Staying alive - Thanks to England, Pakistan have got a small but a lifeline nevertheless to try and rekindle their campaign. The margins needed for victory seem big, 65 runs or more defending or 12.4 overs or less chasing, but something is definitely better than nothing. They have got the hosts as their opponents, who are still trying to get over another disappointment at T20 World Cups. It is match number 50 of the 2026 Men's T20 World Cup, with Group 2 staging its last match of the tournament as Sri Lanka clash with Pakistan in Pallekele. It is still hurting - Probably this is what every Sri Lankan would be opining at the moment. In 10 editions of the T20 World Cup including this one, they have managed to reach the semifinals only 4 times. And those 4 were in the first 5 editions. So to not even reach one in the last 5 versions would be hurting very much and in fact, the last time they reached the semi of any white-ball edition of an ICC tournament was that 2014 T20 World Cup where they ended up winning the tournament. Now, speak about it, keep mum but you cannot ignore the fact that since the likes of Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene retired from the sport, which was in 2015, the Lankans have just not come even remotely close to grabbing the silverware. The comments are seemingly scathing, with the legends crying out that the Lankans are making the same mistakes again and again, but let's be honest - when was the last time we could confidently say that THIS Lankan side can go all the way? Not many would disagree if we say 2014 - not even the 2015 ODI World Cup when both Sanga and Mahela were playing. Eye for the future? Don't think so. At this point in time, Sri Lanka have just no answer to the question of failing to reach the semis consistently, other than lack of quality in their squad. Sticking to T20Is alone, in the last 12 months, the Lankans have won only 5 matches at home in 14 opportunities, with three of those coming against Oman, Ireland and Bangladesh, with due respect to those three nations. But those three are ranked below the Lankans as per the ICC rankings, while the other two have been against Pakistan and Australia. Of course, the victory over the Aussies was terrific, but the lack of consistency is hurting them. In these last 12 months, only once have the Islanders managed to string wins in succession - three against Ireland, Oman and Australia. However, they have managed to lose three matches in a row three times now and would be desperate to end their campaign on a high note. Don't think that selection calls have been the issue - lack of futuristic options does seem a massive issue, especially if you cannot win consistently at home. The ailment - That's what Sri Lanka are yet to decipher. What is the reason for their prolonged failure? Batting? Maybe. But don't they have enough batters to combat alien bowlers in their own conditions? What about bowling then? Maybe again. Again, alien batters have played the Lankan bowlers much better than the Lankan batters against overseas bowlers. So what's the problem then? A combination of both. The Lankans have got some decent names in their batting lineup - Kusal Mendis, Dasun Shanaka, Kusal Perera, Kamindu Mendis, Charith Asalanka, Janith Liyanage, Dunith Wellalage and Pathum Nissanka. Now, that's actually a good list. But barring Nissanka, has anyone else shown any sort of consistency? The bowling does present an issue. Wanindu Hasaranga's absence has left a big void in their spin bowling department as Maheesh Theekshana is not striking as consistently as he would have liked. In the pace department, on paper, Matheesha Pathirana is being missed, but in reality, only Dushmantha Chameera has shown any sort of consistency. To understand the difference, let's consider a few numbers. In the last 12 months, the leading run getter for Sri Lanka in T20Is has been Pathum - 911 runs, while the second best, Kusal Mendis, is at a distant 702. Likewise, Chameera has picked up 37 wickets in the last 12 months - the most by any Sri Lankan in this format. The next best is Theekshana, way behind at 24. For now, the Islanders seem to have better batting resources than their bowling. If they can at least find consistency in that one department, maybe, the bowling will develop on its own, with some cushion behind its back. One match is not going to lay the pathway for the Lankan future - but it can at least be some kind of a start, ahead of the next World Cup. From dominance to desperation - Coming into this tournament, Pakistan had lost only one T20I tournament out of 7 since July 2025. To give you a number, in their last 34 completed T20Is, they have won 24 and lost just 10. Such good is their record that in this span, they have suffered consecutive losses only once. Talking about this tournament, it has not been that bad either for the Team In Green - 3 wins and 2 losses in 5 completed outings. However, such is the nature of this T20 World Cup, that one bad loss or an incomplete game can hurt you big time. The first encounter of the Super Eights - between New Zealand and Pakistan - was washed out and with only 3 matches in the Super 8 stage per team, it meant that both, the Kiwis and Pakistan needed to win both their remaining matches to stay in contention for the semis. And hence, Pakistan's loss to England compounded their problems. They should have probably won the match given their spin strength, but they could not quite counter Harry Brook who stood like the Great Wall Of Gibraltar. Been okay - That's how Pakistan would rate their current World Cup campaign. In 5 batting instances, they have crossed the 160-mark 3 times, which is pretty decent given their batting woes. And the fact that Sahibzada Farhan's 283 runs are 172 more than their next best, Shadab Khan, shows how crucial he has been at the top. Coming to their bowling, they have bowled out oppositions twice in 5 chances, but those have been Netherlands and Namibia, with due respect. Their bowlers have picked up 41 wickets as a unit, which is the 6th best in this competition so far. So it is not like they can be blamed for one department's failure or the other and one bad match does not make them a bad team. But unfortunately for Pakistan, it does seem like because of one bad match against England, which was not even that bad, they are standing at this stage, because of the nature of the competition. Form (Last 5 completed T20Is, most recent first) - Sri Lanka - LLLWW | Pakistan - LWLWW. In Sri Lanka, the Islanders have suffered more defeats than earned victories, winning just 3 out of 8 encounters against Pakistan. However, their last meeting was in Dambulla, wherein the Lankans emerged victorious by 14 runs, defending a so-called modest 160. Mendis doubtful? News filtering from the Lankan camp is that Kusal Mendis suffered some stiffness in his hamstring in Sri Lanka's last match against New Zealand. Given that there is not much riding on this match for the hosts, he might be given a break. Pinch hitters needed? The equation will get clearer after the end of the first innings, but Pakistan have a rough target before the match begins. As per the statisticians of the host broadcaster, if Pakistan bat first, they need to win by a margin of AT LEAST 65 RUNS. If they are chasing, they need to win in AT THE MOST 12.4 OVERS. So this does imply that the batting needs a bit of a boost. Khawaja Nafay might get a look in because of that reason alone. Dry pitch on offer? Sri Lankan skipper Dasun Shanaka must still be fuming with the pitches offered in this tournament. Prior to the World Cup, Shanaka was very critical of the pitches offered by the Lankan curators, calling them too slow and having too much turn for a T20 match. After their recent loss to New Zealand, the skipper has had another go at the curators, for the same reason. Kandy though, might offer a bit of assistance for the seamers with swing on offer. The strip which hosted the thrilling Pakistan-England clash will come into picture again, and possibly, that one reason might produce a slightly slower deck on offer.
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