Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by five wickets in Asia Cup Super Fours match

The triumph successful Abu Dhabi sends Pakistan 2nd connected the Super Fours points array portion Sri Lanka are each but out.

Pakistan person kept live their hopes of qualifying for the last of the T20 Asia Cup 2025 with a five-wicket win implicit Sri Lanka successful Abu Dhabi.

Both teams went into the important Super Fours lucifer knowing a nonaccomplishment successful the crippled connected Tuesday would enactment them connected the verge of elimination from the determination cricket tourney hosted by the United Arab Emirates.

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Pakistan began their pursuit of 134 successful near-perfect mode erstwhile openers Sahibzada Farhan and Fakhar Zaman shared a 45-run partnership.

Farhan, successful particular, was the much belligerent of the 2 arsenic helium scored 24 runs disconnected 15 balls earlier falling to the off-break bowling of Maheesh Theekshana successful the sixth over.

Zaman, who was deed connected the caput by a bouncer from Dushmantha Chameera successful the archetypal over, was not his accustomed quick-scoring aforesaid and followed Farhan 2 balls aboriginal erstwhile his attempted slog done the covers was caught brilliantly by a diving Wanindu Hasaranga.

After Theekshana’s double-wicket over, it was leg-spin bowler Hasaranga who returned with the shot successful manus to haunt Pakistan. He took 1 wicket apiece successful his archetypal and 2nd overs arsenic Pakistan’s procession continued.

Saim Ayub, Salman Agha and Mohammed Haris were dismissed successful speedy succession by Hasaranga and Chameera, leaving the 2012 Asian champions successful a tricky spot and 54 runs distant from victory.

It was past down to all-rounders Hussain Talat, whose batting against India was heavy criticised, and Muhammad Nawaz to instrumentality Pakistan location against the skilful Sri Lankan bowling attack.

Talat scored 32 disconnected 20 to calm Pakistan’s nerves. At the different end, Nawaz deed 38 disconnected 24 and ended the tally pursuit with 2 immense sixes disconnected Chameera to instrumentality Pakistan location with 2 overs to spare.

Pakistan’s fans observe their team’s triumph [Sajjad Hussain/AFP]

Earlier, Pakistan’s determination to vessel archetypal paid disconnected astir instantly erstwhile Shaheen Shah Afridi bowled retired Kusal Mendis connected the 2nd shot of the match.

He past dismissed Sri Lanka’s starring tally scorer, Pathum Nissanka, successful his 2nd implicit to permission the six-time champions reeling.

Kusal Perera and skipper Charith Asalanka enactment unneurotic a little concern earlier their dismissals.

Kamindu Mendis, batting astatine fig five, revived Sri Lanka’s innings with a 44-ball 50 and helped them station 133-8 successful 20 overs.

Afridi, who hasn’t been astatine his wicket-taking best, was the prime of Pakistan’s bowlers arsenic helium took 3-28 successful his 4 overs.

Fellow pacer Haris Rauf and Talat besides contributed with 2 wickets each.

Shaheen Shah Afridi celebrates the dismissal of Pathum Nissanka [Altaf Qadri/AP]

The triumph not lone brought Pakistan 2 much-needed points but besides a nett tally complaint (NRR) boost arsenic they moved up to 2nd spot with an NRR of 0.226, 2nd to India’s 0.689.

Bangladesh slipped from 2nd to 3rd and person an NRR of 0.121 portion Sri Lanka were pushed person to elimination with an NRR of -0.59 and zero points.

They volition present anticipation that Bangladesh bushed some India (on Wednesday) and Pakistan (on Thursday) by large margins. Sri Lanka would past anticipation to bushed holders India by an tremendous borderline connected Friday and instrumentality the 2nd finalist’s spot.

For Bangladesh, India and Pakistan, the equation is overmuch simpler arsenic a 2nd triumph for immoderate of the 2 teams would spot them done to the last connected Sunday.