It was 4 October 1996 when Pakistan faced a challenge remarkably similar to today’s Super Eight stage match in the T20 World Cup 2026, requiring a superior net run rate to qualify for the final.
The match was the last group-stage game of the Kenya Cricket Association Centenary Tournament, where Pakistan needed to defeat Sri Lanka by exactly 82 runs to secure a place in the tournament final.
The four-nation tournament included South Africa, Sri Lanka, Kenya, and Pakistan, with all teams except Kenya finishing the group stage with six points, making net run rate the decisive factor in qualification.
South Africa, with a superior net run rate of 1.518, had already secured their spot in the final, leaving the Saeed Anwar-led side dependent on defeating Sri Lanka with the required 82-run margin to advance.
In the crucial group match, Pakistan promoted Shahid Afridi to number three, despite him having never batted in international cricket, and his innings became one of the most iconic debuts in ODI history.
Pakistan posted 371 for nine, highlighted by Afridi’s record-breaking 102 off 37 balls, complemented by Saeed Anwar’s 115-run innings, providing the platform necessary to achieve the net run rate target.
Sri Lanka struggled in reply, being bowled out for 289 runs, handing Pakistan a victory by exactly the required margin to surpass the net run rate and secure final qualification.
Pakistan’s net run rate rose to 0.498, edging past Sri Lanka’s 0.496, demonstrating how decisive victories and aggressive batting have historically determined tournament outcomes in crucial group-stage matches.
Today, the Men in Green face a similar challenge in the 2026 T20 World Cup, needing to beat Sri Lanka by 64 runs or chase the target within 13.1 overs to surpassed New Zealand on points table and qualify for semi-finals
