T20 World Cup: Super Eights group explainer and what Black Caps need to do to reach semi-finals

The Twenty20 World Cup moves into the Super Eights stage this weekend as the likes of Canada, Italy, Nepal and Australia head home to let the big boys decide who lifts the cricketing trophy. Here’s an explainer on what happens next following pool play.

What are the two Super Eights groups?

Group 1: India, West Indies, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

Group 2: Sri Lanka, Pakistan, New Zealand and England.

Oddly, Group 1 is made up of four beaten teams who topped their pools, while Group 2 is all the pool runners-up. This is because the ICC (International Cricket Council) seeded teams heading into the tournament so that India and Sri Lanka would have to schedule home games - and Pakistan would avoid trips to India.

Do the teams carry over points from the pool stage?

No. Unlike in previous World Cups, where Super groups meant previous wins in pool play meant something, at this World Cup points aren’t carried over. All the Super Eights stage teams start again on zero points, with the top two sides advancing to the semi-final. That means Zimbabwe’s win over Sri Lanka was all for nought.

Wait, where are Australia?

The Ashes winners failed to advance out of the pool stage following defeats to Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. They do play Oman tomorrow morning, which we can call a ninth-10th plate playoff.

What is the Black Caps’ schedule for the Super Eights stage?

Sunday February 22 2.30am v Pakistan, Colombo

Thursday February 26 2.30am v Sri Lanka, Colombo

Saturday February 28 2.30am v England, Colombo

What are the chances the Black Caps advance?

They’ll need two wins out of three, putting no results aside, to make the semi-finals. New Zealand have the disadvantage of playing all their tournament matches up until this point in India. The Black Caps haven’t played a T20 in Sri Lanka since November 2024, a 1-1 series result with the hosts, but it’s been much longer since an appearance at Colombo’s R. Premadasa Stadium. New Zealand last played a T20 there in 2009.

Pakistan toured New Zealand last March, with the Black Caps winning the series 4-1, but Pakistan have the conditions in their favour, having played all their games so far in Colombo.

They then face the tough assignment against co-hosts Sri Lanka, who are coming off a defeat to Zimbabwe, while England haven’t been convincing in their wins over Italy, Scotland and Nepal after losing to the West Indies.

Cameron McMillan has been a sports journalist since 2003 and is NZME’s deputy head of sport.