Pakistan Vs Sri Lanka: Pakistan win but miss T20 World Cup semis as New Zealand progress
In the Super 8s Group 2 match at Pallekele, pakistan vs sri lanka finished with Pakistan winning by five runs, but the victory was not enough to qualify them for the T20 World Cup semi-finals; New Zealand clinched second place in Group 2 on net run-rate to advance to the last four.
Pakistan post 212-8 thanks to Sahibzada Farhan and Fakhar partnership
Pakistan reached 212-8, led by Sahibzada Farhan's century. Farhan made 100 and combined with Fakhar to put on a record-breaking 176 for the first wicket, a stand that powered Pakistan's total. 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: chase falls short at Pallekele
Sri Lanka, who had already been eliminated from the tournament, won the toss and elected to bowl. They pushed past 148 in their chase but ultimately fell five runs short, handing Pakistan the match win that nevertheless left Pakistan out of the semi-finals. New Zealand's net run-rate advantage meant they progressed to the last four despite Pakistan's victory.
Captains on the day: Salman Ali Agha on dew and selection, Dasun Shanaka on missing bowlers
Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha said losing the toss made things challenging because of the dew and that it had been a good pitch. He said restricting Sri Lanka to 148 was always going to be difficult and that had he won the toss the match might have played out differently. Agha added that dew affected execution, and that Usman Tariq had an off-day despite previously strong form.
Agha was candid about Pakistan's tournament batting, singling out Sahibzada Farhan as the lone exceptional performer and describing the middle order as an ongoing concern. He said Pakistan batted well for 18 overs but missed out on 10–15 extra runs that might have changed the outcome and that even a total of 160 would have been challenging.
Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka called it a close finish and praised the bowling that ended the game, saying it was well bowled to Shaheen Afridi at the end. Shanaka described the campaign as tough, apologised to the fans for Sri Lanka's performance, and noted the team had been missing two key bowlers — a loss he called significant for their World Cup hopes — adding he hoped those players would return soon and do well for Sri Lankan cricket.
Team changes, upcoming Super 8s block and how coverage wrapped up
For this match Pakistan made several changes, dropping Babar, Ayub and Mirza for Nafay, Naseem and Abrar. With Pakistan eliminated, attention turned to the final block of Super 8 matches: coverage said it will return on Sunday at 04: 15 ET for the last block, with South Africa facing Zimbabwe first and then a winner-takes-all encounter between India and West Indies.
Readers were invited to make their views known using the 'Get Involved' button on the match page, and to listen to live radio commentary at the top of the page. Coverage closed with the note "That's all from us, " and a reminder to read Timothy Abraham's report for more detail.
Highlights and headlines referenced Kandy and T20WC 2026
Other match coverage included a headline that described the game as a "blockbuster contest in Kandy" and referenced the T20WC 2026 and the Men's T20 World Cup, 2026 in its match-highlights framing.
