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Scintillating half-centuries from skipper Dasun Shanaka and Pavan Rathnayake went in vain as co-hosts Sri Lanka ended their ICC T20 World Cup campaign on a disappointing and winless note, losing to Pakistan by five runs in a thriller at Pallekele on Saturday.
With this loss, Sri Lanka, who had a fine group stage with three wins and a loss, ended their Super Eight stage without a win. On the other hand, even though Pakistan won, they could not restrict Sri Lanka to 147 or fewer runs, thus unable to climb over New Zealand's net-run-rate and failing to seal their semifinal spot. The first semifinal between New Zealand and 2024 T20 WC runners-up South Africa for March 4 has been sealed and will take place at Kolkata's Eden Gardens. Coming to the match, Sri Lanka won the toss and opted to bowl first, but the 176-run stand between Sahibzada Farhan (100 in 60 balls, with nine fours and five sixes) and Fakhar Zaman (84 in 42 balls, with nine fours and four sixes) made them regret it. However, after breaking this partnership, Dilshan Madushanka (3/33), skipper Dasun Shanaka (2/42), and Dushmantha Chameera (1/48) restricted Pakistan to just 212/8 when they were looking good enough for a 220-230-plus score. Farhan made history, overtaking Indian batting icon Virat Kohli for most runs in a single edition of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup and also becoming the first-ever batter to score two centuries within the same edition of the prestigious T20I tournament. He joined West Indies legend Chris Gayle in the elite list for most individual centuries in T20 World Cup history, with two each. However, the difference is that both of Sahibzada's centuries have come in a single T20 World Cup edition. Only Babar Azam (3) has more hundreds for Pakistan in T20Is. In seven matches and six innings this tournament, Sahibzada has scored 383 runs at an average of 76.60, with a strike rate of 160.25, including two centuries, two fifties and a best score of 100*. He overtook Virat's run tally of 319 runs in the 2014 edition of the tournament. Sahibzada also joined Australian legend Matthew Hayden (four fifty-plus scores in the 2007 edition), Virat Kohli (four fifty-plus scores in the 2014 and 2022 editions), and Babar Azam (four fifty-plus scores in the 2021 edition) for the most fifty-plus scores in a single T20 World Cup edition. The right-hander has smacked 18 sixes in the tournament so far, the most in a single T20 WC edition, outdoing West Indies star Nicholas Pooran's 17 sixes during T20 World Cup 2024. Also, his partnership of 176 runs with Fakhar Zaman for the first wicket today is the highest in the history of the T20 World Cup, outdoing the 175-run stand put up by New Zealand stars Tim Seifert and Finn Allen against the UAE in this edition. During the run-chase, Naseem Shah sealed the early wicket of star batter Pathum Nissanka, whose lean Super Eight run continued, for a score of just three runs. Kamil Mishara (26 in 15 balls, with four boundaries and a six) and Charith Asalanka (25 in 18 balls, with a four and two sixes) played crucial knocks, but fell to Abrar Ahmed (3/23), and SL was reduced to 101/5 in 12 overs. Rathnayake (58 in 37 balls, with four boundaries and three sixes) had a 61-run stand with his skipper Shanaka, who was looking in sublime touch. During the final over, SL needed 28 runs, and Shanaka looked to finish it off with a four and a hat-trick of sixes to Shaheen Shah Afridi. But the Pakistani left-armer managed to bowl two dot balls, depriving SL of a well-deserved win. Shanaka was left unbeaten at 76* in 31 balls, with two fours and eight sixes. (ANI)
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