England skipper Harry Brook produced a breathtaking rescue act with a 100 off just 51 balls to steer his side to a thrilling two-wicket win over Pakistan in their Super 8 Group 2 clash at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday. Promoted to No. 3 for the first time in his T20I career, Brook smashed 10 fours and four sixes, scoring 41 of England’s 53 Powerplay runs and almost single-handedly keeping his side in the hunt. His innings also made him the first England captain to score a T20 World Cup century.“Whenever we lose, it feels like he’s the one making the difference. But credit where it’s due – he batted brilliantly today. Hopefully, he saves some runs for the game against New Zealand. Especially in that kind of form, he plays all around the ground – 360 degrees – which makes it very challenging to set fields and execute plans. They were smart. They didn’t attack too hard, they just rotated the strike well,” said Salman Agha, reflecting on Brook’s dominance.

The chase began with drama as Shaheen Afridi removed Phil Salt for a golden duck and Jos Buttler under-edged the next delivery for just 2. Shaheen accounted for Bethell as well, finishing with 3 wickets in the Powerplay. But Brook weathered the storm, punishing spin and pace alike. He launched Mohammad Nawaz for 4, 4, and 6 in a single over and smashed Shadab Khan for a 96-metre straight six, effectively turning the contest on its head.“Started well with the bat, but we couldn’t finish the way we wanted. At the end of the day, you have to give credit to the opposition. The way Harry Brook batted was outstanding – he completely took the game away from us,” Agha said after the match, underlining the impact of Brook’s innings.Brook’s century helped England reach 166-8 in 19.1 overs, with Will Jacks adding 28 crucial runs. Pakistan’s Usman Tariq fought valiantly with two key wickets, but Brook remained unflappable, guiding his side to victory with just five balls to spare and securing England’s fifth consecutive men’s T20 World Cup semifinal berth.“It was a mixed surface, but I thought we bowled really well up front. Then Harry came in and played an outstanding innings. We threw everything at him, but he was simply too good for us today,” added Agha, summing up England’s performance and Brook’s match-winning display.Pakistan now need to beat Sri Lanka and hope for favourable results.

Team Pakistan (PTI Photo)

NEW DELHI: Pakistan’s hopes of reaching the T20 World Cup 2026 semi-finals took a hit after their loss to England, but they are still not completely out of the race.England chased down Pakistan’s 164-run target thanks to a brilliant century from captain Harry Brook, who scored 100 off 51 balls, helping his team qualify for the semi-finals on Tuesday.

Pakistan had earlier posted 164/9, with Sahibzada Farhan top-scoring with 63, while Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman added 25 each. England’s bowlers kept things tight, but Brook’s knock proved too strong. For Pakistan, Shaheen Shah Afridi took four wickets, but it wasn’t enough to stop England. With this result, England are through to the semis. Pakistan, however, have one point from two matches (one loss and one washed-out game) and still have a slim chance to qualify, depending on other teams’ results.

Super 8 Group 2 points table

For Pakistan to reach the semi-finals, a few things must go their way. First, Pakistan must beat Sri Lanka in their final Super 8 match. Then, they need New Zealand to lose both of their remaining matches. If that happens, Pakistan will move ahead on points and qualify. If New Zealand win one match and lose one, then qualification will come down to net run rate (NRR), meaning Pakistan will need to have a better scoring and bowling record than New Zealand. Any other combination of results will knock Pakistan out of the tournament. In short, Pakistan must win their last match and hope for favourable results from New Zealand’s games to stay alive in the World Cup.