England will need 165 runs to secure a semi-final spot after Pakistan posted 164 in their Super Eight fixture at Pallekele during the T20 World Cup 2026.
Pakistan elected to bat first after winning the toss, but their total appeared slightly under-par on a fresh pitch that was expected to offer better batting conditions.
A late surge came from ten runs in Sam Curran’s final over, as Shadab Khan crossed 1,000 T20I runs, while England rued missed fielding opportunities.
Another Babar failure
Pakistan’s innings lost momentum in the middle overs as England’s spinners bowled three consecutive boundary-less overs after the Powerplay, tightening control and slowing the scoring rate.
Babar Azam scored 25 runs off 24 balls before Jamie Overton dismissed him, ending a 46-run partnership from 44 deliveries as Pakistan tried to rebuild steadily.
Fakhar Zaman, playing his first innings of the tournament, struggled for rhythm and later fell to Adil Rashid after misreading successive googlies under pressure.
Lower middle order collapse
Pakistan’s lower middle order struggled to accelerate despite brief flashes from Shadab Khan and Usman Khan, failing to build partnerships or significantly boost the team’s total in the closing stages.
Shadab survived a dropped catch by Harry Brook at extra cover, allowing the ball to race to the boundary, while Usman Khan hit a six, but wickets continued to fall regularly.
Liam Dawson dismissed Usman Khan and trapped Mohammad Nawaz lbw, finishing with three for 24, while Shaheen Afridi pushed a single to long-on, leaving Pakistan’s innings to close without late momentum.
England bowling
England struck early when Jofra Archer dismissed Saim Ayub, whose attempted pull resulted in a top edge to deep backward square leg, giving the bowlers an early advantage in the Powerplay.
Liam Dawson removed Salman Agha as disciplined spin and sharp catching restricted Pakistan’s scoring, broke partnerships, and slowed momentum, forcing the batting side to rebuild under constant pressure from England’s bowlers.
Jamie Overton trapped Sahibzada Farhan lbw after his fluent 63 off 45 balls, and despite occasional misfields, England restricted Pakistan to 164, leaving the chase achievable on a steady, predictable surface.
