Pakistan and New Zealand will lock horns in the first match of the Super Eight stage of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026 at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Sri Lanka on February 21.
Both teams finished the group stage in second place on the points table and will aim to continue their winning streak by securing victory in the opening game of the next stage.
Pakistan and New Zealand have faced each other seven times in T20 World Cup history, with the Men in Green winning five matches, while the Kiwis have won two encounters.
Their first and most recent meetings in the T20 World Cup were in the semi-finals of the inaugural edition and the 2022 edition, with the Green Shirts emerging victorious on both occasions.
Overall, both teams have a fairly balanced T20I record, having played a total of 49 matches, with Pakistan winning 24, New Zealand winning 23, and two matches ending with no result.
| Team | Total | Win | Loss | No result |
| Pakistan | 49 | 24 | 23 | 2 |
| New Zealand | 49 | 23 | 24 | 2 |
Match-by-Match Breakdown
T20 World Cup 2007
Pakistan defeated New Zealand by six wickets in the T20 World Cup 2007 semi-final, restricting the Kiwis after they batted first and easing to victory with disciplined bowling and batting.
New Zealand chose to bat first but struggled against Pakistan’s attack, losing wickets at regular intervals, while the national bowlers maintained tight lines to control the run rate effectively.
While chasing, the Green Shirts paced their innings carefully, built key partnerships, and finished the game comfortably, securing their place as the first confirmed finalists in the inaugural edition.
T20 World Cup 2009
Pakistan crushed New Zealand at The Oval, with Abdul Razzaq striking early and Umar Gul taking a historic five-wicket haul, effectively dismantling the Kiwis’ top and middle order.
New Zealand’s weakened lineup struggled on a flat pitch as spinners choked the middle order, while fielders executed diving stops and accurate throws to prevent any chance of recovery.
Shahzaib Hasan made a confident debut, scoring 35 runs with impressive shots, while Afridi batted responsibly to ensure Pakistan reached the target comfortably without losing control of the chase.
Gul’s relentless yorkers and late swing dismantled New Zealand’s lower order, conceding only 27 runs, leaving Pakistan in complete command and confirming their dominant performance.
T20 World Cup 2010
New Zealand edged past Pakistan by a single run, with Daniel Vettori’s resilient batting rescuing his side after middle-order collapses, while spinners and bowlers kept the game tightly contested throughout.
Abdul Razzaq and Salman Butt steadied Pakistan’s innings amid early wickets, hitting crucial boundaries and sixes, but their efforts fell short against New Zealand’s disciplined bowling and sharp fielding in Barbados.
Pakistan’s top order struggled against the pacers, with wickets falling rapidly, creating a low-scoring thriller that highlighted narrow margins and intense tension, keeping spectators on edge until the final delivery.
T20 World Cup 2012
Pakistan’s batting, often considered their weakness, produced a strong display against New Zealand, with the top order dominating early and setting a challenging total for their bowlers to defend.
Mohammad Hafeez and Nasir Jamshed capitalized on poor fielding, building a fluent partnership that combined timing and placement, giving Pakistan momentum and confidence throughout the innings.
New Zealand began their chase cautiously, relying on their middle order to accelerate later, but Pakistan’s disciplined bowling and sharp fielding slowed their progress during the crucial middle overs.
Despite a late counterattack that reduced the margin, Pakistan’s varied bowling attack held firm under pressure, securing victory, while New Zealand advanced thanks to a superior net run rate.
T20 World Cup 2016
New Zealand defeated Pakistan by 22 runs, becoming the first team to qualify for the 2016 World T20 semi-finals after posting 180 for 5 at Mohali, with crucial contributions from Martin Guptill.
Guptill scored 80 off 48 balls, hitting 10 fours and 3 sixes, dominating both pace and spin, while Pakistan’s bowlers struggled to contain the tall and powerful right-hander throughout the innings.
Pakistan’s chase of 181 faltered despite Sharjeel Khan’s 47 with 10 boundaries, as Santner took 2 for 29, Sodhi dismissed Afridi, and no boundaries were scored in the final five overs.
T20 World Cup 2021
Pakistan’s bowling dominated New Zealand as Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Imad Wasim, and Shadab Khan combined swing, pace, control, and skill to restrict the Kiwis to a modest total of 134.
The hosts controlled the game from the toss, keeping eleven of their overs to six runs or fewer, applying relentless pressure that disrupted New Zealand’s batting and forced mistakes from captain Kane Williamson.
Haris Rauf’s pace and clever slower deliveries dismantled the middle order, while Asif Ali’s late fireworks, hitting consecutive sixes, ensured Pakistan chased the target with authority and minimal resistance from the Kiwi bowlers.
Pakistan’s consistency in the UAE continued, winning every T20I there since 2016, with this flawless victory reinforcing their dominance and signaling a serious challenge for the upcoming stages of the World Cup.
T20 World Cup 2022
Pakistan recovered from their earlier loss to Zimbabwe and relied on Netherland’s unlikely win over South Africa to enter the 2022 T20 World Cup final, executing a near-perfect, disciplined game.
Shaheen Afridi’s early first-over wicket of Finn Allen, combined with seamers conceding only 53 runs in the last six overs, restricted New Zealand to a modest total of 152 for 4.
Openers Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan dominated the chase, scoring 53 and 57 respectively, putting on a 105-run partnership, easing the pressure, and taking Pakistan to victory with five balls remaining.
In the death overs, Mohammad Haris supported the chase with crucial boundaries, Pakistan’s bowlers controlled the back-end expertly, and New Zealand’s middle order could only manage three fours in the final six overs.
