Pakistan wins thrilling match against Sri Lanka at T20 World Cup

Pakistan Falls Short of Semifinal Spot Despite Win Over Sri Lanka

In a Group Two Super Eights match, Pakistan secured a five-run victory over Sri Lanka at Pallekele Stadium on Saturday. The win was not enough to secure the second semifinal qualifying spot for Pakistan, as they needed to surpass New Zealand’s net run-rate.

Pakistan’s batting lineup produced a record 176-run opening stand between Sahibzada Farhan and Fakhar Zaman, who scored 100 and 84 respectively off 60 and 42 balls. The team went on to post a total of 212-8 in their allotted overs.

Sri Lanka was restricted to 147 or less to make the last four, but they managed to score 207-6, narrowly missing out on a victory. Pavan Rathnayake scored 58 and Dasun Shanaka hit an unbeaten 76 off 31 balls, including three consecutive sixes in the final over.

Farhan became the first player to score two centuries in the same T20 World Cup, achieving this feat with a 60-ball 100. He also surpassed India’s Virat Kohli’s record of 319 runs in the tournament, with an aggregate of 383 runs.

Madushanka was the best bowler for Sri Lanka, taking 3-33. Pakistan’s previous highest total at a T20 World Cup was 201-5 against Bangladesh in 2016. The team will now have to wait and see if they can pip New Zealand into the semifinals.

Source: Al Jazeera