India beat West Indies by five wickets to qualify for the semi-finals of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, where the hosts will meet England at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
MATCH REPORT: ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Super 8s – India v West Indies
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Sam Kerr scored her first international goal in 28 months as Australia opened their Asian Cup campaign with a 1-0 win over the Philippines in Perth.
The Chelsea striker, who returned to action in September after nearly two years on the sidelines following an anterior cruciate ligament injury, scored the winner in the 14th minute as she nodded in from close range.
Kerr’s goal – her 70th for her country – proved to be the sole highlight of the match at the Perth Stadium, with Australia wasting a number of chances.
“I think I’m just finding my confidence again,” said 32-year-old Kerr.
“I feel like I’m still my normal self, I’ve just got to get more touches in and around the box.
“Today was a good start and there’s a lot of belief in the team but as you see today, there’s a lot of quality teams in the Asian Cup so you have to take it one day at a time.”
Australia’s next game is against Iran at the Gold Coast Stadium on Thursday, with Iran opening their campaign against South Korea on Monday.
The games are set to go ahead, although the Asian Football Confederation has postponed a number of domestic matches on the continent following the conflict in the Middle East.
On Saturday, the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran, which has responded with retaliatory strikes across the Middle East.
“In light of the developing situation in the Middle East, matches in the West Region, originally scheduled for 2-3 March 2026, will now be rescheduled,” the AFC said in a statement.
“The AFC will continue to closely monitor this rapidly evolving situation and remains resolute in ensuring the safety and security of all players, teams, officials, and fans.
“In this regard, we are in close and regular contact with the IR Iran women’s national team and officials in Gold Coast, and are offering our full support and assistance.”
Having reached Euro 2025, the first major women’s tournament in the nation’s history, Wales’ next target is to reach a first World Cup.
However, the path to qualification is not simple, with no automatic route available to Wales because they are not in League A.
Assuming they do not finish bottom of a group which also features Albania, Wales will face play-offs late in 2026.
Should Wales finish top of the group, their first-round play-off would be against a side who finish second or third in a League B pool.
But if Wilkinson’s team finish second or third, they would face a side who finish in fourth place in League A or a Group B winner.
The second round of the play-offs is seeded and should Wales get that far, they would be likely to face League A opposition.
Harry Brook hits a humongous six for England against New Zealand, as the ball flies over square leg and into the stadium screen at the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
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Having been dismissed for three consecutive ducks, Abhishek Sharma returns to form with a half-century off 26 balls in India’s T20 World Cup Super 8s match against Zimbabwe.
MATCH REPORT: ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Super 8s – India v Zimbabwe
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Aiden Markram smacked 82 not out off 46 balls as South Africa beat West Indies by nine wickets to maintain their unbeaten record at the 2026 T20 World Cup.
South Africa’s captain struck seven fours and four sixes as South Africa chased 177 with 23 balls to spare to move two points clear at the top of Group 1 in the Super 8s and put one foot in the semi-finals.
The 31-year-old, who brought up his half-century off 27 balls, shared a 95-run opening stand with Quinton de Kock (47 off 24) before the wicketkeeper was removed by Roston Chase in the eighth over. Ryan Rickelton chipped in with a quickfire 45 not out off 28 at number three.
Markram sealed South Africa’s fifth win of the tournament in Ahmedabad with his 11th boundary.
The victory puts the Proteas on the verge of the semi-finals without making them mathematically sure. They will go through if India beat Zimbabwe in Thursday’s other game. West Indies play India in their final match of the group knowing a defeat will likely eliminate them.
South Africa, finalists in 2024, should have been chasing a significantly lower total after taking four wickets in the powerplay and later reducing West Indies to 83-7.
However, the two-time champions fought back through Romario Shepherd and Jason Holder, who put on 89 (57) for the eighth wicket to drag West Indies beyond 170.
After smacking spinner Keshav Maharaj’s opening over for 17, West Indies, who piled on 254-6 against Zimbabwe in their Super 8 opener on Monday, lost four wickets in 11 balls to slump from 29-0 to 43-4 inside four overs, with Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi collecting two wickets apiece.
Sherfane Rutherford, who couldn’t capitalise on being dropped on three, Rovman Powell, and Matthew Forde joined the procession back to the dressing room before Shepherd and Holder came together in the 11th over.
After rebuilding steadily, the pair burst into life from the 15-over mark, Shepherd accelerating from 21 (17) to finish unbeaten on 52 (37) and Holder reaching 49 (31) before being run-out off the penultimate ball of the innings.
