England becomes the first team to reach the semifinals of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 Super Eights Group 2, beating Pakistan by two wickets in their match at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy, Sri Lanka, on Monday, February 24.
The England Vs Pakistan was one of the most gripping Super 8 encounters the T20 World Cup has produced in years.
Harry Brook, batting at number three, scored 100 off 50 balls as England chased down a target of 165 with five balls remaining. Pakistan remains in the group with one match left and now needs to win against Sri Lanka and rely on other results to advance.
England National Cricket Team vs. Pakistan National Cricket Team Match Scorecard
| ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 – Super Eights Match Overview | ||
| TEAMS | ||
| England | Pakistan | |
| SCORES | ||
| England | 166/8 (19.1 overs) | Run Rate: 8.66 | |
| Pakistan | 164/9 (20.0 overs) | Run Rate: 8.20 | |
| Match Details | ||
| Date | Monday, 24 February 2026 | |
| Venue | Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy, Sri Lanka | |
| Series | ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2025/26 | |
| Match | Super Eights – Group 2, 45th Match (T20I No. 3732) | |
| Toss | Pakistan (elected to bat) | |
| Result | England won by 2 wickets (with 5 balls remaining) | |
| Player of the Match | Harry Brook (ENG) – 100 off 50 balls | |
| Officials | ||
| Umpires | Nitin Menon & Sam Nogajski | |
| TV Umpire | Adrian Holdstock | |
| Match Referee | Andy Pycroft | |
Dawson and Archer Put England in Control with the Ball
Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat. Jofra Archer removed Saim Ayub in the early overs, and Liam Dawson dismissed Pakistan captain Salman Agha cheaply, leaving Pakistan at 27/2 inside the first four overs.
Pakistan needed a steadying hand, and they found one in Sahibzada Farhan. The in-form batter stitched together a 46-run partnership with Babar Azam (25) and then a 49-run stand with Fakhar Zaman (25), lifting Pakistan through the middle overs. Farhan brought up his half-century off just 37 balls and ultimately finished with a composed 63 off 45 balls, laced with seven fours and two sixes.
But once Farhan departed, the innings crumbled. Pakistan slid from 122/4 to 149/8 in a catastrophic collapse, with Dawson proving unplayable in his spell of 3/24 from four overs. Archer and Jamie Overton each took two wickets. Pakistan posted 164/9 from their 20 overs.
Shaheen Afridi Takes Four Wickets as England Lose Five Batters
Pakistan’s plans to defend a modest 164 were built around Shaheen Shah Afridi, who was recalled to the playing XI for this match after being left out of the previous game. He delivered almost immediately. Afridi dismissed Phil Salt off the very first ball of the England chase. He also removed Jos Buttler and Jacob Bethell, leaving England at 58/4. Usman Tariq took two further wickets in the middle overs, bringing England to 103/5.
Afridi finished with four wickets. During the match, he also became Pakistan’s all-time leading wicket-taker in T20 internationals, taking his total to 135 and overtaking Haris Rauf’s previous record of 133.
Brook Scores Century at Number Three to Guide England Home
England captain Harry Brook, promoted to number three, a position he had not batted in a T20 international before, came in after Salt’s dismissal and scored 100 off 50 balls, including 10 fours and four sixes. It is the fastest T20 World Cup century by an England batter, ahead of Alex Hales’ 60-ball hundred against Sri Lanka in 2014, and the second-fastest in T20 World Cup history, behind Chris Gayle’s 47-ball century against England in 2016. Brook is also the first captain to score a century in the T20 World Cup history.
Brook was bowled by Afridi for exactly 100 on the next delivery after reaching three figures.
After Brook’s dismissal, England lost three wickets for six runs in 12 balls. Mohammad Nawaz stumped Jamie Overton and bowled Will Jacks (28 off 23 balls). Jofra Archer hit the winning runs off the second ball of the final over to seal a two-wicket victory with five balls remaining.
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What This Means for Both Teams in the Super Eights
The win takes England to four points from two matches in Super Eights Group 2 and is their fifth consecutive T20 World Cup semifinal appearance. England face New Zealand in their final group match in Colombo on Friday, February 27.
Pakistan has zero points from two Super Eights matches. They face Sri Lanka in their final group game and must win that match and rely on other results to qualify for the semifinals. Pakistan captain Salman Agha said after the match that his side did not score enough runs.
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