HIGHLIGHTS, NZ vs PAK T20 World Cup: Super 8 opener abandoned, Pakistan and New Zealand share points

Thank you for tuning into all the updates that we brought to you from the New Zealand vs Pakistan T20 World Cup 2026 match that was held at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. Although the match was washed out, it was a pleasure for us at FE Sports to bring to you all the updates from that game.

Now, we shall see you with two more live blogs, the first one being the England vs Sri Lanka game that will be played at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Pallekele, Kandy from 3:00 pm IST onwards. The second live blog will be the India vs South Africa match which will be played from 7:00 pm IST onwards at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

But as we go, here is something historic to read about- India women continue historic run: Mandhana, Jemimah lead them to maiden bilateral series win in Australia

Now, since this game is done, we move towards the next game. Where India play South Africa.

Abhishek Sharma, who has had three zeroes to his name already was backed up by his captain.

Read more about what Surya had to say on Abhishek here.

Pakistan vs England: Tuesday, February 24, at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy. The match starts at 7:00 PM IST.

Pakistan vs Sri Lanka: Saturday, February 28, at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy. The match starts at 7:00 PM IST.

The match has been abandoned and both New Zealand and Pakistan will now share one point each.

As the rain refuses to stop, wouldn't you want to read something different from the usual Babar bashing?

Here's that something different as to why Babar Bashing should stop

The last and final part of our World Cup washout stories is here.

The 2026 "Aussie Exit" (Last Week)

Just four days ago, the Zimbabwe vs Ireland game in Pallekele was abandoned without a toss.

The Victim: Australia. Because Zimbabwe got 1 point from the washout, they moved to 5 points—a total Australia couldn't reach. The 2021 Champions were sent home by a cloud.

As I said, we will discuss the infamous washouts in World Cup history part wise as a recourse from the rain that is pouring down in Colombo. Here's the part four.

The 2019 "Rainiest World Cup"

The 2019 ODI World Cup in England set a record with 4 washouts in the group stages. The most significant was India vs New Zealand, which was abandoned without a ball bowled.

The Twist: These two teams eventually met in the semi-final, which also rained! That match moved to a Reserve Day, where the overnight break helped NZ bowlers find the swing they needed to knock India out.

As I said, we will discuss the infamous washouts in World Cup history part wise as a recourse from the rain that is pouring down in Colombo. Here's the part three.

The Joint Champions (2002 Champions Trophy Final)

India and Sri Lanka played the final twice! The first day was washed out after 50 overs. According to the rules, a fresh match was played the next day. The second day also saw rain after Sri Lanka batted.

Result: No result was possible, and the two teams were declared Joint Winners. This remains the only time an ICC trophy was shared by two major nations.

2011 ODI World Cup (Sri Lanka vs. Australia): This was a major group-stage clash where Sri Lanka was 146/3 before the heavens opened. The match was abandoned, and both teams shared a point.

2023 Asia Cup (India vs. Pakistan): This match almost became a washout statistic. It rained heavily on the scheduled day, but because it was a high-stakes game, it had a Reserve Day. Play shifted to the next day, where India famously completed a massive victory.

This current match could be new addition.

2026 T20 World Cup (Current): Just 6 days ago, the India vs. Pakistan group-stage clash faced a heavy rain threat. While it managed to reach a result, the pre-match and mid-match scares were a reminder of how vulnerable the venue is in February

While 1 point seems better than none, the ‘semi-final math’ for Group 2 (Pakistan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and England) is unforgiving.

In a group with former champions England and Sri Lanka, every win is worth 2 points. A washout essentially robs a team of the opportunity to jump ahead early.

Read more on this here

There is no reserve day for the Super 8 games as per the ICC rules, so it is basically going to be a big wash-out and each team is going to get just a single point.

While it is a world-class venue, the weather in Colombo is notoriously fickle. Here is the breakdown of washouts at this stadium:

The "No Result" Tally (All Formats)

Across its entire history, the Premadasa has seen a significant number of matches abandoned:

ODIs: Out of 160 matches hosted, 12 have ended in a "No Result" or were abandoned. This is one of the highest counts for any stadium in Asia. Add to this the single T20I.