Sri Lanka secured their position in the T20 Tri-Series final by achieving a six-run victory over Pakistan on Thursday. This crucial win allowed Sri Lanka to edge out Zimbabwe to qualify for the final. The final will be a rematch against Pakistan, scheduled for November 29th at the same venue.
Sri Lanka’s Innings
After electing to bat first, Sri Lanka posted a competitive total of 184/5. The foundation of the innings was built by opener Kamil Mishara, who played a crucial knock of 76 off 48 deliveries. Sri Lanka started strongly, reaching 58/1 in the Powerplay, supported by an aggressive cameo from Kusal Mendis, who scored 40 runs, including six boundaries and a six. Pathum Nissanka was removed early by Salman Mirza for 8 runs in the third over. Mendis was dismissed by Abrar Ahmed. Although the innings lost momentum later, Janith Liyanage (unbeaten 24) and captain Dasun Shanaka (unbeaten 17) helped push the total by scoring 24 runs in the final two overs. Pakistan’s bowlers, including Salman Mirza and Abrar Ahmed, restricted the visitors to only 47 runs in the final five overs.
Pakistan’s Chase
Pakistan, who had already guaranteed their spot in the final by winning their first three matches, started their chase poorly, finding themselves in deep trouble at 43/4 inside the Powerplay. Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha led a resilient partnership with Usman Khan (33), adding 56 runs. After Khan’s dismissal, Mohammad Nawaz provided much-needed support to Agha with a “blistering cameo” of 26 off 17 balls. Nawaz was eventually caught by Hasaranga off Eshan Malinga in the penultimate over, ending his handy cameo.
Agha played a superb captain’s innings, achieving his career-best unbeaten 63 off 44 balls. Despite his efforts, Pakistan fell short, finishing at 178/7.
Chameera Seals the Victory
The match concluded in a nail-biting clash. With Pakistan needing 10 runs from the final over, pacer Dushmantha Chameera was tasked with defending the total and delivered a “brilliant spell”. Chameera, who was named Player of the Match, finished with figures of 4/20. He had earlier dominated the Powerplay with 3-3, taking crucial wickets including Sahibzada Farhan (9) and Babar Azam (a duck).
In the final over, Chameera conceded only three runs. He secured the victory by dismissing Faheem Ashraf toward long-on for his fourth wicket. Chameera stated that his plan was to bowl straight, wicket-to-wicket, and that he switched to yorkers because the dew made batting easier. The game ended when Chameera bowled a yorker to Mohammad Wasim, securing the six-run victory for Sri Lanka.
Captains’ Remarks
Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka expressed delight in the win and pride in the team’s performance and resilience. He praised Kamil Mishara for his “brilliant knock” and lauded Dushmantha Chameera and Wanindu Hasaranga as “world-class performers who delivered when it mattered”.
Pakistan skipper Salman Agha conceded that the total was “gettable,” particularly with the dew factor. However, he admitted that they “did not start well with either the bat or the ball” and lamented leaking too many runs and losing too many wickets in the Powerplay. Agha stated that while it was good to spend time in the middle, he “would have been happier if he had finished the game”.