rubber by hitting eight sixes.

Needing 28 from the last over from Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shanaka began with a four before clobbering three sixes in a row.

Shaheen recovered from the assault to finish with two fairly wide deliveries which Shanaka could not connect with.“It was a close game,” Shanaka said. “I could have finished it but well bowled to Shaheen.”

Scoreboard

PAKISTAN:

Sahibzada Farhan c Liyanage b Madushanka100

Fakhar Zaman b Chameera84

Khawaja Nafay c Asalanka b Madushanka2

Shadab Khan run out7

Mohammad Nawaz c Theekshana b Shanaka0

Salman Ali Agha c Theekshana b Shanaka0

Usman Khan not out8

Shaheen Shah Afridi lbw b Madushanka4

Naseem Shah run out1

Abrar Ahmed not out0

EXTRAS (LB-3, W-3)6

TOTAL (for eight wickets, 20 overs)212

DID NOT BAT: Usman Tariq

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-176 (Fakhar), 2-179 (Nafay), 3-198 (Shadab), 4-199 (Nawaz), 5-199 (Salman), 6-203 (Sahibzada), 7-207 (Shaheen), 8-210 (Naseem)

BOWLING: Madushanka 4-0-33-3, Chameera 4-0-48-1 (1w), Theekshana 4-0-35-0, Shanaka 4-0-42-2, Wellalage 3-0-37-0 (2w), Liyanage 1-0-14-0

SRI LANKA:

P. Nissanka c Nawaz b Naseem3

K. Mishara b Abrar26

C. Asalanka b Abrar25

P. Rathnayake c (sub) b Shaheen58

K.D. Mendis b Abrar3

J. Liyanage b Nawaz5

D.Shanaka not out76

D. Wellalage not out2

EXTRAS (LB 3, W 6)9

TOTAL (for six wickets, 20 overs)207

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-8 (Nissanka), 2-33 (Mishara), 3-75 (Asalanka), 4-94 (K.D. Mendis), 5-101 (Liyanage), 6-162 (Rathnayake)

DID NOT BAT: M. Theekshana, D. Chameera, D. Madushanka

BOWLING: Shaheen 4-0-48-1, Naseem 4-0-36-1 (2w), Abrar 4-0-23-3 (1w), Tariq 4-0-43-0 (1w), Nawaz 2-0-21-1, Shadab 2-0-33-0 (2w)

RESULT: Pakistan won by five runs.

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Sahibzada Farhan

Published in Dawn, March 1st, 2026