In a do-or-die match in the Asia Cup 2025 Super Four stage, Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by five wickets with two overs remaining after a close contest at one point. Hussain Talat and Mohammad Nawaz’s promising 58-run partnership kept their team’s hopes alive to play the final. With this win, Pakistan reassured their determination to keep on track and confirmed their spot for the final after facing consecutive losses at the hands of India in the ongoing tournament. After providing a stable start, openers Sahibzada Farhaan and Fakhar Zaman returned to the pavilion. Wanindu Hasaranga loaded the team Pakistan with a sudden prostration when he lost two back-to-back wickets, including the captain, Salman Agha. Chasing a target of 134 runs, Green Shirts lost their five wickets on the score of just 80 runs. At a point, it looked like Sri Lanka was going to steal the show, before Hussan Talat and Mohammad Nawaz decided to hold the innings, keep clinching runs, fending off the pressure, and eventually winning the game for their team. Hussain Talat scored 32 runs, while Mohammad Nawaz played a showstopper knock of 38 runs, smashing three sixes to Dushmantha Chameera in a single over, finishing the match in style. Sri Lanka could only manage to post 133 runs on the board in the first innings as Pakistan bowlers Shaheen, Talat, and Haris devitalise the Lankan batting line-up. Half of the Sri Lankan team had been sent back to the pavilion on the score of just 58 runs as Pakistan pacers delivered a spectacular performance. The slow but stabilising fifty by Kamindu Mendis helped Sri Lanka in preventing a total collapse. Shaheeh Shah grabbed three wickets, showing his revitalising skills to turn the match upside down. Haris Rauf and Hussain Talat also bagged two wickets each. Pakistan captain Salman Agha won the toss and opted to bowl first, keeping Abu Dhabi’s conditions in mind as the team were stepping first on this ground in the Asia Cup. Team Pakistan retained all the players who played the recent match against India in Dubai, which they lost by six wickets. Pakistan will now face Bangladesh on September 25, in their third Super Four match. Beating Bangladesh, too, could make Pakistan entitled to play the final. Winning today’s match was vital for the national team because, in the case of defeat, Pakistan could have been eliminated from the tournament.
Asia Cup 2025: Pakistan defeat Sri Lanka as Nawaz and Talat shine
