India vs Pakistan T20 World Cup 2026 final booked and sealed

Teams have been finalized for the Super 8 round of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka. India, Zimbabwe, South Africa, West Indies, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, England, and New Zealand will not battle for the top four spots in the tournament.

Super 8 line-up confirmed for T20 World Cup 2026

While India, Zimbabwe, South Africa, and the West Indies are kept in Group A, Pakistan, England, New Zealand, and Sri Lanka are placed in Group B for the Super 8s in the tournament. This round will kick off with Pakistan facing New Zealand on February 21 in Colombo.

Ahead of the Super 8 stage, former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali was asked by the former captain Shoaib Malik to pick the semifinalists for the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026 from Group A and Group B during a segment on ARY News’ show ‘Har Lamha Purjosh.'

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Basit Ali put on the spot on the live show

Firstly, Basit mentioned how ICC kept the undefeated teams from the group stage in Group A, while the teams that had lost one game in that round were kept in Group B for the Super 8 stage. To which, Shoaib joked that the Super Six round is not in the schedule.

Still, Basit refused to pick the semifinalists, as he wanted to watch the first Super 8 clash between New Zealand and Pakistan. But after being forced to complete the task, the former Pakistan selector and coach directly picked the finalists for the T20 World Cup 2026.

Basit Ali predicts India vs Pakistan final

Basi said on the show, "India and Pakistan. I am telling you, these two teams will play the final.”

However, Malik said Basit went too far, as the Super 8 round has not yet begun. Eventually, Basit picked India and the West Indies from Group A and Pakistan and New Zealand from Group B as his semifinalists for the tournament. He was confident that India will play in the final.

Speaking during the same discussion, Kamran Akmal also picked his semifinalists. However, he made only one change to Basit’s prediction. Kamran picked South Africa over the West Indies, while the rest of the teams - Pakistan, New Zealand, and India - were the same.

Basit Ali on the T20 World Cup 2026 final.

"Pakistan and India will play the final together."pic.twitter.com/hTODPsZwcj

— Salman. (@TsMeSalman) February 19, 2026

Super 8 format sparks massive controversy

Meanwhile, the Super 8 format has created a huge controversy, and the ICC is facing strong backlash. Fans noticed a big imbalance in the groups. All four group winners - India, Zimbabwe, West Indies, and South Africa - have been placed together in one Super 8 group.

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The other group has only runners-up - Pakistan, Sri Lanka, England, and New Zealand. This happened because the ICC fixed team positions before the tournament started through a pre-seeding system. Many believe this format does not reward teams that finished first.

Two group winners will now be knocked out before the semi-finals, while a runner-up could get an easier path to the top-4. South Africa topped their group but still ended up in a tough position due to pre-decided rankings.

Fans also feel final group matches lost excitement because placements were already fixed. Sri Lanka may even have to travel to India for the semi-finals despite being co-hosts. ICC stressed that scheduling across two countries forced them to make this decision.