Pakistan's ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 campaign ended in heartbreak on Saturday, February 28, as the team was eliminated from the tournament despite a thrilling five-run victory over Sri Lanka at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy.

The result means New Zealand advance to the semi-finals on superior net run rate, joining England, South Africa, and the winner of Sunday's India versus West Indies clash in the final four. For Pakistan, it marks a second consecutive T20 World Cup where they have failed to reach the knockout stages, a bitter pill to swallow for a cricket-mad nation.

The match itself was a spectacle of aggressive batting, headlined by opener Sahibzada Farhan's magnificent century. Farhan, who has been the standout performer of this tournament, smashed 100 off just 60 deliveries, striking nine fours and five towering sixes in the process. His knock was not just match-defining but historically significant. Farhan became the first player in T20 World Cup history to register two centuries in a single edition of the tournament, having already struck a hundred earlier in the competition.

During his extraordinary innings, Farhan also surpassed Virat Kohli's long-standing record for the most runs scored by a batter in a single T20 World Cup edition. Kohli had set the benchmark during the 2014 tournament, a record that had stood for over a decade before Farhan dismantled it with characteristic flair.

Farhan's opening partnership with Fakhar Zaman proved equally historic. The duo put on 176 runs off just 15.5 overs, setting a new record for the highest opening partnership in T20 World Cup history. Fakhar contributed a blistering 84, complementing Farhan's assault perfectly as Pakistan posted an imposing 212 for 8 from their 20 overs. Sri Lanka's Dushmantha Chameera and Dilshan Madushanka led the resistance with the ball, the latter claiming three wickets for 33 runs.

In reply, Sri Lanka mounted a spirited chase. Captain Dasun Shanaka played a captain's innings of 76 not out, while Janith Rathnayake added a valuable 58, keeping Sri Lanka in the hunt until the final overs. Leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed was Pakistan's hero with the ball, picking up three crucial wickets for 23 runs. Sri Lanka ultimately fell short at 207 for 6, giving Pakistan the win but by a margin too slim to overtake New Zealand's net run rate.

Pakistan needed a comprehensive victory to leapfrog the Black Caps in the Group 2 standings. England had already sealed top spot by winning all three of their Super Eight matches, beating Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and New Zealand. The equation for Pakistan was clear heading into their final match: win big or go home. Despite Farhan's heroics, a five-run margin simply was not enough.

The semi-finals are scheduled for March 4 and 5, with the first at Eden Gardens in Kolkata and the second at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The final will be held on March 8 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. England and New Zealand will represent Group 2 in the knockouts, while South Africa from Group 1 have already secured their spot.

For Farhan, the tournament has been a personal triumph despite the collective disappointment. His record-breaking performances have announced him as one of the most exciting talents in world cricket, and the cricketing world will remember this edition as the one where a young Pakistani opener rewrote the history books, even as his team's campaign ended in agonizing fashion.