Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by 5 wickets
Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by five wickets to clinch the match. Pakistan chased down a target of 134 runs to defeat Sri Lanka by five wickets in a crucial Asia Cup Super Four match, completing the chase in 18 overs.
Batting first, Sri Lanka managed 133 for 8 in their allotted 20 overs. Kamindu Mendis top-scored with a resilient 50 runs.
Pathum Nissanka added 20, while Perera and Hasaranga chipped in with 15 runs each. Pathum Nissanka fell for 8, and Kusal Mendis was dismissed without scoring. Chamika Karunaratne remained unbeaten on 17.
Pakistan’s bowling attack kept firm control of the innings. Shaheen Shah Afridi starred with 3 wickets, while Haris Rauf and Hussain Talat bagged 2 each. Abrar Ahmed also claimed one wicket.
Hasaranga and Abrar share a warm moment after fiery Asia Cup clash
Rivalry turned to respect as Wanindu Hasaranga and Abrar Ahmed swapped celebration styles, then hugged after Pakistan’s Asia Cup match against Sri Lanka.
Earlier, Abrar dismissed Hasaranga and mimicked the Sri Lankan’s trademark pose.
Later, when Hasaranga struck against Pakistan, he replied with Abrar’s celebration. Even so, the contest ended in smiles.
The two leading spinners met at the finish, exchanged warm greetings, and showed the crowd what sportsmanship looks like. In other words, the on-field heat stayed on the field.
Moments like this remind fans that cricket’s spirit, competition first, respect always, matters as much as any wicket or run.
Sahibzada Farhan completes 1500 T20 runs in 2025
Pakistan cricket team opener Sahibzada Farhan has completed 1,500 T20 runs in the year 2025.
In the Super Four stage of the T20 Asia Cup, he scored 24 off 15 balls against Sri Lanka and crossed the milestone before getting out.
Farhan has played 35 innings in 2025 to reach 1,500 runs, becoming the fourth Pakistani batter to achieve this in a single year.
Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shan Masood have also done so; Babar achieved it three times (2019, 2021, 2024), Rizwan in 2021 and 2022, and Shan in 2022.
This year, Farhan has represented Pakistan, Peshawar Region, and Islamabad United in T20 cricket.
23 runs in 5 T20is: Is it time to end the Saim Ayub experiment?
Saim Ayub is fast becoming a weak link in Pakistan’s T20 batting: 23 runs in his last five innings, including three ducks and a 2 today, simply isn’t good enough for a top-order slot.
His shot selection in the powerplay looks muddled, and he’s not converting starts which also comes rarely these days into anything meaningful.
That said, he does chip in with a few decent overs with the ball, which offers some utility but not enough to offset his batting slump at this level.
Unless there’s an immediate turnaround, Pakistan should consider a replacement or push him out of the top order.
Sri Lanka give Pakistan 134-run target
Sri Lanka’s innings began on a shaky note as Shaheen Shah Afridi struck early, removing both openers, Kusal Mendis for a duck and Pathum Nissanka for eight, within his first two overs.
Despite the early setbacks, the defending champions regained momentum by the end of the power play, reaching 53 runs while losing three wickets.
However, Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha’s bowling change paid off immediately when Hussain Talat dented Sri Lanka’s progress with two quick strikes in his opening over, leaving them reeling at 58/5 in 7.3 overs.
Amid the collapse, Wanindu Hasaranga (15) partnered with Kamindu Mendis for a cautious 22-run stand before being bowled by Abrar Ahmed in the 13th over.
Kamindu, meanwhile, stood firm and anchored the innings, reaching a gritty half-century.
He eventually fell to Shaheen in the penultimate over, shortly after completing his fifty off 44 balls, which included three fours and two sixes.
For Pakistan, Shaheen was the pick of the bowlers with 3/28 in his four overs. Haris Rauf and Hussain Talat claimed two wickets apiece, while Abrar Ahmed contributed with one.
Pakistan win toss against Sri Lanka
Pakistan won the toss against Sri Lanka and chose to field.
Pakistan to face Sri Lanka in Asia Cup clash
Pakistan will face Sri Lanka today in the 15th match of the Asia Cup 2025.
The match will take place at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. The game began at 7:30 PM local time.
Pakistan squad
Salman Ali Agha (c), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Waseem Jnr, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Afridi, Sufyan Moqim.
Sri Lanka squad
Charith Asalanka (c), Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Kusal Perera, Nuwanidu Fernando, Kamindu Mendis, Kamil Mishara, Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dunith Wellalage, Chamika Karunaratne, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushmantha Chameera, Binura Fernando, Nuwan Thushara, Matheesha Pathirana, Janith Liyanage.
Read more: PCB files complaint with ICC over Fakhar Zaman’s dismissal
