Abu Dhabi, 24 September (|Sports Desk)
Toss: Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bat first Result: Pakistan won by 5 wickets (with 12 balls remaining) Player of the Match: Shaheen Shah Afridi (Pakistan) – 3/28 and a key role in the powerplay
In a high-stakes Super Fours clash that both teams desperately needed to win to keep their semi-final hopes alive, Pakistan edged out Sri Lanka by five wickets in a nervy chase at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium. Sri Lanka, batting first on a slow, turning pitch, managed a below-par total of 133/8, thanks to a gritty half-century from Kamindu Mendis. Pakistan’s bowlers, led by the pace of Shaheen Shah Afridi, strangled the innings after an early collapse, restricting the Lankans to just 63 runs in the last 10 overs.
Chasing 134—a target that seemed straightforward given the ground’s average first-innings score of 183—Pakistan imploded dramatically, slumping from 43/0 after five overs to 80/5 by the 12th. However, a composed, unbroken 58-run partnership between all-rounders Hussain Talat (32* off 30) and Mohammad Nawaz (38* off 24) steadied the ship. Nawaz’s late fireworks, including three sixes off Dushmantha Chameera in the 18th over, sealed a crucial victory that boosts Pakistan’s net run rate and keeps them in contention alongside India and Bangladesh. Sri Lanka, meanwhile, slipped to their second consecutive Super Fours defeat and now teeter on the brink of elimination, with their final hopes resting on other results.
Sri Lanka Innings: 133/8 (20 overs)
Sri Lanka’s innings got off to a disastrous start, losing their top three for just 53 runs in the powerplay. Captain Charith Asalanka’s decision to bat first backfired as Pakistan’s new-ball attack struck early. Shaheen Shah Afridi was the architect of the collapse, dismissing opener Pathum Nissanka (8) with a swinging yorker in the second over and then castling Kusal Mendis (12) with a searing inswinger three balls later. The left-arm pacer’s fiery spell (3/28) set the tone, exploiting the slight breeze and the pitch’s variable bounce.
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Kamindu Mendis (50 off 44 balls, 4×4, 2×6) provided the only resistance, anchoring the innings with a patient knock that included a crucial 40-run stand with Dasun Shanaka (18). However, regular strikes from Pakistan’s seamers—Hussain Talat (2/18) and Haris Rauf (2/37)—prevented any momentum. Wanindu Hasaranga (14) and Maheesh Theekshana (9*) added cameos, but the middle order’s fragility was exposed, with Sri Lanka managing only 10 boundaries in total. Abrar Ahmed chipped in with 1/25, his leg-spin turning the screws in the death overs.
| Batsman | Dismissal | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pathum Nissanka | b Afridi | 8 | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| Kusal Mendis | b Afridi | 12 | 10 | 2 | 0 |
| Kamil Mishara | c Haris b Rauf | 21 | 18 | 2 | 0 |
| Charith Asalanka (c) | c Talat b Talat | 15 | 14 | 1 | 0 |
| Kamindu Mendis | c Nawaz b Ahmed | 50 | 44 | 4 | 2 |
| Dasun Shanaka | run out (Agha) | 18 | 20 | 1 | 0 |
| Wanindu Hasaranga | c Zaman b Rauf | 14 | 12 | 1 | 0 |
| Dushmantha Chameera | not out | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Maheesh Theekshana | not out | 9 | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| Extras | (lb 2, w 2) | 4 | – | – | – |
| Total | 133/8 (20 overs) | 133 | – | 10 | 2 |
Fall of Wickets: 8-1 (Nissanka, 1.5 ov), 20-2 (Mendis, 3.3 ov), 53-3 (Mishara, 7.2 ov), 68-4 (Asalanka, 10.1 ov), 108-5 (Shanaka, 16.4 ov), 121-6 (Hasaranga, 18.1 ov), 122-7 (Mendis, 18.4 ov), 123-8 (Chameera, 18.6 ov)
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shaheen Afridi | 4 | 0 | 28 | 3 | 7.00 |
| Haris Rauf | 4 | 0 | 37 | 2 | 9.25 |
| Hussain Talat | 3 | 0 | 18 | 2 | 6.00 |
| Abrar Ahmed | 4 | 0 | 25 | 1 | 6.25 |
| Mohammad Nawaz | 2 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 6.00 |
| Faheem Ashraf | 3 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 4.00 |
Pakistan Innings: 138/5 (18 overs)
Pakistan’s chase began brightly, with openers Sahibzada Farhan (25 off 18) and Fakhar Zaman (20 off 15) racing to 43/0 in the powerplay, plundering six boundaries against Nuwan Thushara and Chameera. But complacency crept in on a pitch offering turn and grip, as Sri Lanka’s spinners came to the party.
