- By Himanshu Badola
- Sat, 21 Feb 2026 03:36 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Pakistan vs New Zealand, T20 World Cup 2026 Match 41 Predicted XI
Pakistan will be up against New Zealand in match 41 of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 at the R.Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Saturday, February 21. Both teams will be looking for the best possible start in the Super 8 stage with an aim to clear their path for the semifinals. Only two teams from each Super 8s group would qualify for the semi-finals, and hence every match is of utmost importance.
Earlier, in the group stage, both New Zealand and Pakistan lost one match each, against South Africa and India, respectively. Despite having won three out of their three games in the competition so far, Pakistan have a few major concerns in their camp. The batting has been overly dependent on the opening batter, Sahibzada Farhan. Babar Azam is yet to hit his groove in the tournament, and he wasn't even sent out to bat in the previous game against Namibia after Pakistan got off to a good start.
Talking about their bowling department, the spinners have been doing the bulk of the job; however, the pace department is a cause of concern. Shaheen Shah Afridi was dropped for the previous game, and it's unlikely that he'll regain his place in the playing XI for the remainder of the tournament.
Toss: The match toss between Pakistan and New Zealand will take place at 6:30 PM IST.
Time: February 21, 7 PM IST
Venue: R.Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
Where To Watch Pakistan National Cricket Team vs New Zealand Men's Cricket Team Match Live In India?
The match between the Pakistan National Cricket Team and New Zealand Men's Cricket Team will be available for live stream on the JioHotstar app and website.
Pakistan vs New Zealand, Colombo Pitch Report:
The Narendra Modi Stadium's batting-friendly pitch is expected to play a crucial role, with teams posting up 175, 187, and 213 on this deck in the three games played here this edition. The track offers constant bounce and pace for batters to hit big shots, while bowlers get some help with a new ball.
Pakistan vs New Zealand Predicted Playing XIs:
Pakistan Playing XI: Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Agha (c), Babar Azam, Usman Khan (wk), Khawaja Nafay, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Salman Mirza, Usman Tariq
New Zealand Playing XI: Finn Allen, Tim Seifert (wk), Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner (c), James Neesham, Matt Henry, Jacob Duffy, Ish Sodhi
Pakistan vs New Zealand T20 World Cup 2026 Match Squads:
New Zealand Squad: Tim Seifert(w), 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(w), Khawaja Nafay, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Salman Mirza, Usman Tariq, Fakhar Zaman, Shaheen Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Naseem Shah