T20 World Cup Super8: England into semi-finals, defeating Pakistan thanks to Brooks' one-man show.

Harry Brook, with an outstanding batting performance in the T20 World Cup Super 8 match between Pakistan and England held at the Pallekele Stadium, became the first captain in T20 World Cup history to score a century. His exceptional innings enabled England to become the first team to reach the semi-finals of the 2026 T20 World Cup tournament, while simultaneously putting Pakistan's chances of advancing to the next round at severe risk.

Although Shaheen Afridi, rejoining the team, performed well for Pakistan by taking 4 wickets, England, chasing a target of 165 runs with 5 balls remaining, lost several wickets irresponsibly in the latter part of the match but ultimately managed to secure victory.

Winning the toss on the spin-friendly Pallekele pitch, Pakistan opted to bat first and set a score. Sahibzada Farhan, who had carried the burden of Pakistan's batting throughout this tournament, was entrusted with a significant responsibility in this match as Saim Ayub and Salman Agha were dismissed quickly. Ayub was caught out while attempting to hit a Jofra Archer delivery, the ball striking the top edge of his bat, and in the very next over, Liam Dawson sent Agha back to the pavilion. This created an opportunity for Babar Azam, who came in at number 4, to make an impact, but it was Farhan who played the main role in scoring runs during the powerplay, hitting boundaries against Jamie Overton, Archer, and Dawson. Nevertheless, Babar also got off to a positive start, hitting two consecutive fours off Archer.

After the powerplay, Babar Azam faced significant difficulty against the English spinners. Adil Rashid, who had consistently threatened him in the past, once again put pressure on Pakistan's key batsman. As a result of this pressure, Babar, who had scored 25 runs off 24 balls, was bowled out attempting a massive shot off an Overton delivery. Fakhar Zaman, who then came to the crease, got off to a quick start, and together with Farhan, they each hit a six in an over bowled by Will Jacks. Opening batsman Farhan also managed to record his next half-century in this tournament.

At the end of the fifteenth over, Pakistan, at 112 runs for 3 wickets, was expected to reach an unassailable target for England with Farhan hitting consecutive sixes and fours off Overton. However, the nature of the match changed when Farhan (63 runs) was dismissed leg before wicket by Overton's next delivery. Although two sixes were hit in Rashid's over, England's bowlers consistently took wickets, keeping Pakistan under control. Dawson, who took 3 wickets for 24 runs, became England's most successful bowler, while Jamie Overton took 2 wickets for 26 runs. Thanks to some crucial runs scored by Shadab Khan in the latter part, Pakistan finished their allotted 20 overs with 164 runs for 9 wickets.

After England's reply innings began, the target of 165 runs seemed somewhat achievable. However, Shaheen Afridi, who had rejoined the team, delivered a powerful spell during the powerplay. Afridi dismissed Phil Salt for a duck on the very first ball of the match, and then also had Jos Buttler, who was in poor form, caught by the wicketkeeper. Jacob Bethell, who had scored 8 runs, was also caught out. Amidst this crisis, Harry Brook, batting at number 3, launched an extraordinary innings, scoring 41 runs during the powerplay alone. He started his innings by hitting a four and a six off Salman Mirza, and then launched a fierce attack on Mohammad Nawaz's deliveries in the final over of the powerplay.

Usman Tariq, a strong trump card for the Pakistan team, brought hope to Pakistan by taking a wicket in his very first over, leaving England's scoreboard at 58 for 4 wickets. However, England, with a deep batting lineup, never gave up on the match, and Brook's aggressive batting was a major reason for this. The English captain, dominating against the Pakistani spinners, played cautiously against Tariq while easily hitting boundaries off the other bowlers. Although Tariq later dismissed Sam Curran, Will Jacks, who had been unsuccessful with the ball, compensated with his batting, hitting sixes early in the innings.

Jacks and Brook together dispelled all fears and doubts about England's innings, with Jacks even hitting a six off Tariq, asserting his dominance. With a desperate need for a wicket, Salman Agha called Afridi to bowl his final over. However, Brook stepped forward and hit a massive six and then a four off Afridi, recording his maiden T20 International century (100 runs). Although Afridi (4 wickets for 30 runs) dismissed the English captain with an excellent yorker on the next ball, England only needed 10 more runs for victory by then.

Although victory in the match was assured, England's batsmen lost wickets irresponsibly in the final moments, leaving them needing 3 runs with 2 wickets in hand going into the last over. However, Jofra Archer hit a four off the very first ball of the final over, securing victory for England with 166 runs for 8 wickets in 19.1 overs.