They added 58 runs off the final five overs, including Holder taking the 18th, bowled by Marco Jansen, for 23.
From Eduard Cauich: Gerardo Tavárez has been counting down the days for months.
The 25-year-old Los Angeles resident planned the perfect summer for his family.
He will get married on June 6, five days before the start of the World Cup. His honeymoon will be in Mexico, where he will watch the Mexican national team’s debut at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City and a second match between Mexico and South Korea in Guadalajara, alongside his father, brother, future wife and young son.
The plan seemed set in stone. Until this week.
After the Mexican army killed Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel known as “El Mencho,” violence erupted in the state of Jalisco on Sunday, including roadblocks and vehicle fires. Images of smoke rising over Guadalajara quickly circulated on social media, sowing doubts among some planning to travel to Mexico for the World Cup.
According to Mexican authorities, more than 60 people, including 25 soldiers, died during the operation to capture the criminal leader.
“I’m more than worried. I’m nervous. I’m scared,” said Tavárez, born in Los Angeles to parents from Jalisco and a diehard fan of the Mexican national team.
From Jack Vita: Roki Sasaki took the mound Wednesday, looking to build off the success he enjoyed late last season, as he enters his second year with the Dodgers.
It did not go smoothly, with Sasaki struggling to find the strike zone and getting hit hard by the Arizona Diamondbacks when he did. The 24-year-old right-hander gave up three runs on three hits and two walks. He did record three strikeouts, with his fastball topping out at 98.6 miles per hour, but only 17 of his 36 pitches landed for strikes.
“There were some positive things, but also things I need to work on,” Sasaki said via an interpreter after he was lifted from the Dodgers’ 10-7 win.
Sasaki gave up a hard-hit single to leadoff hitter Geraldo Perdomo, and Tim Tawa walked. With one out, Nolan Arenado hit a line-drive double to left that scored Perdomo. Ildemaro Vargas followed with another double, scoring Tawa and Arenado for a 3-0 lead.
Banana Ball gets ‘biggest partnership to date’ with ESPN and Disney, including a trip to Disneyland
Kara Dunn had 24 points and Jazzy Davidson had 22, but Penn State rallied to defeat the USC women, 85-82 on Wednesday night.
The Trojans led 62-58, early in the fourth quarter and 70-68 with 5:35 to play before Kiyomi McMiller and Moriah Murray made key shots to give Penn State the lead.
Dunn made a season-high six three-pointers and had six rebounds and three assists. Davidson had her 25th consecutive double-figure scoring performance and sixth straight 20-point game. Kennedy Smith had 19 points along with six rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block.
With the loss, USC drops to 17-11 overall and 9-8 in Big Ten play. Wednesday was Penn State’s second win all-time and first win against USC since Jan. 6, 1980.
Pavel Dorofeyev had two goals and the Vegas Golden Knights spoiled Artemi Panarin’s Kings debut by scoring five third-period goals to rally for a 6-4 win Wednesday night.
Colton Sissons, Brandon Saad and Reilly Smith scored three goals in a span of 4:14 midway through the third and the short-handed Golden Knights overcame the absence of five players who participated in the gold medal game at the Milan Cortina Olympics on Sunday. Ivan Barbashev added a late empty-netter, and Adin Hill made 15 saves.
Quinton Byfield had two goals, Adrian Kempe and Brandt Clarke scored, while Panarin had two assists in his team debut, but the Kings dropped their fourth straight game.
Joel Quenneville became the second coach in NHL history to win 1,000 games with the Ducks’ 6-5 comeback victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday night.
Quenneville joined Scotty Bowman in an exclusive hockey club with a milestone win in the Ducks’ first game back from the Olympic break.
Cutter Gauthier scored the tiebreaking goal with 1:14 to play for the Ducks, who erased a pair of two-goal deficits. Leo Carlsson had a goal and two assists in his first appearance since Jan. 10 for the Ducks, who have won six straight home games and 10 of 12 overall to leapfrog the Oilers into second place in the Pacific Division.
1935 — Babe Ruth is released by the New York Yankees and signed by the Boston Braves.
1938 — Glenn Cunningham sets a world indoor records in 1,500-meter race at the AAU nationals at New York’s Madison Square Garden. Cunningham finishes in 3:48.4.
1947 — Brothers Doug and Max Bentley lead the Chicago Blackhawks to a 9-7 win over the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. Doug Bentley scores four goals and sets up two more goals. Max Bentley scores three goals and assists on another goal.
