Pakistan Vs Sri Lanka — Pakistan win in Pallekele but miss out on T20 World Cup semis as New Zealand progress
In the Super 8s Group 2 match at Pallekele, pakistan vs sri lanka produced a dramatic finish: Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by five runs, but New Zealand sealed the second semi-final spot in the group on net run-rate and Pakistan were eliminated.
Pakistan Vs Sri Lanka: Farhan century and a record opening stand
Pakistan posted 212-8, with Sahibzada Farhan making 100. Farhan and Fakhar put on a record-breaking 176 for the first wicket. Farhan also broke the record for most runs in a single edition of the men's T20 World Cup, finishing the tournament on 383.
Selection changes before the match and the batting debate
The Pakistan side made notable selection changes, dropping Babar, Ayub and Mirza and bringing in Nafay, Naseem and Abrar. Captain Salman Ali Agha said losing the toss made the contest more challenging because of the dew, and called the pitch good. He said restricting Sri Lanka to 148 would be difficult and that if he had won the toss it might have been a different story.
Salman Ali Agha also accepted execution problems, noting Usman Tariq had had an off-day despite being exceptional at other times. He singled out Sahibzada Farhan as the only batter who had performed exceptionally during the tournament and said the middle order had been a recurring concern over several years. He added that Pakistan had batted well for 18 overs but that scoring another 10–15 runs could have changed the result, and conceded even 160 would have been challenging.
Sri Lanka chase, toss decision and Shanaka's reaction
Sri Lanka, who had already been eliminated from semi-final contention, won the toss and chose to bowl. In the chase Sri Lanka passed 148 but fell five runs short as Pakistan held on for the win.
Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka described the finish as close and acknowledged the late breakthrough — "well bowled to Shaheen Afridi at the end" — that decided the match. He called it a tough campaign, apologised to the fans for the team’s shortcomings and pointed out that Sri Lanka were missing two key bowlers, a loss he said had been significant for their World Cup hopes. Shanaka said he hoped those bowlers would return soon and do well for Sri Lankan cricket.
New Zealand advance on net run-rate; Super 8s schedule to conclude
Despite Pakistan's victory, New Zealand clinched second place in Group 2 on net run-rate and advanced to the last four, which meant Pakistan were eliminated from the tournament. The coverage directed readers to a report by Timothy Abraham for fuller match detail.
The Super 8s schedule will conclude with a final block of matches on Sunday at 09: 15 GMT. The day opens with South Africa versus Zimbabwe, followed by a winner-takes-all encounter between India and West Indies.
Match takeaways and closing notes
The match combined individual milestones and squad questions: Sahibzada Farhan’s century and tournament run record contrasted with Pakistan’s continued concern over its middle order and selection changes that saw Babar, Ayub and Mirza omitted for Nafay, Naseem and Abrar. Sri Lanka’s elimination, the absence of two key bowlers and Dasun Shanaka’s assessment of a tough campaign rounded out a match that, while a victory on the day for Pakistan, was not enough to move them into the semi-finals.
