Pakistan have one more first-round match remaining at the 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup, with their Super Eights qualification chances still uncertain.
In the much-anticipated India vs Pakistan clash on Sunday, Pakistan suffered a humbling defeat, losing the game by 61 runs. After electing to bowl first, they were met with the fury of Ishan Kishan, who smashed 77 off 40 balls on a slow and gripping surface. Contributions from Tilak Varma (25 off 24), Suryakumar Yadav (32 off 29), and Shivam Dube (27 off 17) took India to 175-7.
In the chase, Pakistan lost three wickets inside the first two overs and never recovered. They were eventually bowled out for 114, with Usman Khan being the only top-eight batter to go past 15 runs.
Also read: ‘Time’s up’ – Former Pakistan captain asks for axing of stalwarts from T20I side after India defeat
The loss, coupled with USA's victory earlier in the day, has pushed Pakistan down to No.3 in the Group A points table.
Match 27, India vs Pakistan
vs
- Ball by ball Over
ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026: Group A points table after IND vs PAK
| Rank | Team | Matches | Won | Lost | Tied | N/R | Points | NRR |
| 1 | India | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | +3.050 |
| 2 | USA | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | +0.788 |
| 3 | Pakistan | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | -0.403 |
| 4 | Netherlands | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -1.352 |
| 5 | Namibia | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -2.443 |
Matches remaining in Group A:
- Feb 18: Pakistan vs Namibia, Colombo
- Feb 18: India vs Netherlands, Ahmedabad
What do Pakistan need to qualify for Super Eights?
With only two matches left in Group A, the scenarios are pretty straightforward. India, with three wins in three games, have already qualified for the Super Eights, as only one more team can match their six points.
Among the four other teams in the group, only Pakistan have an opportunity to get up to six points, which will happen if they win their last league game against Namibia. In that case, they will qualify for the Super Eights along with India.
Also read: T20 World Cup 2026, where to watch live: TV channels, live score and streaming
On the other hand, if Pakistan lose to Namibia, they'll finish on four points, same as the USA - and potentially same as the Netherlands if the Dutch happen to beat India on February 18.
According to the playing conditions for the 2026 Men's T20 World Cup, in the event of a tie in points, the team(s) with greater number of wins would qualify. If there's a tie on that front as well, net run rate will become the deciding factor, followed by results in head-to-head matches between the tied teams.
In this case, since Pakistan, USA, and the Netherlands could all end up with four points and two wins, net run rate will decide who qualifies for the Super Eights. The United States of America hold an obvious advantage as they have a NRR of +0.788, while Pakistan are at -0.403 and Netherlands at -1.352. A defeat would only make the NRR worse for Pakistan, effectively eliminating them from the T20 World Cup.
Bottom line: If Pakistan win vs Namibia, they qualify. If Pakistan lose vs Namibia, they are eliminated.
In the second case, the USA will qualify instead, unless Netherlands beat India by a big enough margin to overtake USA's NRR.
What if Pakistan's match is washed out?
Pakistan will qualify in that case, as they would go beyond the four-point mark, which is the maximum any team other than India can achieve in this group.
Follow Wisden for all cricket updates, including live scores, match stats, quizzes and more. Stay up to date with the latest cricket news, player updates, team standings, match highlights, video analysis and live match odds.
