Pallekele, Feb. 28 -- Pakistan defeated Sri Lanka by five runs in a high-scoring Super 8 Group 2 clash of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium here today, but the victory was not enough to keep their semifinal hopes alive as New Zealand progressed to the last four.
Pakistan needed to restrict Sri Lanka to 147 or less to qualify for the semifinals on net run rate calculations. However, once Sri Lanka crossed the 147-run mark during their chase, Pakistan were officially knocked out of the tournament despite eventually winning the match.
Asked to bat after Sri Lanka won the toss, Pakistan piled up 212 for 8 in their 20 overs, riding on a blazing century from Sahibzada Farhan and a blistering knock b...