Why Khawaja Nafay is Not Playing Today in PAK vs NZ T20 World Cup Match?

The ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 has reached the Super 8 stage where the first game is scheduled between Pakistan and New Zealand at the R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo. There pitch was covered before the toss which means that the match is likely to be affected by rain.

But at the toss, it was Pakistan who won and decided to bat first. Captain Salman Ali Agha revealed that the wicketkeeper-batter Khawaja Nafay was left out of the match against New Zealand. The batter got to play just a single match against Namibia and is now dropped from the team.

Why Khawaja Nafay is Not Playing Today Against New Zealand?

Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha didn't mention any reason behind Khawaja Nafay's snub. But, they included Fakhar Zaman in the playing XI as Khawaja Nafay replacement which means that they have strengthened their batting department.

The Pakistan cricket team struggled to chase against India and since this Super 8 match is extremely crucial, they have decided to bring in an experienced batter in the form of Fakhar Zaman, who has played several match-winning knocks during the course of his career.

Pakistan will need to put a mammoth total on the board after batting first. The Kiwis are one of the best cricket teams in the world and anything below 180 runs won't be difficult.

NZ have some of the best T20 batsmen like Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Rachin Ravindra, who are in-form players. Pakistan have a good bowling lineup and their spinners will be key in this in the PAK vs NZ T20 World Cup match.

What Will Happen if PAK vs NZ T20 World Cup 2026 Match is Abandoned?

The Pakistan vs New Zealand match is affected by rain and the start has been delayed. It started raining right after the toss and since then, the ground is covered. If the rain is persistent, the match officials will wait for 90 minutes to ensure a 5-over match can be played.

If all the possibilities are ruled out, the match will be abandoned. Then, both teams will get one point each which is definitely not a good sign since both teams will face Sri Lanka and England in their next matches.

Pakistan will take on England on February 24 and then will play against Sri Lanka on February 28. On the other hand, the Kiwis will play Sri Lanka on February 25 and then meet with England on February 27.