Sports Desk
Pakistan grabbed a five-wicket victory over Sri Lanka on Tuesday in the crucial Super Fours match to keep hopes alive for advancing to the Asia Cup 2025 final.
Chasing a modest 134-run target on a challenging surface and testing conditions here, the Green Shirts eventually knocked the winning runs for the loss of five wickets and 12 balls to spare.
Pakistan got off to a decent start to the pursuit as their opening pair of Sahibzada Farhan and Fakhar Zaman yielded 45 runs inside the batting powerplay before both fell victim to Maheesh Theekshana in the sixth over.
Farhan scored 24 off 15 deliveries with the help of two sixes and a four, while Fakhar made a 19-ball 17.
Wanindu Hasaranga further added to Pakistan’s woes by dismissing Saim Ayub and captain Salman Ali Agha in consecutive overs, bringing the total down to 57/4 in 8.1 overs.
Wicketkeeper batter Mohammad Haris and Hussain Talat briefly stabilised the run chase with their 23-run partnership for the fifth wicket, but Dushmantha Chameera cleaned up the former in the 12th over to dent their recovery.
With the scoreboard reading 80/5 in 11.1 overs and a further 58 required off 53 deliveries, Mohammad Nawaz joined Talat, and the duo batted sensibly under pressure to steer their side over the line unbeaten.
Mohammad Nawaz top-scored for Pakistan with an unbeaten 38 off 24 deliveries, studded with three sixes and as many fours, while Talat made 32 not out from 30 balls, comprising four fours.
For Sri Lanka, Theekshana and Hasaranga bagged two wickets each, while Chameera could claim one.
Put into bat first, the defending champions managed to accumulate 133/8 in their allotted 20 overs despite Kamindu Mendis’s half-century.
Sri Lanka got off to a shaky start to their innings as Shaheen Shah Afridi dismissed both openers – Kusal Mendis (zero) and Pathum Nissanka (eight) – in his first two overs.
The 2022 champions, however, were in a comfortable position by the end of the batting powerplay as they had piled up 53 runs despite losing another wicket.
But Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha’s decision to bring Hussain Talat in pushed Sri Lanka to the back foot as the all-rounder struck twice in his first over, bringing the total down to 58/5 in 7.3 overs.
Following the slump, star all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga (15) joined Kamindu in the middle for a cautious 22-run partnership until getting cleaned up by Abrar Ahmed in the 13th over.
Kamindu, on the other hand, stood his ground firm and went on to score a fighting half-century for Sri Lanka. He was dismissed by Shaheen in the penultimate over, soon after he amassed the milestone.
The left-handed batter top-scored for Sri Lanka with a valiant 50 off 44 deliveries, smashing three fours and two sixes.
Shaheen was the standout bowler for Pakistan, taking three wickets for just 28 runs in his four overs, followed by Haris Rauf and Talat with two each, while Abrar chipped in with one.
