In a thrilling Super 4 match, the defending champions Sri Lanka secured their spot in the Asia Cup final with a two-wicket victory over Pakistan. Kusal Mendis, with an impressive 91, and Sadeera Samarawickrama, who contributed 48, formed a solid partnership that laid the foundation. Charith Asalanka then showcased brilliance with an unbeaten 49, steering his team to a memorable win in a closely contested match.
Sri Lanka has reached the Asia Cup final for the 11th time, setting up a showdown with India, marking their second consecutive final appearance. In a rain-affected 42-overs-a-side match that concluded well past midnight, Sri Lanka successfully chased down a DLS-adjusted target of 252. Their middle-order heroes stepped up after Pakistan recovered from a shaky 130/5 to post 252, thanks to a remarkable partnership between Mohammad Rizwan (86 not out) and Iftikhar Ahmed (47).
However, Sri Lanka had some nail-biting moments in the last two overs before securing their spot in the final. Kusal Mendis played a crucial role in anchoring Sri Lanka’s innings after they lost Kusal Perera for 17 with the score at 20. Mendis partnered with Pathun Nissanka (29) to add 57 runs for the second wicket and then combined with Sadeera Samarawickrama (48) for an exact 100-run partnership for the third wicket, taking Sri Lanka to 177/2.
Although Samarawickrama fell short of his half-century, Mendis also narrowly missed a century, departing for 91, caught by Mohammad Haris off Iftikhar Ahmed. Mendis struck eight boundaries and one six in his impressive innings. Together with Samarawickrama, they built their partnership steadily, reaching both their 50 and 100 partnership milestones in 97 balls, keeping Sri Lanka on course. Remarkably, this was the second time that Mendis got out in the 90s during this Asia Cup.
After Mendis’s departure, skipper Dasun Shanaka could only manage 2 runs before falling while attempting a big hit. The match became an edge-of-the-seat thriller as Charith Asalanka’s nerves of steel guided the hosts to victory with an unbeaten 49. Although Sri Lanka lost a couple of wickets in one eventful Afridi over, needing seven runs off the last six deliveries. Zaman Khan was crucial in restricting Sri Lanka to six runs off 2, setting the stage for Asalanka’s heroics.
In the earlier part of the match, Pakistan found themselves in a tough spot as Fakhar Zaman departed early once again. Skipper Babar Azam and Abdullah Shafique steadied the innings, adding 64 runs for the second wicket, with Shafique reaching his half-century. However, left-arm spinner Dunith Wellalage dismissed Babar, putting Pakistan at 130/5 after 27.4 overs. Rain then interrupted play, changing the dynamics of the game. The ball became less responsive, and this worked to the advantage of Iftikhar and Rizwan, who displayed composure and played less risky shots, steering Pakistan through the challenging death overs. Their outstanding partnership added 108 runs for the sixth wicket, setting a new record for Pakistan’s highest partnership in the Asia Cup ODIs.
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