England formally grew to become the primary crew to safe a spot within the T20 World Cup 2026 semifinals after a wide ranging two-wicket victory over Pakistan at Pallekele on February 24, 2026. The match was an absolute rollercoaster that noticed England’s captain, Harry Brook, etch his identify into historical past with a legendary efficiency that silenced the Pakistani bowling assault.
Chasing a aggressive goal of 165, England seemed to be in serious trouble early on as Shaheen Afridi tore by way of the highest order, leaving them reeling at 35/3. Nonetheless, Brook’s sheer brilliance turned the sport on its head, as he single-handedly dragged his aspect again from the brink of defeat. For Pakistan, the loss is a crushing blow that leaves their match hopes hanging by a thread, turning their last Tremendous 8 fixture right into a determined must-win situation.
T20 World Cup 2026: Sahibzada Farhan’s resilience and Liam Dawson’s spin stifle Pakistan’s energy
Pakistan’s innings was a narrative of a lone warrior in Sahibzada Farhan, who anchored the aspect to a aggressive 164/9 on a floor that provided important flip for the English spinners.
After being put in to bat, Pakistan confronted a direct setback as Jofra Archer eliminated Saim Ayub within the second over, adopted shortly by the dismissal of captain Salman Ali Agha, leaving the ‘Males in Inexperienced’ stuttering at 42/2 within the Powerplay. Farhan, nevertheless, confirmed outstanding composure, carving out a gritty 63 off 45 balls, using the sweep shot successfully in opposition to the nagging size of Liam Dawson. Dawson was the choose of the English bowlers, ending with sensible figures of three/24 as he extracted bounce and switch to take away Usman Khan and Mohammad Nawaz in fast succession.
A mid-innings collapse threatened to derail Pakistan fully, however a late, aggressive cameo from Shadab Khan, who smashed 23 off 11 balls, offered the mandatory impetus to push the rating previous 160. Regardless of the late-overs flourish, England’s loss of life bowling remained disciplined, with Jamie Overton executed good bowling to say two wickets , stopping Pakistan from reaching a very daunting whole. The innings concluded with Pakistan feeling they have been maybe 15 runs brief, inserting an enormous burden on their tempo battery to defend the overall below the lights.
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Harry Brook’s historic ton and Jofra Archer’s nerves seal England’s semi-final spot
The chase for 165 started in near-catastrophic trend for England as Shaheen Afridi produced a masterclass in swing bowling, eradicating Phil Salt and Jos Buttler inside the first seven balls of the innings. Then captain Brook stepped out and performed what many are calling the best T20 World Cup captain’s knock in historical past.
Brook hammered a sensational 100 off simply 51 balls, taking a selected liking to the tempo of Salman Mirza and the spin of Shadab Khan and Usman Tariq, hanging 10 boundaries and 4 huge sixes to take care of a strike fee close to 200. His century, the primary by a captain within the match’s historical past, appeared to have the sport killed off till a frantic late-order collapse noticed Pakistan claw again into the competition with three wickets in 4 deliveries.
With England needing 4 runs from the ultimate over and Shaheen having exhausted his quota with figures of 4/30, the strain was palpable as Jofra Archer walked to the crease with solely two wickets remaining. Archer confirmed ice-cold temperament, crashing a size ball from Salman Mirza over mid-off for a boundary to win the sport with one ball to spare. The victory sparked jubilant scenes within the England camp, whereas Pakistan’s gamers have been left devastated on the turf, understanding their semi-final hopes now depend upon a fancy net of mathematical possibilities.
Right here’s how followers reacted:
50-ball-100 to take your crew into the semi single handedly, that is what goals are product of! Effectively performed Harry Brook 👏👏
PS: Ind benching Axar vs SA and Pak dropping Abrar for this recreation. Actually stunning and dear tactical errors.#PAKvENG #T20Worldcup— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) February 24, 2026
H Brook at 3 now makes me begin to assume it’s potential .. #ICCT20WorldCup .. That’s the innings that proves we have now a genius within the ranks of the England crew ..
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) February 24, 2026
What a tremendous evening for Harry Brook!
Single handedly he’s simply destroyed Pakistan – Is that this The Finish for Pakistan?#PakvsEng #ICCT20WorldCup2026— Vikrant Gupta (@vikrantgupta73) February 24, 2026
England turns into the primary crew to qualify for the semi finals. Harry brook’s transfer to bat at quantity 3 gained the sport for them.
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) February 24, 2026
Harry Brook – freak
— Kevin Pietersen🦏 (@KP24) February 24, 2026
That is an excellent hundred from Harry Brook.
100 (51) together with his aspect below the pump to get them right into a World Cup semi-final.
Critical mettle proven too given the construct as much as this match.
— Yas Rana (@Yas_Wisden) February 24, 2026
Take a bow, Harry Brook. He has handled the Pakistani assault with the disdain our vacationers (rightly) have for consuming Icelandic fermented shark.
— Iceland Cricket (@icelandcricket) February 24, 2026
Freak innings from a freak batter. This was pure class from Harry Brook. Unbelievable shot making but additionally such tactical batting. Final show-stealer #T20WorldCup
— Bharat Sundaresan (@beastieboy07) February 24, 2026
Harry Brook, what a genius. Prime stuff brother.
— Foolish Level (@FarziCricketer) February 24, 2026
LEADER. MATCH-WINNER. STAR. 🌟🔥
Harry Brook scripts a captain’s masterpiece 👑
100 (51) to stroll away with the POTM trophy 🏆💥#HarryBrook #Pakistan #england #T20WorldCup #T20WorldCup2026 #Cricket pic.twitter.com/PpuvTrfrpP
— CricketTimes.com (@CricketTimesHQ) February 24, 2026
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