England secured a thrilling two-wicket victory over Pakistan in the Super 8 stage of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, chasing down 165 with five balls remaining. Captain Harry Brook's maiden T20 century of 100 off 50 balls proved decisive, propelling England to four points and a semifinal spot. The match took place in Pallekele, Sri Lanka, on February 24, 2026.
The Super 8 clash between England and Pakistan unfolded at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on February 24, 2026. Pakistan, electing to bat first after winning the toss, posted 164/9 in their 20 overs. Sahibzada Farhan top-scored with 63 off 45 balls, his second half-century of the tournament, while Fakhar Zaman (25 off 16) and Shadab Khan (23 off 11) provided brief resistance. England's bowlers struck back effectively: Jofra Archer claimed 2/32, Liam Dawson took 3/24, and Adil Rashid helped restrict the scoring in the middle overs.
England's chase began disastrously, slumping to 58/4 in the eighth over. Shaheen Shah Afridi dismantled the top order, dismissing Phil Salt (2), Jos Buttler (2), and Jacob Bethell (8) in the powerplay to finish with impressive figures of 4/30, becoming Pakistan's highest T20 wicket-taker with 135 scalps. Captain Harry Brook, promoted to No. 3 on coach Brendon McCullum's advice, steadied the innings with an aggressive knock. Reaching his fifty off 28 balls, Brook accelerated to 100 off 50 deliveries, including 10 fours and four sixes, before falling to Afridi's next ball at 155/6 in the 17th over.
Will Jacks contributed 28 off 23, and despite late nerves with three runs needed off the final over, Jofra Archer sealed the win with a boundary off the first ball. "We've come here to do that job and we got it done," Brook said post-match. Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha acknowledged, "Our score was a bit short... Harry batted brilliantly."
This victory marks England's fifth consecutive World Cup semifinal appearance and leaves Pakistan with one point from two games—a washout against New Zealand and this narrow defeat. England top Group 2 with a net run rate of +1.491 and face New Zealand next on February 27.
