Nawaz, Talat edge Pakistan past Sri Lanka to stay alive: 2025 Asia Cup S4 No 3 (Abu Dhabi)

In the Super Four stage of the 2025 Asia Cup, Pakistan defeated Sri Lanka by five wickets in a tense encounter at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.

Batting first, Sri Lanka struggled to post a competitive total, finishing on 133/8 in their 20 overs, with Kamindu Mendis top-scoring with a half-century. Shaheen Shah Afridi led the bowling attack with three crucial wickets, while Abrar Ahmed delivered an exceptionally economical spell of 4 overs for just 8 runs, setting a T20 Asia Cup record.

Pakistan’s chase was steady yet challenging as they slid to 80-5. Hussain Talat (32*) and Mohammad Nawaz (38*) rescued their side and guided them to 138/5 in 19.2 overs.

This victory kept Pakistan’s hopes alive for a place in the final, leaving Sri Lanka with an uphill task to advance further in the tournament.

Pakistan 138 for 5 (Nawaz 38*, Talat 32*, Theekshana 2-24, Hasaranga 2-27) beat Sri Lanka 133 for 8 (Kamindu Mendis 50, Afridi 3-28, Talat 2-18, Rauf 2-37) by five wickets.

Sept 2025.