Wanindu Hasaranga, fuming after a quiet first over, unleashed a fiery spell (2/27), clean-bowling Saim Ayub (15) with a googly and inducing a rash shot from Zaman to trap him lbw. Maheesh Theekshana (2/24) joined the party, dismissing Farhan and Salman Agha (5) with his variations, while Chameera (1/35) yorked Mohammad Haris (8). At 80/5 in the 12th over—with 53 needed off 48—Pakistan were staring down the barrel.
Enter Talat and Nawaz, who rebuilt with singles and smart rotation. Talat’s steady hand absorbed the pressure, while Nawaz accelerated, smashing two fours and three sixes, including a brutal over off Chameera that yielded 21 runs. The duo’s maturity turned a potential disaster into a statement win, finishing unbeaten to guide Pakistan home with Talat steering the ship and Nawaz providing the thrust.
| Batsman | Dismissal | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sahibzada Farhan | b Theekshana | 25 | 18 | 4 | 0 |
| Fakhar Zaman | lbw b Hasaranga | 20 | 15 | 3 | 0 |
| Saim Ayub | b Hasaranga | 15 | 12 | 1 | 1 |
| Hussain Talat | not out | 32 | 30 | 2 | 0 |
| Salman Agha (c) | c Mendis b Theekshana | 5 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Mohammad Haris (wk) | b Chameera | 8 | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| Mohammad Nawaz | not out | 38 | 24 | 2 | 3 |
| Extras | (lb 2, w 3) | 5 | – | – | – |
| Total | 138/5 (18 overs) | 138 | – | 13 | 4 |
Fall of Wickets: 43-1 (Zaman, 5.2 ov), 57-2 (Ayub, 7.4 ov), 62-3 (Farhan, 8.3 ov), 70-4 (Agha, 10.1 ov), 80-5 (Haris, 11.6 ov)
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nuwan Thushara | 4 | 0 | 32 | 0 | 8.00 |
| Dushmantha Chameera | 4 | 0 | 35 | 1 | 8.75 |
| Wanindu Hasaranga | 4 | 0 | 27 | 2 | 6.75 |
| Maheesh Theekshana | 4 | 0 | 24 | 2 | 6.00 |
| Dasun Shanaka | 1 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 9.00 |
| Kamindu Mendis | 1 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 10.00 |
Post-Match Reactions
- Salman Agha (Pakistan Captain): “The bowlers set it up perfectly, and Talat-Nawaz showed character. This win keeps us in the hunt—we needed that NRR boost.”
- Charith Asalanka (Sri Lanka Captain): “Early wickets hurt us, and we couldn’t capitalize in the middle. The spinners fought back, but it wasn’t enough. We’re not out yet, but we need a miracle.”
- Match Impact: Pakistan (1-1 in Super Fours) now eye a top-two finish, while Sri Lanka (0-2) face near-certain elimination unless Bangladesh upsets India on September 24.
This victory revives memories of their tense 2022 Asia Cup final, but Pakistan will hope for a smoother ride in the knockouts.
