Pakistan pulled off a nervy chase to beat Sri Lanka by five wickets in the Asia Cup clash at Abu Dhabi. The victory leaves Sri Lanka on the brink of elimination after their second consecutive defeat.
Pakistan 138 for 5 (Nawaz 38*, Talat 32*, Theekshana 2-24, Hasaranga 2-27) beat Sri Lanka 133 for 8 (Kamindu Mendis 50, Afridi 3-28, Talat 2-18, Rauf 2-37) by five wickets
Mohammad Nawaz and Hussain Talat starred with an unbroken 58-run stand off 41 balls, rescuing Pakistan from a mid-innings collapse. Chasing a modest target of 134, Pakistan slipped from 43/0 in five overs to 80/5 by the 12th over. But the pair stayed calm and took Pakistan home with just 11 balls left.
Talat finished unbeaten on 32 off 30, while Nawaz smashed 38 off 24 balls, sealing a crucial win. Sri Lanka’s bowling attack, led by Maheesh Theekshana, Wanindu Hasaranga, and Dushmantha Chameera, failed to stop the late surge.
Shaheen Afridi Sets the Tone Early
Pakistan took advantage of bowling first. Shaheen Shah Afridi struck twice in the powerplay, removing Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Perera. He finished with 3 wickets, while Faheem Ashraf also found swing early.
Sri Lanka managed 53 in the powerplay, but Pakistan squeezed them after the first six overs. Talat chipped in with two quick wickets, removing Charith Asalanka and Dasun Shanaka in one over. From there, Sri Lanka’s scoring dried up.
Kamindu Mendis was the lone bright spot, scoring 50 off 44 balls as Sri Lanka limped to 133/9.
Talat and Nawaz Calm the Chase
Pakistan started the chase strongly with a 45-run opening stand between Sahibzada Farhan and Fakhar Zaman. However, Theekshana’s double strike in the last over of the powerplay, including a spectacular catch from Hasaranga, shifted momentum back to Sri Lanka.
Pakistan’s middle order faltered. By the time Dushmantha Chameera bowled Mohammad Haris, Pakistan still needed 54 runs with five wickets down.
From there, Talat and Nawaz took control, rotating strike and punishing bad balls. Nawaz went big in the death overs, smashing Hasaranga and Chameera for three sixes to seal victory.
Sri Lanka’s Asia Cup Hopes Fading
With this loss, Sri Lanka are on the verge of elimination. They now rely on Bangladesh beating India to stay alive in the tournament. Pakistan, on the other hand, strengthened their chance of reaching the final with this gritty win.
🔥 Key Stats:
- Shaheen Afridi: 3 wickets
- Talat (bat + ball): 32* & 2/18
- Mohammad Nawaz: 38* off 24
- Kamindu Mendis: 50 off 44
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