The covers are back on the ground. Meanwhile, the Pakistan players are also warming up at the venue. The start of the play is likely to be delayed due to rain.

"We have 3 changes. We have gone with an extra spinner Ish Sodhi instead of Kyle Jamieson. Lockie is back for Duffy. Could be a little bit different here (compared to the conditions in Chennai), but we have seen a lot of the games throughout the tournament here and we know the challenge they possess. Should be entertaining, they got some good spinners," said New Zealand captain Mitch Santner.

"We gonna bat first. 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," said Pakistan captain Salman Agha.

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

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

It started with a drizzle, but it seems to have gotten heavier now. The umpire can be seen with an unfolded umbrella. Let's hope it slows down and the play begins on time — that is 7 PM IST. Keep your fingers crossed, folks!

Pakistan captain Salman Agha has won the toss and opted to bat first against New Zealand in their T20 World Cup Super Eight game at R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo tonight. It has started drizzling.

There is no rain at the moment in Colombo, and we are likely to have the toss for the Pakistan vs New Zealand game on time. It is scheduled to take place at 6:30 PM IST, around eight minutes from now. Stay connected!

Every match a team plays in the Super Eight of the T20 World Cup 2026 is an important one, as the sides will get to play just three games. Given they cannot afford any slip-ups, it makes every contest equally important — at least the first two.

After difficult matches against Netherlands and India, Babar Azam did not bat at all in Pakistan's final Group A match. With a major question mark over his strike-rate, it will be interesting to see whether Babar does get a chance to bat at No. 4 today, or whether his position is switched around again.

New Zealand's big concern heading into their first Super 8 clash is their absentee list. Captain Mitchell Santner missed their last Group D game, but should make it back today. Pacer Lockie Ferguson has only just returned after the birth of his first child, and may not play. This could be bad news for NZ given the tacky pitch conditions in Sri Lanka.

Apart from Sahibzada Farhan, who is the highest run-scorer of the tournament, Pakistan's batting unit has been largely inconsistent. Babar Azam has struggled to score quickly, while Saim Ayub and captain Salman Ali Agha are yet to get a big score. Questions on Pakistan's chasing capabilities remain.

As per the current weather forecast, the match is likely to take place. In case rain plays spoilsport, both Pakistan and New Zealand will share points, as there is no reserve day for this Super Eight matches.

New Zealand Squad: Tim Seifert (wk), Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell (c), Cole McConchie, James Neesham, Kyle Jamieson, Matt Henry, Jacob Duffy, Ish Sodhi, Devon Conway, Mitchell Santner, Lockie Ferguson.

Pakistan Squad: Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Agha (c), Babar Azam, Usman Khan (wk), Khawaja Nafay, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Salman Mirza, Usman Tariq, Fakhar Zaman, Shaheen Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Naseem Shah.

There is a rain threat over the game at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo tonight. As per AccuWeather, there is a 21 per cent chance of rain for the next two hours or so. That probability decreases to 20 per cent during the course of the game.

Hello everyone, the Super Eight round of the T20 World Cup 2026 begins tonight. New Zealand and Pakistan will face each other in the first match, which is set to take place at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. Stay connected for all the live updates.