Pakistan opener Sahibzada Farhan created history in the must-win Super 8 clash against Sri Lanka in the T20 World Cup 2026, going past Virat Kohli to register the highest number of runs in a single edition of the tournament on Saturday.Kohli had scored 319 runs in six innings during the 2014 T20 World Cup, a record that had stood for years.

Farhan, however, overtook that mark with another fluent knock at a crucial time for Pakistan, emphasising his dream run in this year’s competition.The big moment came in a high-pressure game. Farhan amassed 100 off 60 balls, having racked up nine 4s and five 6s. And thanks to this innings, he now holds 383 runs, 64 more runs than Kohli’s tally, in a single edition of a T20 World Cup.Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka won the toss and chose to bowl first. While Sri Lanka were already out of the semifinal race, Pakistan still had a slim chance. To qualify, they needed not just a win but a massive 64-run victory to overtake New Zealand on net run rate.Pakistan made three changes to their playing XI, with Babar Azam, Saim Ayub and Salman Mirza missing out. Naseem Shah, Khawaja Nafay and Abrar Ahmed were drafted in. Sri Lanka also made two changes, bringing in Kamil Mishara and Janith Liyanage.Batting first, Pakistan got off to a blazing start. Farhan and Fakhar Zaman put together an unbeaten 150-run partnership in just 14 overs.Pakistan raced to 150 without losing a wicket, scoring at more than 10 runs per over. The powerplay itself yielded 64 runs, setting the tone for a strong total.With Farhan in record-breaking form and Pakistan off to a flying start, the team kept its semifinal hopes alive in style.

PAK vs SL Playing XIs

Pakistan: Salman Agha (c), Sahibzada Farhan, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Nafay, Usman Khan (wk), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Abrar Ahmed, Usman Tariq.Sri Lanka: Dasun Shanaka (c), Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara (wk), Charith Asalanka, Pavan Rathnayake, Kamindu Mendis, Janith Liyanage, Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushmantha Chameera, Dilshan Madushanka.

Pakistan players (PTI Photo)

NEW DELHI: Veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has stirred debate at the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 after urging Pakistan to make a bold selection call ahead of their must-win Super 8 clash against England in Pallekele on Tuesday. Taking to social media, Ashwin advised Pakistan to promote Fakhar Zaman to the middle order if they are serious about staying alive in the tournament.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!“If Pakistan are serious about this World Cup campaign, they need to think about giving Fakhar Zaman a go in the middle order,” Ashwin wrote on X. He emphasised Fakhar’s ability to counter England’s spin threat, particularly leg-spinner Adil Rashid and left-arm spinner Liam Dawson.

“He can sweep and use his feet against Rashid and Dawson to inflict some serious damage through the middle overs. This was Nepal’s success formulae against Rashid and there are some key learning’s that the other teams can try to imbibe. Access the square boundaries to earn balls in the step hit zone,” Ashwin added.Ashwin pointed to Nepal’s success against Rashid, even sharing a wagon wheel graphic to illustrate how accessing square boundaries and using footwork disrupted England’s control in the middle overs.The suggestion comes as spin is expected to dominate at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, where slowing surfaces have already influenced results. England’s spinners, supported by pacer Jofra Archer, played a decisive role in their commanding win over Sri Lanka, while their batting has found unlikely heroes.Despite inconsistent performances from senior players like Jos Buttler, England have continued to win, with captain Harry Brook backing his experienced core to deliver soon. Opener Phil Salt has also rediscovered form at a crucial time.Pakistan, led by Salman Ali Agha, face a far more precarious situation. Their opening Super 8 match against New Zealand was washed out, leaving them with little margin for error. While their spin attack offers variety, their batting has struggled for consistency beyond leading scorer Sahibzada Farhan.