England was the first team to officially secure a spot T20 World Cup 2026 semi-final after a breathtaking two-wicket victory over Pakistan on 24 February 2026 at Pallekele. The match saw the England captain. Harry BrookeHe made history with his legendary performance that silenced the Pakistan bowling attack.
Chasing a competitive target of 165, England appeared to be in deep trouble earlier Shaheen Afridi At 35/3, he went through the top order, leaving them reeling. However, his sheer brilliance turned the game upside down as Brook single-handedly pulled his side back from the brink of defeat. For Pakistan, this defeat is a crushing blow that leaves their tournament hopes hanging by a thread, making the last match of the Super 8 a desperate win scenario.
T20 World Cup 2026: Sahibzade Farhan’s resilience and Liam Dawson’s spin stifle Pakistan’s might
Pakistan’s innings was the story of one lone batsman Sahibzade FarhanAnchoring the competitive side at 164/9 on a surface that offered a significant turnaround for the English spinners.
After being put into bat, Pakistan faced an immediate setback Jofra Archer removed Saim Ayub the second over followed quickly with the captain’s dismissal Salman Ali AghaHe stutters the ‘Men in Green’ at 42/2 in the Powerplay. Farhan, however, showed remarkable composure, carving out 63 off 45 balls, making good use of the elbow-length sweep stroke. Liam Dawson. Dawson was the pick of the English bowlers, finishing with brilliant figures of 3/24 while producing bounce and spin. Osman Khan and Muhammad Nawaz in rapid succession.
A collapse in the middle innings threatened to derail Pakistan completely, but a late, aggressive cameo Shadab KhanSmashing 23 from 11 balls, he gave the necessary impetus to surpass the score of 160. Despite the late bloomers, England’s death bowling remained disciplined. Jamie Overton He bowled brilliantly to take two wickets which prevented Pakistan from achieving a truly daunting total. The innings ended with Pakistan feeling perhaps 15 runs short, putting a huge burden on the pace battery to defend the total under lights.
Harry Brook’s historic ton and Jofra Archer’s nerve seal England’s semi-final spot.
The chase for 165 got off to a near disastrous start for England as Shaheen Afridi produced a masterclass in swing bowling. Phil Salt and If Buttler in the first seven balls of the innings. Then captain Brooke came out and played what many are calling the greatest captain’s knock in T20 World Cup history.
Brook scored a sensational 100 off 51 balls and particularly liked his pace. Salman Mirza and rotation Shadab Khan and Osman TariqHit 10 boundaries and 4 massive sixes to maintain a strike rate close to 200. The century, the first by a captain in the tournament’s history, had killed off the game until it saw Pakistan claw their way back into the contest with three wickets in four deliveries.
With England needing four runs from the final over and Sahin exhausting his quota with figures of 4/30, the tension was palpable. Jofra Archer went to the crease with only two wickets remaining. Archer showed an ice-cold temperament and smashed Salman Mirza’s length ball to the boundary with one ball at mid-off to win the game. The win sparked jubilant scenes in the England camp, while Pakistan’s players were devastated on the pitch, knowing their semi-final hopes now depended on a complex web of mathematical probabilities.
Here’s how the fans reacted:
50-top-100, single-handedly halving your team, that’s what dreams are made of! Harry Brook played well 👏👏
PS: SA vs Axar and Pak drop Abrar for this game. Truly surprising and costly tactical mistakes.#PAKvENG #T20WorldCup— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) February 24, 2026
H Brook now at 3 makes me think it’s possible.. #ICCT20WorldCup .. Here are the shots that prove that we are a genius in the ranks of the England team ..
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) February 24, 2026
What a night for Harry Brooke!
He has single handedly destroyed Pakistan – is this the end for Pakistan?#PakvsEng #ICCT20WorldCup2026— Vikrant Gupta (@vikrantgupta73) February 24, 2026
England became the first team to qualify for the semi-finals. Harry Brook’s bat action at No. 3 won the game for them.
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) February 24, 2026
Harry Brooke – weird
— Kevin Pietersen🦏 (@KP24) February 24, 2026
This is a brilliant face from Harry Brook.
100 (51) got his side under the pump to take them to the semi-finals of the World Cup.
Serious courage was also shown considering the setup of this tournament.
— Yas Rana (@Yas_Wisden) February 24, 2026
Take a bow, Harry Brooke. He treated Pakistan’s attack with disdain that our tourists were (rightly) consuming Icelandic fermented shark.
— Iceland Cricket (@icelandcricket) February 24, 2026
Strange strokes with a strange slant. This was pure class from Harry Brooke. An incredible shot, but also such a tactical shot. The ultimate show stealer #T20WorldCup
— Bharat Sundaresan (@beastieboy07) February 24, 2026
Harry Brooke, what a genius. Best thing bro.
— Silly Point (@FarziCricketer) February 24, 2026
LEADER. Match winner. STAR. 🌟🔥
Harry Brooke writes the captain’s masterpiece 👑
100 (51) 🏆💥 to walk away with the POTM trophy#HarryBrook #Pakistan #England #T20WorldCup #T20WorldCup2026 #cricket pic.twitter.com/PpuvTrfrpP
— CricketTimes.com (@CricketTimesHQ) February 24, 2026
Also READ: T20 World Cup 2026: Faheem Ashraf not playing in today’s PAK vs ENG Super 8 match.
