Contrary to expectations, Pakistan have put up a stellar show in their final Super 8 fixture against Sri Lanka in Pallekele on Saturday (February 28). Put into bat, Salman Ali Agha's side needs to win by a margin by 65 runs to get their net run rate above that of New Zealand's, thereby ensuring a semifinal berth for the 2009 champions.
Riding on Sahibzada Farhan's majestic century and a fantastic 42-ball 84 from Fakhar Zaman, Pakistan posted a strong total of 212 off their allotted 20 overs. The openers put on a world record stand of 176 in T20 World Cup history off just 95 deliveries, and Pakistan were eyeing a total of 225-235 at that stage.
However, Zaman's dismissal saw an implosion from Pakistan's middle order and eventually, they ended with a total that's about 20 runs short of where they would wanted to be, particularly with the net run rate scenario. Supposing they qualify from here, how much money will Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), considering that Pakistan's knockout games will be in Colombo. Pakistan has to restrict Sri Lanka to 147 or lesser to qualify for the semifinal.
According to the hybrid model between BCCI, PCB and the ICC, Pakistan had all their matches of T20 World Cup 2026 in Sri Lanka and that trend will continue if they qualify. If Pakistan qualify, they play the semifinal in Colombo and the final will also be hosted there if they get that far.
If Pakistan feature in both knockout games, Sri Lanka Cricket stands to gain at least $3-4 million and this is without factoring the immense boost to the hospitality and travel sector. Especially if an India-Pakistan clash happens in the final.