Riding on fine performances from Hussain Talat, Mohammad Nawaz and Shaheen Afridi, Pakistan registered a hard-fought five wicket-win over Sri Lanka in a low-scoring Super 4 match of Men’s T20 Asia Cup at Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.
Chasing a modest total of 134 runs, Talat and Nawaz came together with Pakistan struggling at 80/5 and shared an unbeaten 58-run stand as helped their team cross the victory line with 12 balls to spare.
The victory revived Pakistan’s hopes of reaching the Asia Cup 2025 final after they had suffered an embarrassing six-wicket defeat to India on Sunday. On the other hand, Sri Lanka must regroup quickly to keep their hopes alive.
After being taken apart by Indian openers Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill, Pakistan’s bowlers bounced back strongly on Tuesday, tightening the screws on Sri Lanka’s batting line-up. Led by pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi’s 3 for 28, the Pakistan attack restricted Sri Lanka to 133 for 8 in their 20 overs.
Details Of Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Asia Cup 2025 Match
After electing to field, Pakistan’s attack struck in the opening over when Shaheen Shah Afridi dismissed Kusal Mendis for a duck. Afridi then removed Pathum Nissanka and Kamindu Mendis to finish with 3 for 28, spearheading a pace unit that claimed seven of the eight wickets to fall.
Hussain Talat provided the perfect foil, returning 2 for 18 and maintaining a tight line through the middle overs. Leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed’s 1 for 8 from four overs, including 16 dot balls, added further squeeze.
Sri Lanka never fully recovered from losing three wickets inside the powerplay. The lone bright spot was a 43-run partnership between Kamindu Mendis and Chamika Karunaratne, which steadied the innings. Mendis compiled a patient 50 from 44 balls, but with 60 dot deliveries in total, the hosts were restricted to 133/8.
Pakistan’s reply began briskly with 45 runs from the opening stand of Sahibzada Farhan (24) and Fakhar Zaman (17). Wanindu Hasaranga (2/27) sparked a brief wobble at 57/4, yet the game swung decisively when Hussain Talat (32 off 30) and Mohammad Nawaz (38 off 24) added 58 in 41 balls. Their composed partnership ensured Pakistan crossed the line at 138/5 in 18 overs.
For his decisive all-round impact, tight bowling figures and a match-winning partnership Hussain Talat was named Player of the Match.
Brief scores: Sri Lanka 133/8 in 20 overs (Kamindu Mendis 50, Charith Asalanka 20; Shaheen Shah Afridi 3-28, Hussain Talat 2-18, Haris Rauf 2-37) lost to Pakistan 138/5 in 18 overs (Mohammad Nawaz 38 not out, Hussain Talat 32 not out; Maheesh Theekshana 2-24, Wanindu Hasaranga 2-27) by 5 wickets.