Pakistan beat Sri Lanka to stay alive in Asia Cup

By our correspondent
Abu Dhabi: In a high-stakes encounter that swung like a pendulum, Pakistan overcame a dramatic middle-order collapse to defeat Sri Lanka by five wickets in their Super Four match of the Asia Cup 2025 on Monday night.
A match that looked firmly in Pakistan’s grasp nearly slipped away before Hussain Talat and Mohammad Nawaz staged a late rescue act to keep their side in contention for a place in the final.
Pakistan won the toss and elected to bowl first, capitalizing on the freshness of the pitch under lights. Their bowlers, led by Shaheen Shah Afridi, delivered early breakthroughs, reducing Sri Lanka to 40-3 within the powerplay.
Despite the early damage, Kamindu Mendis stood tall for the Lankan side, anchoring the innings with a composed 50. However, regular wickets at the other end meant Sri Lanka could only manage 133-8 in their 20 overs, a below-par total on a good batting surface.
Pakistan’s reply began positively, racing to 43-0 inside five overs with openers setting a strong foundation. But what seemed like a straightforward chase turned into a potential disaster as Pakistan lost four wickets for zero runs in the space of just 17 balls, collapsing from 57-0 to 57-4.
Sri Lanka’s spin duo of Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana exploited the pressure beautifully, causing panic in Pakistan’s middle order.
With Pakistan reeling at 80-5, the responsibility fell on the shoulders of Hussain Talat and Mohammad Nawaz. The pair showed remarkable composure, absorbing the pressure and rotating the strike efficiently.
Their unbroken 58-run partnership steered Pakistan to 138-5 in 18 overs, sealing the victory with 12 balls to spare. Nawaz finished with an unbeaten 38 off 24 balls, while Talat contributed a valuable 32*, earning him the Player of the Match award.
Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha praised his side’s fighting spirit:
“Losing four wickets so quickly was a shock, but the way Talat and Nawaz kept calm and brought us home shows great character.”
Sri Lanka’s captain, meanwhile, admitted his team was 15–20 runs short and couldn’t maintain pressure long enough to finish the job.
With this crucial win, Pakistan stay alive in the Asia Cup Super Four stage and will now look toward their final fixture to secure a spot in the final. For Sri Lanka, this loss severely dents their qualification hopes, and they now rely on other results to stay in contention.