ISLAMABAD (Kashmir English): After the daunting defeat from England in the Super 8 match, Pakistan’s qualification to the semi-final of the T20 World Cup 2026 has become much more complicated.
Skipper Harry Brook’s brilliant century earned England a two-wicket win over Pakistan at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday. With this victory, the Three Lions have booked their place in the semifinals.
Chasing a challenging target of 165, the two-time champions reached the total with eight wickets down and five balls to spare.
With that loss and only one point, Pakistan no longer qualify for the knock-out stage in their own hands. Social media has erupted with’Qaudrat ka Nizam’ meme, as Pakistan is now relying on the outcomes of the matches of other teams.
Look, we have come again to see the Qudrat ka Nizam #PAKvsENG pic.twitter.com/cnk00ERyuu
— King Era (@Bade_Sahab_X) February 24, 2026
The Green Shirts now face a must-win game against Sri Lanka, and will also need specific outcomes from the remaining fixtures involving England and New Zealand, and the Sri Lanka vs New Zealand clash.
Net Run Rate (NRR) could also become the deciding factor, depending on how results fall.
Scenarios for Pakistan’s qualification
Scenario 1
Pakistan beat Sri Lanka
England beat New Zealand
Sri Lanka beat New Zealand (or the match was washed out with both teams sharing one point each)
Scenario 2
Pakistan beat Sri Lanka
England beat New Zealand
New Zealand beat Sri Lanka
In this case, Pakistan must have a better Net Run Rate than New Zealand.
Scenario 3
Pakistan beat Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka beat New Zealand
New Zealand beat England
In this scenario, Pakistan must have a better Net Run Rate (NRR) than both New Zealand and England.
