COLOMBO – In a dramatic turn of events, persistent rain completely washed out the highly anticipated Super 8 clash between Pakistan and New Zealand at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Saturday, February 21, 2026. The match was abandoned without a single ball being bowled, resulting in both teams sharing one point each.
Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha won the toss and elected to bat first under cloudy skies, a decision that raised eyebrows among experts and fans given the looming threat of rain. Many pundits, including former India captain Sunil Gavaskar, believed it was a risky call. Gavaskar noted that in rain-affected or shortened games, the team batting second often holds a clear advantage due to the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method and the ability to chase a known target with all wickets in hand.
Gavaskar commented: “If there is a little bit of play, then the team batting second always has the advantage. They have 10 wickets in hand, they would know what target they have and at what rate they need to go. For New Zealand, with the kind of opening batters they have, it’s a real plus. In a chase situation, it suits the New Zealand opening batters. To be honest, I was surprised when I heard Pakistan opting to bat at the toss. We knew there was a bit of rain in Colombo and therefore it was surprising that, after winning the toss, they chose to bat first.”
Shortly after the toss, steady drizzle began and intensified, preventing any play from starting. Officials waited over two hours beyond the scheduled start time, but the rain showed no signs of relenting, leading to the official abandonment around two hours and 10 minutes after the planned start.
In hindsight, the washout proved fortunate for Pakistan, sparing them from what many saw as a potentially unfavorable batting-first scenario on a damp, overcast evening at the spin-friendly Colombo venue. New Zealand, with their strong chasing lineup, might have capitalized if even a reduced-overs contest had taken place.
Both teams advanced to the Super 8 stage after strong group performances. Pakistan suffered only one loss in the group stage—to India—while New Zealand’s sole defeat came against South Africa.
Pakistan will now look ahead to their next Super 8 fixture against England in Pallekele on Tuesday, hoping for better weather. New Zealand face co-hosts Sri Lanka in Colombo on Wednesday.
Weather concerns continue, with rain also forecast for Sunday’s afternoon match between England and Sri Lanka in Pallekele, which could lead to further disruptions in this unpredictable Super 8 phase.
