T20 WC: Pakistan face eliminated Sri Lanka in must-win clash
What's the story
Pakistan and Sri Lanka are set to clash in Match 50 of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. The game will be played at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Pallekele on Saturday, February 28. The match is crucial for Pakistan, who are yet to win a Super Eight match and need a convincing victory over Sri Lanka to keep their semi-final hopes alive. Here is the match preview.
Team performance
Pakistan's rocky road in Super Eights
Under Salman Ali Agha's captaincy, Pakistan have had a rocky road in the Super Eights. They lost to England by two wickets after their match against New Zealand was washed out. With just one point and an NRR of -0.461, they need to win against Sri Lanka and hope for an England victory over New Zealand to qualify for the semi-finals. Notably, if NZ beat England on Friday, Pakistan's semi-final hopes will be completely dashed.
Team struggles
Sri Lanka's struggle in Super Eights
Sri Lanka, on the other hand, have already been eliminated from the tournament. Despite a strong group-stage performance with victories over Ireland, Oman, and Australia, they struggled in the Super Eights. The team lost to England by 51 runs and then to New Zealand by 61 runs. However, Dasun Shanaka's men would want to finish the tournament on a high.
Match conditions
Batting-friendly Pallekele pitch favors big scores
The Pallekele International Cricket Stadium is known for being a batting-friendly venue, with scores over 150 being common in T20 matches. The pitch provides good pace and carry, letting batters play their shots freely once they settle in. While there may be some early assistance for pacers, overall conditions favor batters. The match, which will get underway at 7:00pm IST, will be broadcasted on JioStar Network Channels and live-streamed on JioHotstar (App & Website).
Match history
A look at head-to-head record
In their previous 29 T20I encounters, Pakistan have won 17 while Sri Lanka have managed to win 12, as per ESPNcricinfo. This gives Pakistan a slight edge going into the match. In T20 World Cups, the head-to-head record stands poised at 2-2. On Sri Lankan soil, the Men in Green boast five wins and three defeats against the home team (T20Is).
XIs
A look at the probable XIs
Pakistan (Probable XI): Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Agha (c), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Usman Khan (wk), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi, Salman Mirza, Usman Tariq. Sri Lanka (Probable XI): Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (wk), Charith Asalanka, Pavan Rathnayake, Kamindu Mendis, Dasun Shanaka (c), Dunith Wellalage, Dushan Hemantha, Dushmantha Chameera, Maheesh Theekshana, Dilshan Madushanka.
Performers
Here are the key performers
Sahibzada Farhan has racked up 283 runs at 70.75 in the ongoing tournament. He has an impressive strike rate of 158.10. Shaheen Afridi claimed 4/30 across four overs in his last outing against England. Maheesh Theekshana has claimed 29 wickets at an average of 19.34 in T20 World Cups. Pathum Nissanka has scored 208 runs in this tourney at an average of 41.60 and a strike rate of 152.94.
Poll