1960 — Dave Jenkins of the United States wins the figure skating gold medal at the Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley, Calif.
1967 — Mario Andretti, better known for his accomplishments in open-wheel and USAC competition, wins the Daytona 500 pulling away from 1965 champion Fred Lorenzen in the closing laps. It’s Andretti’s his first and only NASCAR Grand National event. He is the only person born outside the United States to win the Daytona 500.
1968 — Thirty-two African nations agree to boycott the Olympics because of the presence of South Africa.
1981 — The Boston Bruins beat the Minnesota North Stars 5-1 in a game marred by fights. The teams set an NHL record with 84 penalties worth 392 minutes, and 12 players are ejected.
1987 — Michael Jordan scores 58 points, the most by a Chicago player in a regular-season game, to lead the Bulls over the New Jersey Nets 128-113. Jordan scores almost half his points from the free-throw line, hitting 26 of 27.
1989 — The Dallas Cowboys fire coach Tom Landry after a 29-year career.
1989 — Pittsburgh’s Mario Lemieux becomes the third NHL player to have 100 assists in a season, joining Bobby Orr and Wayne Gretzky. Lemieux gets three assists and a goal in the Penguins’ 8-6 loss to the Hartford Whalers.
1994 — In Lillehammer, Norway, Vreni Schneider of Switzerland wins the slalom for the fifth medal of her career, the most of any woman in Alpine Olympic history.
2006 — Sweden beats Finland 3-2 to win the Olympic men’s hockey gold. Germany leaves Turin with the most overall medals with 29, 11 of them gold, while the Americans win 25 medals overall, including nine gold.
2007 — Roger Federer reaches a new milestone breaking Jimmy Connors’ 30-year-old mark with his 161st week at the top of the ATP rankings. Connors set his record from July 1974 to August 1977. The ATP rankings began on Aug. 23, 1973. Federer took the No. 1 spot on Feb. 2, 2004.
2012 — Pete Weber wins a record fifth U.S. Open bowling championship, throwing a strike on his final ball to beat Mike Fagan 215-214. Weber surpasses his father, Dick Weber, who won the tournament’s predecessor four times, as did Don Carter.
2012 — In Bansko, Bulgaria, Lindsey Vonn captures her fourth World Cup super-G race of the year and becomes the career leader in the discipline. By winning her 18th super G the American overtakes Austria’s Renate Goetschl for the record.
2017 — 59th Daytona 500: Kurt Busch wins after Kyle Larson runs out of gas on last lap; Jeffrey Earnhardt makes NASCAR history, 1st ever 4th generation driver to compete in Daytona 500.
2018 — The U.S. Open changes to a two-hole aggregate playoff, the last of the four majors to do away with an 18-hole playoff.
2018 — The top-ranked UConn women’s team completes an undefeated regular season for the 10th time in program history with an 82-53 win over No. 20 South Florida. The Huskies (29-0, 16-0 American) are 98-0 in games against American Athletic Conference opponents. They are 86-0 in the regular season and have won all four conference tournaments.
Compiled by the Associated Press
That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.
Co-hosts Sri Lanka crash out of the T20 World Cup after collapsing to a 61-run defeat by New Zealand in Colombo.
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Matt Henry gets New Zealand off to a blistering start as Pathum Nissanka is dismissed with the first delivery of Sri Lanka’s innings in their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Super 8s match.
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The most drastic option also appears the least likely.
Buttler, who signed a new two-year central contract last year, has been a mainstay of England’s white-ball teams for more than a decade. Could they really leave him out entirely for a World Cup semi-final?
That encounter may be at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, where Buttler has made scores of 94 not out, 89 and 116 in the IPL.
Ben Duckett is the spare batter in England’s squad – another man struggling for form.
Duckett is averaging 18.88 across 12 matches this winter across all formats and was out for a first-ball duck in his most recent innings at the start of the month.
Leg-spinning all-rounder Rehan Ahmed would be a left-field replacement. That would be a massive call.
Perhaps Friday’s match against New Zealand, effectively a dead rubber for England given they are already through, is the perfect, pressure-free opportunity for Buttler to help make the hierarchy’s decision an easy one.
“Who is writing Jos Buttler off?,” said former England spinner Alex Hartley.
“If you are, get a grip. He is one of those players where it takes one shot crunched through the covers and he will be back.
“It would be a worry if England were not winning games. I have no doubt when push comes to shove Jos Buttler will be OK.”
Morocco sentenced 18 Senegalese football fans last Thursday following disturbances at the Africa Cup of Nations final.
