Colombo: Rain could play a havoc when Pakistan take on New Zealand in the opening match of the Super Eight phase of the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium on Saturday.
Weather reports suggest cloudy skies and light rain in Colombo this afternoon.
The temperature is around 30°C, but with high humidity, it feels like 37°C, while shaded areas register an actual feeling of 34°C. Winds blowing from the WNW at 9 km/h, gusts as high as 26 km/h, creating occasional breezy moments.
Humidity is 80% and dew point is 24°C, reflecting humid conditions. 7.6 mm of rain has fallen so far, with a 75% chance of more rain.
Cloud cover is almost 99% over, limiting sunshine, while visibility is moderate up to 5km.
By evening, the temperature will drop slightly to 25°C, with a RealFeel of 29°C. The sky will be completely cloudy, but rain is likely to stop.
Winds becoming calm, becoming east at 7 km/h with gusts as high as 15 km/h. Humidity will rise to 86%, the air will be sticky, and the dew point will be 23°C. Chance of rain is just 25%, cloud cover is 100% and visibility is stable at 5km.
Overall, the evening will be cooler and drier than the afternoon, but the atmosphere will remain fully cloudy.
Pakistan finished second in Group A after winning three of four matches and losing one to India by 61 runs.
For the Super Eights, they have been drawn in Group 2 alongside Sri Lanka, New Zealand and England.
Historically, Pakistan and New Zealand have met seven times in T20 World Cups, with Pakistan leading 5-2.
In all the T20 matches between the two teams, they have met 49 times, Pakistan 24, New Zealand 23, and two matches ended in a draw.
Pakistan’s remaining Super Eight matches are scheduled against England on February 24 and Sri Lanka on February 28 in Colombo.
groups
Pakistan: Salman Ali Agha (catch), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Faqar Zaman, Khawaja Nafe, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shatab Khan, Usman Khan, Usman Khan.
New Zealand: Mitchell Santner (catch), Finn Allen, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Seifert and co.