Pakistan National Cricket Team Vs Sri Lanka National Cricket Team Standings: Pakistan beat Sri Lanka but miss out on T20 World Cup semis as New Zealand progress
Pakistan National Cricket Team Vs Sri Lanka National Cricket Team Standings mattered in Super 8s Group 2 at Pallekele, where Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by five runs but were still eliminated as New Zealand sealed a semi-final spot on net run-rate. The result left Pakistan out of the last four despite a century and a record opening stand that briefly put them in control.
Super 8s Group 2 in Pallekele — result and tournament consequences
The match, played in the T20 World Cup Super 8s, Group 2 at Pallekele, finished with Pakistan beating Sri Lanka by five runs. That victory was not enough for Pakistan to qualify for the semi-finals, because New Zealand clinched second place in Group 2 on net run-rate to advance to the last four. Sri Lanka had already been eliminated before the game.
Batting fireworks: Sahibzada Farhan, Fakhar and Pakistan's 212-8
Pakistan posted 212-8, underpinned by Sahibzada Farhan's century and a record-breaking opening stand of 176 with Fakhar for the first wicket. Farhan's tournament form was historic: he broke the record for most runs in a single edition of the men's T20 World Cup during this campaign. The 212-8 total set a challenging target for Sri Lanka.
Selection moves and captain Salman Ali Agha's assessment
Pakistan made notable selection changes for the match, dropping Babar, Ayub and Mirza and bringing in Nafay, Naseem and Abrar. Captain Salman Ali Agha reflected on the contest and the tournament, saying that losing the toss made conditions challenging because of dew and that the team had not batted well in the tournament except for Sahibzada Farhan, who had batted exceptionally well. He singled out Usman Tariq as having "an off-day" despite otherwise strong form, described middle-order batting as an ongoing concern for a few years, and suggested the side needed to sit down and look at that department.
Sri Lanka's chase, toss decision and Dasun Shanaka's response
Sri Lanka, who had already been eliminated, won the toss and chose to bowl. Captain Dasun Shanaka said the contest was closer at the end but praised the final delivery by Shaheen Afridi, describing it as well bowled. Shanaka called their campaign a tough one, apologised to the fans because the team "fell down, " and noted that missing two key bowlers had been a big loss; he expressed hope those bowlers would return soon and do well for Sri Lankan cricket.
Broadcast notes, nearby highlights and the Super 8s schedule ahead
Radio commentary was carried for the game and readers were invited to use the page's "Get Involved" button to share views. A separate written report by Timothy Abraham was available for those wanting more detail. Match coverage also included a highlights package headlined "Pakistan win a blockbuster contest in Kandy, " while the live match report referenced a visual post that could not be displayed in some browsers and suggested enabling Javascript to view it.
Attention now turns to the final block of Super 8 matches: coverage will return on Sunday at 04: 15 ET (09: 15 GMT) for a session that begins with South Africa versus Zimbabwe and concludes with a winner-takes-all encounter between India and West Indies.
