Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by 5 runs in a thriller but exits from T20I World cup on net run rate

 

For long stretches on Saturday, it was difficult to tell whether this was a World Cup match or a mathematics examination. Pakistan appeared to walk onto the field with calculators firmly in hand. This was a do-or-die encounter for them, and the permutations were relentless. With England defeating New Zealand earlier, a narrow window to the semifinals in Super Eight Group 2 had reopened for Pakistan. But despite throwing everything they had into the contest, Salman Ali Agha’s side failed to crack the decisive equation. Even before the match ended, Pakistan’s World Cup campaign effectively came to a close.

The decisive moment arrived in the 16th over of Sri Lanka’s chase, when their score crossed 147. That single figure sounded Pakistan’s death knell. With that, the semifinal ticket was sealed for New Zealand, who will now play at Eden Gardens on Wednesday, in what promises to be a marquee occasion at cricket’s much-loved venue.

Batting first in a match of enormous consequence, Pakistan piled up an imposing 212 for 8. The innings was shaped by a commanding performance from openers  Sahibzada Farhan and Fakkar Zaman . The equation was clear and unforgiving: to overtake New Zealand on net run rate, Pakistan needed a victory by at least 65 runs. With that target in mind, Farhan and Fakhar Zaman began with unrestrained intent.

From the outset, the openers dismantled the Sri Lankan attack, maintaining a run rate in excess of ten an over. Both batted through the first 16 overs, by which time Pakistan had raced to 176. Fakhar fell for a fluent 84 studded with imperious hits , but Farhan carried on to complete a superb century, scoring 100 off just 59 balls. At one stage, a total beyond 230 looked well within reach. However, once the openers were dismissed, the momentum stalled dramatically. No other batter reached double figures, and Pakistan managed only 36 runs from the final 25 balls.

In reply, Sri Lanka lost Pathum Nissanka early, dismissed for 3 by Naseem Shah. Kamil Mishara and Charith Asalanka attempted to rebuild, but both were removed before they could fully settle. With Sri Lanka five down for 101, Pakistan sensed an opening.

Yet the contest refused to follow a simple script. Pawan Rathnayake produced a defiant innings, striking 58 from 37 balls and keeping Sri Lanka in the hunt. With every boundary he struck, New Zealand’s hopes quietly strengthened, knowing that Pakistan needed Sri Lanka restricted well below 147 to stay alive. That hope evaporated in the 16th over, when Dasun Shanaka nudged a single to take the score past the dreaded “magic figure.”

What followed was a stunning late assault. Shanaka unleashed a breathtaking counterattack, smashing 76 from just 30 deliveries. In the final over, he hammered Shaheen Afridi for a four and three consecutive sixes, dragging Sri Lanka to the brink of an improbable victory. With 28 required off the over and six needed from the final ball, the impossible almost became reality. But the last delivery eluded Shanaka and was surprisingly not called wide , and Sri Lanka finished on 207 for 6.

Pakistan won the match by five runs, but it was a hollow triumph. They needed a 65-run victory; they managed just five. On Wednesday, New Zealand will take the field at Eden Gardens for the semifinal, while Pakistan are left to reflect on a campaign where effort was undeniable, but the numbers simply refused to add up.