NewKerala.com

Pakistan Bat First vs New Zealand in Crucial T20 World Cup Super 8 Clash

Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha won the toss and elected to bat first against New Zealand in the opening Super 8 match of the T20 World Cup 2026. Both teams entered the stage with three wins from their four group matches, with New Zealand losing only to South Africa and Pakistan falling to India. Pakistan made one change to their lineup, bringing in experienced batsman Fakhar Zaman. The match is being played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Key Points: Pakistan vs NZ T20 WC Super 8: Toss, Playing XI, Match Preview

  • Pakistan wins toss and chooses to bat
  • Fakhar Zaman returns to playing XI
  • Both teams won 3 of 4 group matches
  • Match held at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad
2 min read

T20 WC: Pakistan win toss, choose to bat first against New Zealand in Super 8 clash

Pakistan wins toss, bats first against New Zealand in T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8. Get playing XIs, key quotes from captain Salman Ali Agha, and match details.

"s from captain Salman Ali Agha, and match details.QUOTE: They are a quality side, we know that. We have to play our A game - Salman Ali Agha"

Colombo, February 21

Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha won the toss and opted to bat first against the Mitchell Santner-led New Zealand in the first Super 8 stage clash of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, at Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium on Saturday.

Both New Zealand and Pakistan qualified for the Super 8 stage after winning three out of their four T20 World Cup 2026 group-stage matches, respectively.

While New Zealand registered wins against Afghanistan, UAE and Canada, Pakistan clinched victories against USA, Netherlands and Namibia. New Zealand's sole loss came against the T20 WC 2024 runners-up South Africa while Pakistan lost to the defending champions and arch-rivals India.

New Zealand vs Pakistan T20 WC 2026 Super 8 match playing 11s:

New Zealand: Tim Seifert(w), Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner(c), James Neesham, Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson

Pakistan: Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Agha(c), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Usman Khan(w), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Salman Mirza, Usman Tariq.

After winning the toss and choosing to bat first, the Pakistan captain said they've made one change, bringing in Fakhar Zaman while Khawaja Nafay misses out. He further noted that Faheem Ashraf comes in as a pace-bowling all-rounder, giving them two pacers along with multiple spin options. He also acknowledged the opposition as a quality side and said the team is focused on playing their best game.

"We have one change. Fakhar is playing and Nafay is not playing. We have one pacer, Faheem Ashraf - he is a good all-rounder. So we have 2 pacers and lot of spin options. They are a quality side, we know that. We have to play our A game and that is what we look forward to today," Salman Ali Agha said at toss.

- ANI

Share this article:

Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
As a neutral fan, this should be a cracker of a match! Both teams have exciting players. Rachin Ravindra for NZ and Babar Azam for Pak are the ones to watch. The toss could be crucial.
A
Ananya R
Honestly, I'm just happy India isn't playing them today! Less stress 😅. But seriously, Pakistan's middle order looks a bit shaky. Fakhar Zaman coming in is a good move, he's a big match player. Let's see if they can put up a big total.
V
Vikram M
The article says the match is in Colombo but the stadium is Ahmedabad? That's a bit confusing. Anyway, Pakistan choosing to bat is bold. Their only loss was to India, so they'll be pumped up. New Zealand's bowling, especially Sodhi and Santner, will be key in the middle overs.
K
Karthik V
With all due respect to both teams, the quality of cricket in this World Cup hasn't been as high as expected. Too many mismatches in the group stage. Hopefully, the Super 8s bring the real competition. This match is a good start.
M
Michael C
Good to see Fakhar Zaman back. On his day, he can take the game away from any opponent. New Zealand's batting depth is impressive though. Should be a close one. May the best team win!

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Leave a Comment

Minimum 50 characters 0/50