Asia Cup: Sri Lanka stun Pakistan in final to lift title

Pakistan suffered a batting collapse as the Lankans restricted them to 147 all out in 20 overs

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Sri Lankan team with the winning trophy. Photo: M Sajjad
by

Rituraj Borkakoty

Published: Sun 11 Sep 2022, 9:53 PM

Last updated: Sun 11 Sep 2022, 10:59 PM

With a stirring all-round performance, Sri Lanka beat Pakistan by 23 runs to win the DP World Asia Cup title at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.

Chasing 171, Pakistan suffered a stunning batting collapse as the Lankans restricted them to 147 all out in 20 overs for their sixth Asia Cup title.

Earlier Sri Lanka, after being put into bat, staged a brilliant fightback to make 170 for six in 20 overs.

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Bhanuka Rajapaksa (71 not out off 45 balls) played a blinder and shared a 58-run partnership with Wanindu Hasaranga (36 off 21 balls) to revive the Sri Lankan batting after they were reduced to 58 for five inside eight overs.

Photo: M Sajjad

Pace bowler Haris Rauf took three wickets for 29 runs from four overs after Naseem Shah (4-0-40-1) gave Pakistan a dream start by bowling Kusal Mendis for a golden duck in the first over.

Spinner Shabad Khan (4-0-28-1) and Iftikhar Ahmed (3-0-21-1) also managed to keep a tight leash on the Sri Lankan batsmen.

Photo: M Sajjad

But Rajapaksa and Hasaranga launched a blistering counterattack to turn the match on its head.

Rauf did bring Pakistan back into the contest when he had Hasaranga caught behind in the 15th overs.

Photo: M Sajjad

But Rajapaksa found good support from Chamika Karunaratne (14 not out) as the left-hander ruined Naseem’s bowling figures with inventive stroke-play in the last over as Sri Lanka went from 155 for six in the 19 overs to 170 for six at the end of their innings.

Brief scores:

Sri Lanka beat Pakistan by 23 runs.

Sri Lanka 170 for six in 20 overs (Bhanuka Rajapaksa 71 not out, Wanindu Hasaranga 36, Dhananjaya de Silva 28; Haris Rauf 3/39)

Pakistan 147 all out in 20 overs (Mohammad Rizwan 55, Iftikhar Ahmed 32; Pramod Madushan Liyanagamage 4/34, Wanindu Hasaranga 3/27)

Rituraj Borkakoty

Published: Sun 11 Sep 2022, 9:53 PM

Last updated: Sun 11 Sep 2022, 10:59 PM

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