Published On 25 Feb 202625 Feb 2026
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Senegal’s Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko has followed his country’s football association in denouncing Morocco’s jailing of 18 Senegalese fans following January’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final in Rabat.
The Teranga Lions supporters were arrested during the final in the Moroccan capital, which was controversially suspended as the Senegal players left the pitch in protest against the late award of a penalty to the host nation.
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Fans, in response, attempted to enter the field of play during the match on January 19, leading to the arrest of 18 people who were later charged with hooliganism and violence against security officials.
Prison sentences were handed out last Thursday to them, ranging from three months to one year, along with fines of up to 5,000 dirhams ($545).
“It seems this matter goes beyond the realm of sport and that is regrettable,” Sonko told the Senegalese parliament on Tuesday.
“For two countries that call each other friends, like Morocco and Senegal, things should not have gone this far.”
The 18 fans have denied any wrongdoing but have not appealed the sentence. Senegal, however, will seek a royal pardon from Morocco’s King Mohammed VI.
“If they do not, we have agreements that bind us and allow us to request that the supporters serve their sentences in their own country,” Sonko added.
The Senegal Football Association had immediately spoken out at the time of the sentences, describing them as “incomprehensibly harsh”.
“Clashes occur in numerous stadiums around the world, including every weekend in Morocco, without resulting in such sanctions,” Bacary Cisse, the president of the FSF’s communications committee, said.
“The treatment of these supporters therefore appears disproportionate.”
Defence lawyer for the 18, Patrick Kabou, had said on February 6 that they were still “waiting to learn the charges”.
He added that some had chosen to go on hunger strike against their detention and treatment.
In response to the sentencing, Kabou echoed the “incomprehensible” sentiment, saying his clients were “victims”.
Senegal were the eventual winners of the final after the match resumed following the players’ protest, securing a 1-0 win in extra time.
There is, of course, one other man Brook owed a performance to.
His coach Brendon McCullum was pushed to the brink by the Ashes defeat. Some will say he has already gone beyond the point from which he can return.
But in securing a semi-final spot, Brook has nudged England closer to a result that will keep the New Zealander in a job should he want it.
Brook could yet be the Mark Robins to McCullum’s Sir Alex Ferguson – granted the New Zealander has a long way to go.
Brook has always been one of Bazball’s most devoted believers.
McCullum is the only Test coach Brook has had, the only permanent coach he has worked under as white-ball captain. He often speaks straight from the McCullum philosophical handbook.
It was no surprise, therefore, that he credited his coach with the plan to promote Brook from number five to bat at three for the first time in his international career.
It was McCullum who put the idea to his captain early on Tuesday morning, less than 12 hours before the start of the game.
Some England players, like Jacob Bethell, who was nudged down to number four by Brook’s promotion, were told earlier in the day, but the rest were not fully made aware of the plan until McCullum spoke in the pre-match huddle.
“Baz was the mastermind there,” Brook said.
“He had the discussion with me this morning about going up the order and trying to maximise the powerplay.”
McCullum’s move means England now have a free hit in their final Super 8 match against New Zealand on Friday. After that they will travel to India for a semi-final.
Somehow, after stuttering and struggling to this point, they are the closest side to winning the title. Australia have gone already and defending champions India could follow before the week is out.
If the co-hosts remain, one of South Africa or West Indies will surely be knocked out.
Brook is two wins from becoming the fourth England men’s captain – after Paul Collingwood, Eoin Morgan and Jos Buttler – to lift a World Cup.
He is leading his way, which will bring moments that will leave you scratching your head. Now is the time for Brook to be backed, however.
He is not only a captain, one sharp tactically on the field and supremely talented with the bat, but a leader.
Captain Brook’s century guides England home in chase of 165 with Pakistan staring at the prospects of an exit.
Published On 24 Feb 202624 Feb 2026
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England have qualified for the semifinals of the T20 World Cup with a nervy two-wicket win in their Super Eight match against Pakistan, who have inched closer to exiting the tournament.
Captain Harry Brook scored a sublime century under pressure on Tuesday as his side successfully chased a 165-run target in 19.1 overs at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium outside Kandy, Sri Lanka, and became the first team to enter the knockouts.
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Brook formed a 52-run partnership with in-form all-rounder Will Jacks, who scored 28 runs in the winning cause.
England’s win, though, began with a tumble and ended with a wobble as their top-order and lower-middle-order batters slumped in the face of a par total of 164-9 set by Pakistan.
