Pakistan will face England in the fifth Super Eight match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Pallekele on Tuesday, February 24, at 7:00 p.m. IST. While England aim to extend their unbeaten run, Pakistan are chasing their first win in the Super Eight stage after their previous match was abandoned.
Pakistan’s campaign so far
Pakistan enter this contest after their Super Eight opener against New Zealand was washed out due to rain, forcing them to share points. They had earlier finished second in their group with three wins and one defeat, their only loss coming against India.
In their last group-stage match, Pakistan defeated Namibia by 102 runs. Batting first, they posted 199/3, powered by a maiden T20I century from Sahibzada Farhan, who remained unbeaten on 100 off 58 balls. In reply, Namibia were bowled out for 99. Usman Tariq and Shadab Khan combined to take seven wickets, with Usman Tariq claiming four.
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England’s strong start
England look like one of the top contenders for the title. They began their Super Eight campaign with a 51-run win over Sri Lanka.
Batting first, England were reduced to 94/5 in 13.2 overs before Phil Salt anchored the innings with 62 off 40 balls. Will Jacks added 21 runs. England then bowled Sri Lanka out for 95, with Will Jacks taking three wickets, while Jofra Archer, Liam Dawson and Adil Rashid claimed two wickets each.
Match details
Match: Pakistan vs England, 5th Super Eight T20I
Date and Time: Tuesday, February 24; 7:00 p.m. IST
Venue: Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Pallekele
Broadcast: Star Sports Network
Live Streaming: JioHotstar
Pitch report
The surface at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium usually provides a balanced contest. Batters can score freely, while bowlers are likely to pick up wickets during the middle overs. Pacers get a good bounce early on, but the pitch tends to flatten and become more batting-friendly as the match progresses. The average first-innings score at the venue is 167.
Weather report
Conditions are expected to be humid and cloudy, with a 30 percent chance of rain. Temperatures are likely to range between 21 and 25C.
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Probable XI
Pakistan: Salman Agha (c), Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Usman Khan (wk), Babar Azam, Salman Mirza, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Usman Tariq, Faheem Asharaf, Shaheen Shah Afridi.
England: Phil Salt, Jos Buttler (wk), Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Harry Brook (c), Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Liam Dawson, Jamie Overton, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid.
Players to watch
Sahibzada Farhan (Pakistan): The right-handed batter has been Pakistan’s most consistent performer in the tournament. After scoring an unbeaten 100 against Namibia, he became only the second Pakistani batter to score a T20 World Cup hundred. He has accumulated 220 runs in four matches and currently leads the run-scoring charts.
Will Jacks (England): One of England’s key all-rounders, Jacks has impressed with both bat and ball. In five innings, he has scored 131 runs and taken five wickets. Against Sri Lanka, he scored 21 runs and picked up three wickets.
