New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner admitted to feeling anxious ahead of the crucial T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 clash between Pakistan and Sri Lanka on Saturday. The Black Caps were in a strong position to secure a semifinal berth but their defeat to England at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo has complicated matters, giving Pakistan a lifeline in the tournament.
Although New Zealand still hold a superior net run rate, a Pakistan victory over Sri Lanka would see both teams level on three points. For Salman Ali Agha’s side to surpass the Kiwis on net run rate, Pakistan must win by more than 64 runs if batting first. If chasing, they would need to reach the target with at least 40 balls remaining.
While the equation appears steep for Pakistan, Santner is not taking the situation lightly and said his team will be closely monitoring the outcome in Pallekele.
“Pretty nervous. There’ll definitely be some nerves watching tomorrow to see what happens. It’s out of our control now, we can’t really influence it,” Santner said at the post-match press conference.
“We’ll just have to wait and see whether we’re getting on a plane to India or heading back to New Zealand. We would have made it much easier for ourselves if we had won tonight,” he added.
For much of the Group 2 Super 8 contest in Colombo, New Zealand looked in command. However, England turned the game around dramatically in the final overs. Needing 43 runs from the last three overs, Will Jacks and Rehan Ahmed launched a counterattack, smashing Glenn Phillips for 22 runs in the 18th over. England eventually chased down the target of 160 with four wickets in hand and three balls to spare.
Reflecting on the loss, Santner said New Zealand had control for most of the match but fell short in key moments.
“We had it in our hands. We did a lot of good things in this game and even in the previous matches. But in tight contests, it often comes down to small moments — execution, fielding, or decision-making. Credit to England for the way they set up and finished that chase,” he said.
He also noted the difference in approach during the death overs.
“They attacked our spinners smartly in the final overs and chose their options well. With the bat, we perhaps tried to go too square, while they targeted straighter boundaries. In games this close, it can come down to a few runs, stopping a boundary, or taking a catch,” Santner added.
With the win, England topped Group 2 and are likely to face either India or the West Indies in the semifinal.
