Harry Brook smashed 100 off 51 balls to guide England to a thrilling win over Pakistan in the T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8. His match-winning knock under pressure sealed a semifinal berth and was hailed as one of the best innings of the tournament.
England white-ball captain Harry Brook delivered a match-winning performance with the bat in the team’s thrilling eight-wicket win over Pakistan in the T20 World Cup 2026 Group 2 Super 8 clash at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy on Tuesday, February 24.
England became the first to qualify for the semifinal after their second consecutive win in the tournament, earlier defeated Sri Lanka. With a 166-run target, the two-time champions chased it down with five balls to spare in the final over. Harry Brook led the batting with a brilliant knock of 100 off 51 balls, including 10 fours and 4 sixes, at a strike rate of 196.08. Will Jacks chipped in with a crucial innings of 28 off 23 balls.
Earlier, Liam Dawson-led bowling attack restricted Pakistan to 164/9, despite Sahibzada Farhan’s 63-run knock. Dawson registered figures of 3/24 at an economy rate of 6 in his spell of four overs. Jamie Overton (2/26) and Jofra Archer (2/32) picked four wickets together to secure England’s win.
Related Articles
Brook’s Measured Knock was on Display
Before the Super 8 against Pakistan, Harry Brook’s batting approach was under scrutiny as he registered the scores of 17,4, 14, and 14 in the last four matches against West Indies, Scotland, Italy, and Sri Lanka. However, the England captain stepped up for the side and delivered when it mattered the most.
Brook was left in a tricky position as England collapsed to 58/4 in 7.1 overs in the 166-run chase, but he remained under pressure and anchored the innings. Harry Brook formed a crucial 45-run stand for the fifth wicket with Sam Curran before the latter’s dismissal for 18 at 103/5. Thereafter, the England captain was joined by Will Jacks at the crease to carry on the team’s run chase.
The duo steadied England’s ship and built a momentum-shifting partnership, with Brook taking charge of the run chase by playing a measured innings, mixing caution with calculated aggression. While batting on 90, Brook smashed a six and four off Shaheen Afridi to complete his first century of the T20 World Cup in just 50 balls, batting at a strike rate of 200.
Right after scoring a century, Harry Brook was dismissed by Afridi, ending his spectacular performance, putting the team on the brink of victory. However, England went into a brief panic mode following a mini-collapse, with the dismissals of Will Jacks and Jamie Overton (0), and they were reduced to 161/8, needing 4 runs off 7 balls to win.
When England required 4 off six balls to win, Jofra Archer held his nerve and smashed the winning boundary to seal a dramatic two-wicket win, confirming England’s place in the T20 World Cup semifinals.
Harry Brook’s Captain Knock Earns Massive Praise
Harry Brook’s captain knock grabbed the attention of the fans and cricket enthusiasts around the world as they were left impressed by the way the England skipper approachedthe high-pressure chase with maturity and composure. From stabilizing the innings after a top-order collapse to accelerating at the right moments, Brook showcased leadership of the highest order.
Taking to their X handles (formerly Twitter), fans and cricket enthusiasts lavished praise on Brook for his performance, calling it ‘’knock of the World Cup’, with many comparing it to Virat Kohli’s iconic MCG innings at the T20 World Cup 2022, and praising his composure, fearless strokeplay, and captaincy under pressure.
Others described Brook’s knock as a career-defining, dream-crushing masterclass that sealed England’s spot in the semifinals and showcased his generational talent.
In the T20 World Cup 2026, Harry Brook is the leading run-getter for England with 202 runs, including a century and a fifty, at an average of 33.66 and a strike rate of 172.64 in six matches.
In his T20I career, Brook has amassed 1270 runs, including a century and 6 fifties, at an average of 30.97 and a strike rate of 155.44 in 61 matches.
