What happened
England beat Pakistan by two wickets in their T20 World Cup Super Eight match at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy on Tuesday 24 February 2026, a result that made England the first team to qualify for the semi-finals and left Pakistan’s progress dependent on other results.
Pakistan, who chose to bat after winning the toss, made 164 for nine in their 20 overs. Opener Sahibzada Farhan top-scored with 63 off 45 balls, including seven fours and two sixes, and shared a 46-run stand with Babar Azam and a 49-run partnership with Fakhar Zaman. Babar made 25 off 24 balls and Fakhar 25 off 16, while Shadab Khan added 23 off 11. England’s Liam Dawson took three wickets for 24 runs, with two each for Jofra Archer and Jamie Overton.
England’s chase began badly. Shaheen Shah Afridi removed Phil Salt for a golden duck, then Jos Buttler and Jacob Bethell, leaving England at 35 for three inside the powerplay. Captain Harry Brook, who promoted himself to number three, rebuilt the innings and reached his maiden T20 international century off 51 balls, hitting 10 fours and four sixes. Will Jacks made 28. Shaheen finished with four wickets for 30 runs, and Mohammad Nawaz and Usman Tariq took two wickets each, but Jofra Archer hit the winning boundary off Salman Mirza with five balls to spare as England closed on 166 for eight in 19.1 overs. Brook was named Player of the Match.
Why it matters
The defeat left Pakistan, the 2009 champions, needing to beat co-hosts Sri Lanka in their final Group 2 match on Saturday and to hope other results fall their way to claim the group’s remaining semi-final place. England, already assured of a top-two finish, will play New Zealand in Colombo on Friday with their semi-final place secured for a record fifth successive T20 World Cup.
For Pakistan, the match repeated a pattern that has marked the campaign: a top-order collapse after a solid platform. Farhan, the tournament’s leading run-scorer, again carried the innings, but the middle order could not accelerate against England’s spinners in the middle overs, and the last five overs produced only 52 runs for the loss of six wickets. By contrast, Brook’s innings — the first hundred by a captain in T20 World Cup history, according to the ICC — was the difference on a slow surface.
What is still uncertain
Pakistan’s qualification still depended on the outcome of the remaining Group 2 fixtures, including their own match against Sri Lanka and New Zealand’s games. The full semi-final line-up and venues were not yet confirmed. Pakistan’s selectors and team management also faced questions over the batting order and the decision to drop and then recall Shaheen Afridi, though no changes had been announced.
Sources & reporting notes
This is a synthesis of published material, not eyewitness reporting. Sources were reviewed on 24 February 2026.
- Geo News — "England defeat Pakistan to reach T20 World Cup semi-finals"Published 24 Feb 2026 · Match result, innings details, individual scores, bowling figures, Brook's Player of the Match award and Pakistan's qualification position.
- International Cricket Council — "Brook century powers England to T20 WC semi-final"Published 24 Feb 2026 · England's qualification, Brook's century as the first by a captain in T20 World Cup history and the Group 2 standings.