The two-time champions went through to the last four by winning their second game of the Super Eights stage to bag four points while Pakistan remain on one point after two games.
England’s run chase got off to a horrible start when Shaheen Shah Afridi removed opener Phil Salt off the first ball of the innings. Salt edged a length delivery to wicketkeeper Usman Khan, who obliged with a diving catch.
Afridi, who was dropped from the Pakistan team for their washed-out match against New Zealand, carried on his dream return with a wicket in his second over as former captain Jos Buttler was dismissed in a similar manner.
Jacob Bethell, caught in the deep off Afridi, and Tom Banton, caught behind off Usman Tariq, were the next two wickets to fall as Pakistan seemed to have the upper hand in the second innings.
However, Brook’s measured yet attacking onslaught combined with some poor fielding by Pakistan to help England revive their innings in the middle overs.
Just as his team looked certain of victory, Brook fell after scoring his 100, triggering a late batting collapse that gave Pakistan some hope before it was crushed by a Jofra Archer boundary on the first ball of the 20th over to seal England’s win.
Earlier, Sahibzada Farhan continued his imperious run-scoring form to score 63 runs off 45 balls, which became the cornerstone of Pakistan’s innings.
The opener was briefly supported by Babar Azam, who fell for 25 runs.
Fakhar Zaman’s 25 and Shadab Khan’s 23 runs helped Pakistan cross the 160-run mark in a must-win game.
Spin bowler Liam Dawson’s figures of 3-24 in four overs were supported by two wickets each from pacers Jofra Archer and Jamie Overton as England made it four wins in their last four games in the tournament.
They will face New Zealand in their last Super Eight fixture on Friday while Pakistan will play against hosts Sri Lanka the following day.
The next Group 2 match is between Sri Lanka and New Zealand on Wednesday.
Pakistan must now hope that Sri Lanka beat New Zealand by a big margin and England do the same two days later to dent the Kiwis’ net run rate.
Salman Ali Agha’s side must then follow it up by handing Sri Lanka a third defeat to knock them out and emerge as the second team to qualify for the semifinals from their Super Eight group.
‘Clocked’ by a bouncer in Wellington, as culpable as anyone in the dismal Ashes defeat in Australia, pictured drinking in Noosa and found to have lied when apologising in Sydney.
Brook has had quite the winter.
This, though, was everything good about England’s white-ball captain. He batted at his destructive best.
Surprise greeted the sight of Brook walking down the steps rather than Bethell after Salt nicked off to Shaheen but the thinking was smart.
It kept the right-hander away from Pakistan’s five spinners on a turning pitch at the start of his innings and allowed him to take advantage of the powerplay fielding restrictions.
Brook faced three dots in his first five balls but then took left-armer Salman Mirza for a four and six in the second over.
He muscled a brutal straight six over long-on off while hitting spinner Mohammad Nawaz for 17 in the sixth, before nudging singles after Banton nicked off to Usman Tariq. The mystery spinner was Pakistan’s major threat.
At halfway, Brook kicked on again, crashing leg-spinner Shadab Khan for a perfect straight six. He scored all around the ground but those straight hits and his drives through the covers were particularly eye-catching.
He reached three figures with two more hits over mid-off – one for six and another a one-bounce four.
It made him the third man to score centuries in all three formats for England, after Jos Buttler and Dawid Malan, but more importantly it keeps them on course for a third T20 title.
Scotland and Ireland will face hosts England at the Women’s T20 World Cup after the draw for this summer’s tournament was finalised.
Scotland and Ireland booked their place at the World Cup in the qualifying tournament in Nepal earlier this month.
They join England in Group Two, alongside West Indies, New Zealand and Sri Lanka.
The game between England and Scotland at Headingley on 20 June will mark the first occasion the two countries have met in any kind of cricket World Cup fixture, men or women, in the UK.
Ireland meet England in Southampton on 16 June, while Ireland and Scotland start their campaigns against each other at Old Trafford on 13 June.
The tournament begins a day earlier when England take on Sri Lanka at Edgbaston.
Bangladesh and the Netherlands were the other two teams to come through the qualifier and join Australia, South Africa, India and Pakistan in Group One.
With the 12-team field confirmed – the largest in the 17-year history of the Women’s T20 World Cup – the full groups and fixtures have been published for the first time.
New Zealand will defend the title they won in the United Arab Emirates two years ago in the first Women’s T20 World Cup to be held in England since the inaugural tournament in 2009.
As well as Old Trafford, Headingley and Southampton, group matches will be played in Bristol. The semi-finals will be at The Oval on 30 June and 2 July, with the final at Lord’s on Sunday, 5 July.
