Pakistan Captain Elects to Bat First Versus New Zealand

COLOMBO: (Web Desk) – In the first match of the Super 8 stage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, Pakistan won the toss and chose to bat first against New Zealand cricket team at R. Premadasa Stadium on Saturday.

Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha opted to set a target on what is expected to be a competitive pitch, signaling confidence in his side’s batting depth under pressure.

The Green Shirts made a key change to their playing XI, bringing in Fakhar Zaman in place of Khawaja Nafay to add experience and firepower at the top order.

Both teams come into the contest with strong momentum, having finished second in their respective groups with three wins each. Pakistan defeated the USA, Netherlands, and Namibia, while India claimed a dominant victory over Pakistan in their head-to-head.

Historically, Pakistan hold an advantage in T20 World Cups, winning five of the seven encounters against New Zealand. Their last clash in the tournament was the 2022 semi-final, where Pakistan secured a seven-wicket win. New Zealand’s last triumph over Pakistan came in the 2016 edition, winning by 22 runs.

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Playing XIs:
Pakistan: Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha (c), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Salman Mirza, Usman Tariq
New Zealand: Tim Seifert (wk), Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner (c), Jimmy Neesham, Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson

The match in Colombo is expected to be closely contested as both teams look to consolidate their positions in the Super 8 stage.