Pakistan’s bowlers lit up the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, dismantling Sri Lanka’s batting lineup in a crucial Super 4 clash of the Men’s T20 Asia Cup. With both teams desperate for a win after early losses, skipper Salman Agha chose to bowl first, and his side delivered a masterclass to hold Sri Lanka to just 133 for 8 in 20 overs.
The action kicked off with pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi on fire right from the start. He struck on the second ball of the first over, as Sri Lanka opener Pathum Nissanka flicked a delivery straight to short mid-wicket. Afridi wasn’t done— in his next over, he claimed another wicket, sending back the dangerous Nissanka for 8 off 7 balls, caught by Mohammad Haris. Suddenly, Sri Lanka were reeling at 18 for 2.
Haris Rauf joined the party in the third over, getting Kusal Perera to mishit a full delivery, with Faheem Ashraf taking a sharp catch. By the end of the powerplay at six overs, Sri Lanka had crawled to 53 for 3, thanks to Charith Asalanka’s 20 off 19 balls, including a four and a six off Rauf. But the pressure kept building.
Things went from bad to worse in the eighth over when all-rounder Hussain Talat grabbed two quick wickets—first the Sri Lankan skipper, then the explosive Dasun Shanaka, who had smashed a fifty against Bangladesh in their previous Super 4 game. Sri Lanka tumbled to 58 for 5, teetering on the edge of a total under 100 on a pitch that actually favored batting.
Spinner Abrar Ahmed kept things tight in the middle overs, conceding just 8 runs and snaring one wicket with his clever variations. Wanindu Hasaranga survived a hat-trick threat but fell soon after, trying to slog a wrong’un from Abrar that spun back to crash into the stumps for 15 off 13.
Kamindu Mendis stood tall amid the collapse, crafting a gritty half-century—50 off 44 balls with three fours and two sixes. He shared a 43-run stand with Chamika Karunaratne for the seventh wicket, pushing Sri Lanka past 100. But Afridi returned in the 19th over to wrap up his three-wicket haul, trapping Mendis lbw with a yorker-like toe-crusher. DRS overturned the umpire’s not-out call, leaving Sri Lanka’s lower order to scramble to their modest total.
Pakistan’s mix of sharp seam bowling and smart spin, combined with some shaky Sri Lankan shots, turned what could have been a decent chase target into a tough ask. Now, the pressure shifts to Pakistan’s batsmen in this do-or-die T20 Asia Cup showdown.
Brief scores: Sri Lanka 133/8 in 20 overs (Kamindu Mendis 50, Charith Asalanka 20; Shaheen Shah Afridi 3-28, Hussain Talat 2-18, Haris Rauf 2-37) vs Pakistan.
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