Mexico’s co-hosting of this summer’s Fifa World Cup could be compromised by the eruption in drug cartel violence which began yesterday, experts have told BBC Sport.
The Jalisco New Generation (CJNG) drug cartel – one of the country’s most powerful and feared criminal organisations – has engaged in gun shootouts with the Mexican military, blocked roads and burned vehicles in response to the killing of its leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, better known as “El Mencho”, in an army operation.
Violence began in the central-western Jalisco state – where a code red security situation has been declared – and has now spread to at least a dozen more regions, with videos posted online showing gunmen patrolling streets and smoke billowing over cities.
Guadalajara, capital city of Jalisco and home to more than a million people, is scheduled to host four matches at this summer’s tournament. Another five are scheduled in Mexico City, and four in Monterrey.
“When you push down on the cartels you do get pushback – the danger is that it can be very difficult to manage a security situation that spirals out of control,” says Javier Eskauriatza, assistant professor of criminal law at the University of Nottingham.
The power vacuum created by El Mencho’s killing could lead to be a period of instability and further conflict as contenders vie to replace him.
“In general the cartels have an economic interest in making sure the World Cup is peaceful,” Dr Eskauriatza adds.
“Yes they pay off politicians and local police forces, but they also buy restaurants and own hotels. They are part of the economic system.
“It is useful for them if Brits, Americans, and others go to Mexico, spend their money and have a good time.”
BBC Sport has contacted Fifa for comment.
Who: Pakistan vs England
What: 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Super Eight
When: Tuesday, February 24, at 7pm (13:30 GMT)
Where: Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy, Sri Lanka
How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 10:30 GMT in advance of our text commentary stream.
Click here to follow our live coverage.
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The second Super Eight ties of the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup starts on Tuesday with an intriguing contest between former champions who both consider themselves legit title contenders: Pakistan and England.
Pakistan, despite being humiliated by India in the group phase, possess a stacked roster who, on their day, can compete with any cricket team in the world.
England, listed as the pre-tournament joint-second favorite to raise the T20 world crown, are slowly building momentum in the competition, as exhibited by their dismantling of host nation Sri Lanka in their Super Eight opener on Sunday.
Al Jazeera Sport takes a look at the matchup, which may turn out to be a pivotal outcome affecting both nations’ semifinal qualification hopes.
Pakistan desperately need a win after their first match against New Zealand was washed out on Saturday.
A defeat would put England, who skittled Sri Lanka out for just 95 runs, through to the semifinals with a game to spare.
Pakistan would then need to beat Sri Lanka in their final Super Eight match and hope other results go their way to reach the last four.
History will be against Pakistan as they have never beaten England in three previous Twenty20 (T20) World Cup clashes.
“We are confident and our morale is high,” said Pakistan batsman Sahibzada Farhan, who scored an unbeaten 100 against Namibia in Pakistan’s final group match.
“We are focused on this match to win and progress.”
Persistent rain in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo forced the abandonment of Pakistan’s opening Super Eight game with New Zealand without a single ball being bowled, forcing the sides to split the points at R Premadasa Stadium.
Pakistan will be hoping that the weather does not play a factor in their crucial second tie as another split result would all but end their semifinal aspirations.
Thankfully, the forecast looks good for Tuesday’s match against England at the Pallekele International Stadium in Kandy, with 33 degrees Celsius (91F) predicted with only a 25 percent possibility of rain. In short, there should be a result and a full match is a strong possibility.
England kicked off their Super Eight campaign with a 51-run victory over Sri Lanka, a statistically dominant result that vaulted them to the top of the Group 2 standings on net run rate.
The two-time champions have now won their last three matches at the tournament.
Will Jacks has been the breakout star with the bat at the tournament, averaging 65 on a scintillating 195 strike rate.
Pakistan on Monday warned England’s inconsistent batting lineup to expect a trial by spin when the teams clash.
Farhan told reporters that England struggled to 146-9 against Sri Lanka’s spinners on Sunday.
The in-form opener said that England can expect more of the same from Pakistan’s spinners when they meet on the same Pallekele ground on Tuesday night.
“What we saw in the Sri Lanka-England game was that the ball was gripping and England struggled against spin,” said Farhan on Monday.
“Sri Lanka have one or two spinners, but we have five in all, so we will give England a tough time on a pitch that looks good and will grip,” he added.
Pakistan’s spinners have taken 26 wickets in the four matches so far. Their seamers have dismissed only seven batsmen.
