England secured a place in the T20 World Cup 2026 semi-finals with a tense two-wicket victory over Pakistan in their Super Eights match at Pallekele. Captain Harry Brook's unbeaten century guided the chase of 165, overcoming an early collapse. Pakistan's hopes now depend on other results.
Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat first at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on February 24, 2026, posting 164-9 in 20 overs. Sahibzada Farhan top-scored with 63 off 45 balls, supported by Babar Azam (25), Fakhar Zaman (25) and Shadab Khan (23). England's bowlers struck early, reducing Pakistan to 27-2 with wickets of Saim Ayub and captain Salman Ali Agha. Liam Dawson excelled with 3-24, while Jofra Archer and Jamie Overton took two wickets each.
In the chase, England stumbled to 58-4 after Shaheen Shah Afridi dismissed Phil Salt (0) off the first ball, Jos Buttler and Jacob Bethell (8), with Tom Banton falling to Usman Tariq. Promoted to number three by coach Brendon McCullum, Harry Brook steadied the innings, forming a 52-run partnership with Will Jacks (28). Brook reached his maiden T20I century off 51 balls, including 10 fours and four sixes, before falling to Afridi (4-30) with 10 runs needed.
A late collapse saw England lose three quick wickets, but Jofra Archer sealed the win with a boundary off Salman Mirza in the final over, finishing at 166-8 in 19.1 overs. Brook, player of the match, credited McCullum for the tactical move: "Baz was the mastermind behind it... We wanted to maximise the powerplay." Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha acknowledged Brook's impact: "Harry batted outstandingly well and took the game away from us."
England, with two wins from two Super Eights matches, became the first team to qualify for the semi-finals, extending their T20I winning streak against Pakistan to six. They face New Zealand next, while Pakistan must beat Sri Lanka and rely on favorable results.
