Last Updated on 2 months ago by Charbel Coorey

Sri Lanka and Pakistan will lock horns against each other in the 10th Super 8 contest (50th match) of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. The match will be played at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Pallekele, on 28th February 2026, at 7 PM IST. 

Co-hosts Sri Lanka are already ruled out of the semifinal race. They lost their last game against New Zealand by 61 runs and are yet to win a game in the Super 8 round. Their batters disappointed in this tournament, as Kusal Mendis and Pathum Nissanka carried the batting, and when they got out early, none of the other batters got going consistently. 

Their bowling has been good with Dushamantha Chameera, Maheesh Theekshana, and Dunith Wellalage doing well. Defeating Australia by eight wickets is their only considerable achievement in the tournament, and they’ll be itching to sign off with a win. 

Pakistan, meanwhile, got a lifeline as England defeated New Zealand from a bleak-looking situation, which gave Pakistan the chance to qualify for the semis if they win this game by a big margin. 

They are having their own issues in batting, as no one apart from Sahibzada Farhan has performed for them. The situation is so bad that apart from Farhan, only Shadab Khan has scored 100+ runs in the tournament so far, and he’s their lower middle-order/finisher with the bat. 

Bowling-wise, Shaheen Afridi showed signs of returning to form, and Usman Tariq has bowled well. They’ll need contributions from the other bowlers and batters if they are to win this game by either 64 runs or in 13.1 overs and qualify for the semi-final.

ICC T20 World Cup 2026 50th Match: SL vs PAK Probable Playing XIs

Sri Lanka: 1. Pathum Nissanka, 2. Kusal Mendis (wk), 3. Charith Asalanka, 4. Pavan Rathnayake, 5. Dasun Shanaka (c), 6. Kamindu Mendis, 7. Dushan Hemantha, 8. Dunith Wellalage, 9. Dushmantha Chameera, 10. Maheesh Theekshana, 11. Dilshan Madushanka

The key question for Pakistan is where Babar Azam bats. Could they be tempted to open with him and drop Saim Ayub and Salman Ali Agha slightly down the order?

Also, do Pakistan play Abrar Ahmed? Conditions should suit him and he has nine wickets against Sri Lanka at an average of 14.33 and economy of 5.86.

Pakistan: 1. Sahibzada Farhan, 2. Saim Ayub, 3. Salman Ali Agha (c), 4. Babar Azam, 5. Usman Khan (wk), 6. Fakhar Zaman, 7. Shadab Khan, 8. Faheem Ashraf, 9. Mohammad Nawaz/Abrar Ahmed, 10. Shaheen Afridi, 11. Usman Tariq

Pallekele International Cricket Stadium Pitch Report and Weather

The pitch at Pallekele has been a good one for batting this tournament, but the spinners have dominated in the last couple of games. There will be grip and turn, and batters will have to work hard for their runs. 

However, batters, once set, can play their shots. We should see a similar kind of wicket is for this game too. Scores in the range of 150-170 are expected, and teams may prefer chasing, but batting first will be a good option as well. 

It will be a clear day at Pallekele with no chance of rain. The temperature will be around 21 degrees Celsius with 74% humidity at the start of the game.

Fantasy Cricket Tips for SL vs PAK: Players to Watch/Key Stats

Top Wicket-Keeper Picks:  

• Kusal Mendis has scored three fifties in the tournament so far, but he’s failed to score when the team needed it the most. He averages 39.40 at a strike rate of 114.53 for his 197 runs. He will be the best option from the wicket-keeping section in fantasy cricket.

Key batter picks: 

• Pathum Nissanka has one hundred and one fifty to his name, and he has scored 208 runs in six games at an average of 41.60, striking at 152.90. However, nearly half of those runs came in one innings. He is capable of delivering here, though.
• Sahibzada Farhan has 283 runs infive5 innings at an average of 70.75 at a strike rate of 158.10, with two fifties and one century to his name. He’s currently the highest run-scorer of the tournament and has been the best batter for Pakistan. He will be a top C/VC choice for your fantasy teams.

Top all-rounder picks: 

• Saim Ayub has been in abysmal form with the bat, scoring just 70 runs in five innings. But he’ll bat at the top and bowl 3-4 overs consistently. So, he will fetch points, which makes him a good fantasy pick.
• Shadab Khan will be a key batter in the middle order for Pakistan, as he’s the only one except Farhan who has shown some signs of good batting form. He will bowl 3-4 overs too and will be a good C/VC option as well. He has 111 runs and five wickets so far in the tournament. 
• Kamindu Mendis has 114 runs at a strike rate of 175.38 and has picked up two wickets too. He has batted aggressively and is expected to bowl a few overs in this game. Mendis is a good player of spin bowling and will be a key batter for his side.

Key bowler picks: 

• Shaheen Shah Afridi picked up four wickets in the last game against England. He picked wickets with the new ball, which is his strength. He also used variations assessing the conditions in the death overs. Afridi can go through Sri Lanka’s shaky top order on his day. 
• Usman Tariq will be the player you can’t miss out on. He is a wicket-taker and has 10 wickets in four innings at an economy of 6.32 and a bowling strike rate of just 9.3 in the ICC T20 WC 2026. The conditions will suit him, and he’ll be an excellent C/VC choice.
• Maheesh Theekshana has 11 wickets in six games. He’s been the best bowler for Sri Lanka and will pose a threat to Pakistan’s struggling batting unit. The conditions will aid the spinners, and Theekshana can exploit that. 

Other Players to Consider for Your Fantasy Cricket Team 

• Dushan Hemantha
• Mohammad Nawaz
• Dushmantha Chameera
• Babar Azam

Other Matchups and Facts 

• Pakistan must win this game by 61 runs or in 13.1 overs to overcome New Zealand’s net run-rate and qualify for the semifinals. 
• Sahibzada Farhan has two fifties in six T20Is against Sri Lanka (196 runs, avg. 39.20, SR148.48).

ICC T20 World Cup 2026 50th Match: SL vs PAK Dream11 Prediction Today

Note: The below teams are not based on the final playing XIs. We may not be able to update these in time. Use the stats and commentary in this article, as well as your own instincts, to create your teams.

Option 1:

Option 2:

ICC T20 World Cup 2026 50th Match: SL vs PAK Match Prediction: Who will win?

Both teams have struggled with the bat so far and are heavily reliant on one or two batters to do the bulk of the scoring. Pakistan has more batting depth in their squad, and it can turn the game in their favour, especially considering the conditions. 

Pakistan to win.

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All statistics and matchups in this article have been verified by ESPNcricinfo, and Cricmetric.