Pallekele, Feb 24 (NationPress) Sahibzada Farhan's impressive 63 runs and a late surge from Shadab Khan (23 off 11) enabled Pakistan to score 164/9 in 20 overs against England during the Group 2 match in the Super 8s of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy on Tuesday.

Opting to bat first, Pakistan faced a rocky start in the Power-play, losing two quick wickets. Saim Ayub, struggling throughout the tournament, once again fell short with a mere seven runs before being dismissed by Jofra Archer, who tested him with various bouncers.

Captain Salman Ali Agha (5) was also sent back to the pavilion in the third over, as Liam Dawson claimed his wicket in his opening over. Nevertheless, Pakistan managed to stay competitive at 46/2, primarily due to Farhan's aggressive start, which included four boundaries, while Babar Azam showed intent with two well-timed hits to the boundary.

As the game progressed, the pressure mounted on Pakistan, leading to a significant drop in their scoring rate, managing only 19 runs in the last four overs by the halfway point. The introduction of spin proved pivotal; Adil Rashid and Liam Dawson expertly exploited the pitch's grip and variation, forcing the batters into a cautious approach.

Babar Azam succumbed to the growing pressure, attempting to break the shackles. He aimed to hit Jamie Overton's hard-length delivery but misjudged it, resulting in a top-edge that led to his dismissal after a frustrating 46-run partnership that took 44 balls, with Babar scoring 25 runs off 24 balls.

Fakhar Zaman showcased a rapid shift in momentum, using his footwork against Will Jacks to launch a towering six. In the same over, Farhan added to the pressure with a massive 100-meter six over midwicket, yielding 16 runs in the 14th over. He backed his previous century with a gritty fifty off 45 balls before being dismissed by Overton.

Dawson's exceptional fielding led to the dismissal of Fakhar Zaman at a crucial moment. Misjudging Rashid's googlies, Fakhar sent one high into the leg side, where Dawson executed a remarkable catch.

Usman Khan capitalized on an England misfield to get off the mark with two runs and followed up with a confident slog-sweep for six. However, Dawson quickly dismissed Usman and Mohammad Nawaz, ending his spell with impressive figures of 3 for 24.

All-rounder Shadab Khan stood firm, scoring 23 runs off 11 balls, but Pakistan's innings collapsed as they lost their last four wickets for just 32 runs.

Brief scores:

Pakistan 164/9 in 20 overs (Sahibzada Farhan 63, Fakhar Zaman 25; Liam Dawson 3-24, Jamie Overton 2-26) against England.