Abu Dhabi: Pakistan stayed in the hunt for a place in the Asia Cup 2025 final after beating Sri Lanka by five wickets in a tense Super Four clash at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium on Tuesday night.
Chasing 134, the Men in Green were wobbling at 82 for 5 before Hussain Talat and Mohammad Nawaz put together a match-winning stand. Talat, later named Player of the Match, anchored the innings with an unbeaten 58 off 41 deliveries, while Nawaz provided the fireworks with three towering sixes to take Pakistan home with 12 balls to spare.
“The plan was to attack, but I knew I had to settle in first,” Talat said afterwards. “It was tough in the humidity, but Nawaz finished brilliantly. Hats off to him.”
Earlier, Pakistan’s bowlers had set the tone. Shaheen Shah Afridi struck in his first over, removing both Sri Lankan openers to leave the opposition rattled. He finished with three wickets, while Talat’s two key breakthroughs including skipper Charith Asalanka kept Sri Lanka in check. Haris Rauf and Abrar Ahmed chipped in as the Lions were restricted to 133 for 8.
Sri Lanka’s middle order crumbled under pressure, with Wanindu Hasaranga and Dasun Shanaka departing cheaply. Despite a few late boundaries, their total never looked imposing.
Captain Salman Ali Agha praised his bowlers for delivering in a must-win game but admitted the batting unit had issues. “It wasn’t perfect. We lost too many wickets early. That’s something we need to fix,” he said, while crediting the impact of newly appointed Australian fielding coach Shane McDermott.
Sri Lanka’s captain Asalanka conceded his side were outplayed. “We thought the surface was good for us, but Pakistan bowled and fielded exceptionally well. They deserved the win,” he said.
What the Win Means
The victory lifted Pakistan to second place in the Super Four table on net run rate, edging out Bangladesh and keeping their qualification hopes alive. With India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh still in contention, the race for the September 28 final remains wide open.
Pakistan will face Bangladesh on September 25 in a clash that could decide their fate, while India meet Bangladesh on the 24th before closing against Sri Lanka on the 26th.
For now, Pakistan have given themselves a fighting chance and rediscovered some momentum as the tournament enters its decisive week.
