Rain washes out Pakistan-New Zealand Super Eight clash in Colombo

Overview of R. Premadasa Stadium in Sri Lanka showing the stadium covered to protect the pitch from rain ahead of the Pakistan VS New Zealand match on February 21, 2026. (@TheRealPCB/X)
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Updated 21 February 2026
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Rain washes out Pakistan-New Zealand Super Eight clash in Colombo

  • Match was abandoned without a ball bowled amid heavy rain
  • Both teams shared one point each in the opening Group 2 fixture

ISLAMABAD: Rain washed out Pakistan’s Super Eight match against New Zealand at the Twenty20 World Cup in Colombo on Saturday, with the Group 2 clash abandoned without a ball being bowled.

Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha had won the toss and elected to bat at the R. Premadasa Stadium, but persistent showers intensified and puddles formed on the covers and outfield, preventing the start of play.

“Rain has the final say in Colombo,” the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said in a post on X. “Our first match of the Super Eight stage has been abandoned without a ball bowled.”

Both teams earned one point each from the abandoned fixture, the opening match of the tournament’s second phase.

Pakistan had made one change to their lineup, recalling Fakhar Zaman in place of Khawaja Nafay, while New Zealand brought back regular captain Mitchell Santner along with Ish Sodhi and Lockie Ferguson.

Pakistan next face England on Tuesday in a clash between two former champions, while New Zealand take on co-hosts Sri Lanka on Wednesday.

With input from Reuters and AP
 


One dead, four injured as gas cylinder explosion triggers fire in Karachi building

Updated 22 February 2026
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One dead, four injured as gas cylinder explosion triggers fire in Karachi building

  • Fire triggered by gas cylinder explosion in Karachi’s Bismillah Residency in North Nazimabad area, say police
  • Many households in Pakistan rely on liquefied petroleum gas cylinders which are susceptible to gas explosions

ISLAMABAD: One person was killed while four others were injured in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi after a gas cylinder exploded, triggering a fire inside a residential building, police and rescue officials said on Sunday.

The fire was caused on Saturday night by a gas cylinder explosion at a flat in Bismillah Residency located in Karachi’s North Nazimabad area, Sindh Police said in a statement. Local media reports said the flat was located on the ninth floor of the high-rise building.

Rescue 1122 Sindh emergency service said its firefighters arrived shortly after the fire was reported and doused the flames on Sunday morning. It said all of the building’s occupants, except for the one person who was killed by the fire, were rescued.

“The child who died in the fire that broke out following a cylinder blast in a building has been identified as Burhan, son of Aoun, aged 15,” Rescue 1122 spokesperson said in a statement.

It said the injured included two women, one man and a four-year-old girl.

“All the injured were shifted to hospital after receiving immediate medical aid, and the rescue operation has been completed,” the spokesperson added.

This is the second such explosion to take place in Karachi in less than a week. At least 15 people were killed, including women and children, when a gas cylinder exploded in a residential building in the city’s Soldier Bazaar area on Thursday.

Most houses and apartment buildings in Karachi, like elsewhere in Pakistan, are supplied with natural gas for cooking. However, many households also rely on liquefied petroleum gas cylinders because of low natural gas pressure.

In July, a gas explosion following a wedding reception at a home in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, killed eight people, including the bride and groom.

A massive fire at a popular shopping mall in Karachi last month killed over 70 people.