England scripted an impressive 51-run win over Sri Lanka in their Super 8 Group 2 match of T20 World Cup 2026 in Pallekele on Sunday. This was the first match of the group that produced a result, after the New Zealand vs Pakistan match in Colombo on Saturday was abandoned due to rain.
Sri Lanka won the toss and opted to field, and their bowlers led by Dunith Wellelage (3/26) did an excellent job. The Lankans restricted England to 146/9 from 20 overs.
England were reliant on opener Phil Salt (62 runs from 40 balls), but he lacked partners who could support him from the other end. Salt slammed six fours and two sixes during his knock.
Apart from Salt, Dilshan Madushanka (2/25), Maheesh Theekshana (2/21) and Dushmantha Chameera (1/34) were among the wicket-takers.
The England bowlers led by Will Jacks (3/22) did a tremendous job to dismiss the Lankans for 95 in 16.4 overs.
Sri Lanka suffered a top-order collapse, but it was their skipper Dasun Shanaka (30 runs from 24 balls) who provided some resistance. He forged an 18-run stand with Kamindu Mendis for the sixth wicket, and that was their highest partnership of the match. Apart from Jacks, Adil Rashid (2/13 in 3.4 overs) was their next impressive bowler.
England’s win over Sri Lanka makes Group 2 a very interesting affair. Here’s where each of the four teams stands in the points table and we will also look at which team could qualify for the semi-finals. The top two teams from each of the two Super 8 groups will qualify for the semi-finals.
| team | played | Won | Lost | NR | points | NRR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| England | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | +2.550 |
| Pakistan | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.000 |
| new zealand | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.000 |
| Sri Lanka | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | -2.550 |
England (1st place, 2 points)
Remaining matches: vs Pakistan (24 February), vs New Zealand (27 February)
England’s win over Sri Lanka on Sunday means that the Harry Brook-led side are one of the favorites to qualify for the semi-finals.
They have a very strong Net Run Rate (NRR) of +2.550, which means that one more win could likely ensure them of a semi-final spot. Because of their superior NRR, they can qualify even if they lose one of their remaining two matches.
Pakistan (2nd place, 1 point)
Remaining matches: vs England (24 February), vs Sri Lanka (28 February)
Pakistan’s first game against New Zealand was washed out due to rain in Colombo, which means that the Men in Green will need to win their last two Group 2 matches.
That will take their points tally to five points from three matches. One win in their next two matches will take their points tally to three, which could mean that they will be dependent on other results to go in their favour.
New Zealand (3rd place, 1 point)
Remaining matches: vs Sri Lanka (25 February), vs England (27 February)
New Zealand’s hopes of qualifying for the semi-finals is similar to that of Pakistan. Their best-case and the safest scenario of qualifying is by winning their last two group stage matches. Should they win just one match, they will have just three points, which will mean that their qualification will depend on other results.
Sri Lanka (4th place, 0 points)
Remaining matches: vs New Zealand (25 February), vs Pakistan (28 February)
Sri Lanka’s heavy defeat to England means that the co-hosts have entered the “must-win situation”.
They need to win both their remaining matches, which would take their points tally to four. Even then, it may not be enough as both New Zealand and Pakistan could reach five points. Their negative NRR of -2.550 does not help their case either.