Farhan, who tops the T20 World Cup run-scoring chart with 220, said he was ready for the threat of England’s express pace bowler Jofra Archer.
“Facing Archer will not be difficult because I have faced similar bowlers in Pakistan,” said Farhan.
“So if he has plans against me, I also have plans against him.”
Pakistan are likely to bring in spinner Abrar Ahmed in place of seaming all-rounder Faheem Ashraf.
Shaheen Shah Afridi’s omission from the final group stage match against Namibia and the Super Eight opener against New Zealand was a huge shock.
The bowling superstar was expensive in the group phase, with his side pivoting to a spin-dominant strategy.
With Pakistan desperately needing a win against England, the left-arm quick is expected to return to the starting XI.
England may name an unchanged side for the fifth match in succession with Liam Dawson, Will Jacks, Adil Rashid and Jacob Bethell providing their spin options.
Pakistan
W-W-L-W-NR (most recent result last)
England
W-L-W-W-W (most recent result last)
England has won the T20 World Cup title twice, in 2010 (defeated Australia) and in 2022 (defeated Pakistan).
They jointly hold the record for the most T20 World Cup titles alongside India (2007, 2024) and the West Indies (2012, 2016).
Pakistan are three-time finalists, but have only lifted the trophy once.
The first appearance in the final came in the inaugural competition in 2007, when India claimed a five-run win.
The second edition, in 2009, saw Pakistan beat Sri Lanka in the final, but a 13-year wait ensued for the next appearance in the showpiece finale – only for England to sweep to a five-wicket victory.
England and Pakistan have not played each other in a Twenty20 fixture since before the last T20 World Cup in 2024.
The sides competed in a four-game series in England with the home side winning 2-0, capping off their triumph in the last fixture with a seven-wicket victory at The Oval on May 30, 2024.
This will be the 32nd meeting between the countries in cricket’s shortest format.
England has won more than two-thirds of matches with 21 victories, while Pakistan has nine wins. There has been one “no result”.
Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha (c), Babar Azam, Usman Khan (wk), Khawaja Nafay, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Usman Tariq
Jos Buttler (wk), Phil Salt, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook (c), Tom Banton, Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Liam Dawson, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid
India were bowled out for 111 chasing 188-run target and must now win their next two games to qualify for the semifinals.
Published On 22 Feb 202622 Feb 2026
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India have been handed a 76-run defeat by South Africa in their first cricket match of the Super Eight stage of the T20 World Cup and now must win their next two games to have a chance of reaching the semifinals.
The defending champions were bowled out for 111 in 18.5 overs while chasing a target of 188 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, India on Sunday.
It was the cohosts’ first loss of the tournament and also ended their 12-match winning streak in the T20 World Cup that they had carried on from their title-winning run in 2024.
South Africa’s bowlers put on a near-perfect display against a strong Indian batting lineup, and were backed by their fielders to leave the pre-tournament favourites reeling.
India lost their in-form opener Ishan Kishan on the fourth ball of the innings to the offspin bowling of South Africa’s captain Aiden Markram while trying to hit against the spin.
One-down batter Tilak Varma was the next to fall as he was caught behind off the first ball of Marco Jansen’s over.
India’s captain Suryakumar Yadav and out-of-form star batter Abhishek Sharma tried to rebuild their innings until Sharma fell in the fifth over after scoring 15 runs off 12 deliveries.
Incoming batter Washington Sundar and Yadav were the next two wickets to fall as India failed to build a big partnership in front of a large home crowd.
A 35-run partnership between all-rounders Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube lifted the Indian run chase briefly, but South Africa’s disciplined bowling and near-faultless fielding resulted in regular dismissals for the home side.
When Dube fell for 42 off 37, India’s fate was sealed.
Jansen’s superb bowling earned him four wickets for 22 runs off 3.5 overs , while left-arm spin bowler Keshav Maharaj took three for 24 in his four overs.
All of South Africa’s bowlers were economical, with Lungi Ngidi leading the way by conceding only 15 runs in his four wicketless overs.
Earlier, player of the match David Miller’s crucial innings of 63 runs off 35 balls stabilised South Africa’s innings after they were reduced to 20-3 in four overs.
He shared a 97-run partnership with Dewald Brevis, who scored 45 off 29 balls, as the pair resurrected the Proteas after Markram decided to bat first after winning the toss in the first Super Eight match in Group 1.
Despite Miller’s dismissal in the 16th over, South Africa were able to post a formidable total of 187-7, thanks to a 24-ball 44 not out by Tristan Stubbs at the end of the innings.
