Pakistan Vs Sri Lanka: Relive the Super 8 drama as Pakistan win but miss out on T20 World Cup semis

In a Super 8s Group 2 encounter described across coverage of the tournament, pakistan vs sri lanka produced a dramatic finish: Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by five runs, but that victory was not enough to lift them into the T20 World Cup semi-finals because New Zealand clinched second place in the group on net run-rate. The match was staged as part of the T20 World Cup Super 8s in Pallekele, with other pages also describing the contest as a blockbuster in Kandy.

Pakistan post 212-8 as Sahibzada Farhan scores a century

Pakistan posted 212-8, powered by Sahibzada Farhan's century. Farhan made 100 in the innings and combined with Fakhar to 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 with 383 runs.

Pakistan Vs Sri Lanka: toss, chase and the five-run margin

Sri Lanka, who had already been eliminated from progression, won the toss and elected to bowl. In their chase Sri Lanka passed 148, and the match ended with Pakistan beating Sri Lanka by five runs. Despite Sri Lanka's late push, New Zealand sealed the semi-final spot from Group 2 on net run-rate and advanced to the last four.

Selection changes and team calls: Pakistan's XI shuffle

For the match Pakistan changed personnel, dropping Babar, Ayub and Mirza and bringing in Nafay, Naseem and Abrar. Captain Salman Ali Agha reflected on the conditions and selection choices, saying losing the toss made things challenging because of the dew and that it was a good pitch. He singled out Usman Tariq as having an off day, called out that only Sahibzada Farhan had batted exceptionally well for Pakistan in the tournament, and said the team's batting — particularly the middle order — has been a concern for a few years and needs a review.

Captain reactions: Salman Ali Agha and Dasun Shanaka on the campaign

Salman Ali Agha said his side couldn't execute plans because of dew, that they had batted well for 18 overs and that in 20 overs the opposition will have two good overs; he suggested that scoring 10–15 more could have made a difference but that even 160 would have been challenging. Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka described it as a closer game at the end, praised the final bowling to Shaheen Afridi, called the campaign tough and apologised to supporters. Shanaka added that Sri Lanka had been missing two key bowlers, which he called a big loss for their World Cup hopes, and expressed hope those players will return soon for the team.

Coverage notes, interactive features and what's next in the Super 8s

Radio commentary was available on the match page and readers were invited to have their say using a 'Get Involved' button. A data visualisation on the page could not be displayed in some browsers; users were advised to enable JavaScript or try a different browser. Readers were also directed to Timothy Abraham's report for more detail. Coverage indicated that the final block of Super 8 matches would follow on Sunday at 04: 15 ET, with South Africa facing Zimbabwe first and then a winner-takes-all contest between India and West Indies.