Pakistan on Tuesday night defeated Sri Lanka by five wickets in a crucial Super Fours match of the Asia Cup.
After winning the toss, Pakistan opted to field first. Bowlers immediately took charge as Sri Lanka struggled to keep wickets from falling.
Kamindu Mendis fought back with a solid 50 while Chamika Karunaratne stayed unbeaten on 17, helping Sri Lanka post 133 for the loss of eight wickets in 20 overs.
Shaheen Shah Afridi led Pakistan’s attack with three wickets while Haris Rauf and Hussain Talat grabbed two each. Abrar Ahmed claimed one wicket.
Chasing a target of 134, Pakistan stumbled when the top order collapsed at 57 for the loss of four wickets. Sahibzada Farhan scored 24, Fakhar Zaman scored 17, captain Salman Ali Agha five and Saim Ayub scored just two runs. Mohammad Haris added 13 before returning to the pavilion.
Hussain Talat and Mohammad Nawaz then rescued the innings with a crucial 58-run partnership. Nawaz smashed 38 off 24 balls with three sixes and three fours while Talat anchored the chase with 32 off 30 balls, including four boundaries. Pakistan achieved the target with two overs to spare, sealing an important win to stay alive in the tournament.
Earlier, both Pakistan and Sri Lanka lost their opening Super Fours matches against India and Bangladesh, respectively.
Pakistan will play their must-win match against Bangladesh for a place in the final on Sept 25.
The final is scheduled forSept 28.