Pakistan won’t qualify for semi-finals, predicts Virender Sehwag: ‘Prayers won’t work this time’ | T20 World Cup 2026
Virender Sehwag predicts Pakistan will not qualify for the semi-finals, citing their batting struggles. He believes winning by a large margin or chasing down a target is unlikely.
Pakistan won’t qualify for the semi-finals, predicts Virender Sehwag. The Indian cricket legend made the comments during a discussion on Cricbuzz.
Cricbuzz discussed Pakistan’s qualification scenario. If Salman Ali Agha’s team bat first and score 160 runs, they need to win by 60+ runs. To this, Sehwag commented: “That is not going to happen.”
If Pakistan are chasing and Sri Lanka score 160, they must win with 40+ balls remaining. “That is also not going to happen,” Sehwag added.
When asked to clarify, Virender Sehwag said, “It is not that easy for Pakistan. The prayers were accepted, and England won. But, the prayers of their people are not going to work for Pakistan. They have been praying for so long, and it has not worked. So, I do not think this is possible. If they somehow qualify, very good.”
“If they score 160 and then win by 60 runs, Sri Lanka would have to play extremely poor cricket. They would need to be bowled out for around 90, which is not possible,” Sehwag added.
Virender Sehwag, however, believes that it is more likely for Pakistan to secure the ‘perfect win’ while chasing. According to the former India captain, while winning with 40 balls remaining is possible, Pakistan’s batting is not strong enough to finish it in 13.2 overs.
“Forget about making 160 that fast, Pakistan are not even making 160 in 20 overs consistently. How will they make 160 in 14 overs? That is why I’m saying the prayers of their people were only for England, and those worked,” Sehwag said.
Manoj Tiwary on Pakistan’s chances
Manoj Tiwary was also a part of the discussion about Pakistan’s qualification scenario in the T20 World Cup 2026. While the former cricketer mostly agreed with Sehwag, he still thought there was a chance
“The kind of cricket Sri Lanka have played in the last 2 matches gives a slight ray of hope. After Fakhar Zaman’s arrival, Sahibzada Farhan could get a supporting hand. Farhan has not scored only against India, he has scored against everyone else and is currently the highest run-getter,” the cricketer-turned-politician said.
“If these two batters fire while chasing in the second innings, there seems to be at least some possibility of winning. Apart from that, they will have to play overall good cricket,” the West Bengal Sports Minister said.
According to Tiwary, if Pakistan ask Usman Tariq to bowl after 12 or 13 overs, they are making a big mistake. Pakistan should use the spinner effectively to ensure the win.
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