The ICC 2026 T20 World Cup of cricket has completed the group stage.
Elsewhere in the sports world, the Winter Olympics are winding down, which means the NHL season will resume after its mid-season hiatus. The NFL is in full offseason mode, the MLB is awaking from its slumber, and the NBA is drawing closer to the end of its season.
Yup, it’s a good day for cricket.
The first match of the Super 8s for the T20 World Cup is New Zealand vs Pakistan. Both of these teams are in Group 2, which also includes England and Sri Lanka.
*UPDATE: The match has been abandoned. As a result, New Zealand and Pakistan will each earn one point.
SEE: New Zealand vs Pakistan T20 Cricket Match Abandoned
GettyThe entire ground is covered, delaying the start of the New Zealand vs Pakistan T20 Cricket Super 8 match.
GettyRain covers are placed on the field following the coin toss.
Where to Stream New Zealand vs Pakistan T20 Cricket
This T20 cricket match is scheduled for 6:30 PM Pakistan Standard Time (PKT), 2:30 AM NZDT (New Zealand Time Zone), and 6:30 AM Mountain Time (for Canadian fans).
Anyone with a fuboTV subscription can watch the match. Additionally, users can create an account on ICC.tv to stream T20 cricket matches (in select countries). Pakistan fans can use Tamasha to stream the match for free.
For a small monthly fee, Willow.tv is a service that Canadians can use to watch every T20 cricket match. This service streams both men’s and women’s cricket matches.
Weather Forecast For NZ vs PAK T20 Super 8 Match
Things aren’t looking promising for the first Super 8 match of the 2026 T20 World Cup tournament.
According to AccuWeather, thunderstorms are predicted for Saturday night in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Additionally, rain is expected for the next hour, with a 20 percent chance of rain over the next three hours.
AccuWeather lists the current temperature as 27 degrees Celsius. Rain has started in Colombo, and officials have covered the pitch as a precaution. One person claims that “it is not raining yet.
New Zealand vs Pakistan T20 Cricket Lineups
According to IANS, Pakistan has won the coin toss and has elected to bat first against New Zealand.
Here are the players who will play for New Zealand:
- Tim Seifert (WK)
- Finn Allen
- Rachin Ravindra
- Glenn Phillips
- Mark Chapman
- Daryl Mitchell
- Mitchell Santner (C)
- James Neesham
- Matt Henry
- Ish Sodhi
- Lockie Ferguson.
Here are the players who will play for Pakistan:
- Sahibzada Farhan
- Saim Ayub
- Salman Agha (C)
- Babar Azam
- Fakhar Zaman (In place of Khawaja Nafay)
- Usman Khan (WK)
- Shadab Khan
- Mohammad Nawaz
- Faheem Ashraf
- Salman Mirza
- Usman Tariq
Lockie Ferguson & Fakhar Zaman Added to XI
Captain for New Zealand, Mitchell Santner, gave a few reasons for their personnel changes ahead of this Super 8 match against Pakistan.
According to Santner, they have made three changes, including adding an extra spinner. Kyle Jamieson came out in favor of Ish Sodhi. Additionally, Lockie Ferguson was also added to the lineup.
Ferguson finished the group matches with four wickets in 11.1 overs across three matches. They have had 108 runs scored on them to go along with a 9.67 Economy.
Fakhar Zaman has been added to Pakistan’s XI for the match. However, Zaman has not yet played during the 2026 T20 Cricket World Cup. Additionally, his last match was on February 1st, 2026, during the Australia tour of Pakistan series.
In that match, Zaman recorded 10 runs on seven balls, which included two 4s.
New Zealand vs Pakistan T20 Cricket: UPDATE First Super 8 Match Abandoned