Jasprit Bumrah picked up 3-15 off his four overs.
The loss propels South Africa to the top of Group 1 in the Super Eight stage, with India at the bottom with a net run rate of -3.80.
The defending champions must win their remaining two games to have a chance of qualifying for the semifinals.
West Indies and Zimbabwe are the other two teams in their group and will face each other on Monday.
South Africa face the West Indies on Thursday, while India play Zimbabwe on Friday.
Burnt out buses and trucks lined the highway to Guadalajara, Mexico’s Estadio Akron in what is reportedly a cartel reprisal to an earlier federal law enforcement operation. Burning vehicles causing roadblocks have been reported across the state of Jalisco, including in the major tourist city of Puerto Vallarta.
Published On 22 Feb 202622 Feb 2026
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A superb bowling performance breathed life into England’s T20 World Cup campaign as Harry Brook’s side beat co-hosts Sri Lanka by 51 runs in their opening match of the Super 8s phase.
England remained unconvincing with the bat in posting 146-9 but their bowlers took full advantage of a tricky surface to knock over their hosts for 95.
Jofra Archer dismissed key batter Pathum Nissanka and fellow opener Kamil Mishara but even more impressive were the three wickets for all-rounder Will Jacks inside the powerplay.
Jacks, who has struggled with the ball at times in this tournament, removed Kusal Mendis and Pavan Rathnayake in consecutive deliveries and added the scalp of Dunith Wellalage as Sri Lanka crumbled to 34-5 under the pressure of a chase.
After Kamindu Mendis chipped back a catch to Liam Dawson and Dushan Hemantha hit his own wicket, Jacks combined with Tom Banton to complete a fine relay catch on the boundary to dismiss Dasun Shanaka, Sri Lanka’s captain and the last recognised batter, for 30.
That England’s batting remains far from perfect is pushed to another day. Jos Buttler made a tortured seven from 14 balls, Jacob Bethell fell to a wild slog and Tom Banton ran himself out.
Phil Salt’s 62 and 21 from Jacks, who was the next highest scorer in a fine all-round display, were crucial.
England play Pakistan on Tuesday and New Zealand on Friday in their remaining Super 8s matches.
One win should be enough to qualify for the semi-finals.
International commitments over the winter months have interrupted pre-season preparations and that was a common message from coaches as some teams coped better than others on the big stage.
In front of packed stands at one of the UK’s largest indoor arenas, Birmingham Panthers and Manchester Thunder both lost three from three.
“It’s been a tough day,” said Thunder coach Karen Greig, whose side lost their three games heavily to make an early exit.
Thunder will face NSL champions Pulse in the league’s opening match, with more than 5,000 tickets sold for that Copper Box encounter.
Greig has brought England goal shooter El Cardwell back to England after a successful stint in Australia while Thunder also have fellow Roses star Nat Metcalf back after she missed last season when pregnant and looking after baby son Miller.
But it was to no avail at the Super Cup.
“Today was about us understanding where we were actually at,” Greig said.
“The performances and the connections on the court definitely highlighted that.
“The quality that we’ve got in our group is undeniable and it’s about us now making sure we get everyone on the same page and connected.”
There was no such problem for Lightning while Pulse took consolation from being a whisker away from another major title.
As Pulse coach Sam Bird said: “I’m not too worried. I’m disappointed because I like winning everything available but I think we take a lot of positives from the day. It’s a nice rivalry to continue with.”
Persistent rain in Colombo forces abandonment of Pakistan’s game with New Zealand, which was to open Super Eights stage.
Published On 21 Feb 202621 Feb 2026
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Pakistan and New Zealand’s Super Eights match to open the second phase of the 2026 T20 World Cup was abandoned because of rain without a ball being bowled.
The rain started at Colombo’s R Premadasa Stadium as soon as Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha won the toss and chose to bat first on Saturday.
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The post-toss interviews were completed, but with the forecast suggesting the game would be in doubt, there was little surprise when the teams ran for cover.
More than 60 ground staff were on hand to cover the square and the majority of the playing surface.
The persistent rain eventually led to the umpires calling the Group 2 match off at 9:05pm local time (15:35 GMT).
Not even a five-over match was possible by the 10:16 pm (16:46 GMT) cut-off time, giving the two teams one point each.
Tournament co-host India plays South Africa in Ahmedabad in the first Group 1 match on Sunday, when co-host Sri Lanka and England meet in Group 2 in Pallekele.