T20 World Cup 2026: Pakistan outlasts Sri Lanka, but misses out on semifinal spot

Pakistan was on the brink of reaching the semifinals, until it was not. In defeating Sri Lanka by five runs in their Super Eight match at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Saturday, it won the battle but lost the war and was knocked out of the T20 World Cup 2026.

Despite posting 212 in the first innings, Pakistan had only 147 to defend and go through. It had the contest by the scruff after Naseem Shah’s cutter induced Pathum Nissanka’s slice to covers.

Kamil Mishara made up for the slow start with a crisp hit off Shaheen Afridi to clear covers. He complemented it with another two boundaries through the same region in the same over.

Abrar Ahmed (three for 23) came in as instant reinforcement and flattened Mishara’s off-stump with his leg-break.

But it was Charith Asalanka and Pavan Rathnayake’s 42 runs that really knocked the wind out of Pakistan’s sails.

Asalanka went after the vaunted mystery spin of Usman Tariq and slog-swept him for a four before lofting into the sight screen for a six. In the previous over, he had latched onto a slower ball from Naseem for a pull through square leg.

A third shot through the on-side proved fatal as Abrar’s delivery crept below his swipe and castled him. Though Abrar got rid of Kamindu Mendis in his next over, Rathnayake’s (58, 37b, 4×4, 3×6) dominant sweep remained a nagging obstacle for Pakistan.

He used the shot once against Abrar and twice against Shadab Khan, clearing the deep midwicket fence on all three occasions. With Dasun Shanaka (76 n.o., 31b, 2×4, 8×6) joining Rathnayake in the free-spirited hitting, Sri Lanka denied Pakistan the qualification and rubbed salt to its wounds with the 66-run sixth-wicket partnership.

Even with three sixes off the final over, Shanaka could get Sri Lanka only to 207, but for the packed Pallekele Stadium, it was enough for a final hoorah.

Semifinals were really in sight for Pakistan at the mid-innings break after Sahibzada Farhan (100, 60b, 9×4, 5×6) and Fakhar Zaman (84, 42b, 9×4, 4×6) sent Sri Lanka on a leather hunt.

A tweak in the opening salvo, getting Zaman in place of Saim Ayub, cleared the top-order rut and the pair forged a 176-run stand for the first wicket.

The urgency to pile on a big total was evident Zaman’s heave through midwicket off just his second ball. Sahibzada Farhan channelled his off-side range, starting with a punch through backward point off Dushmantha Chameera.

He followed it up by adding another 10 with lofts over covers and mid-off against Dilshan Madushanka. Zaman used his feet to smother Maheesh Theekshana over long off.

PAKISTAN vs SRI LANKA HIGHLIGHTS

Theekshana and Dunith Wellalage briefly arrested the tempo but Pakistan promptly fired back. Zaman sliced Dasun Shanaka past point in the ninth over, one where Farhan brought up his 32-ball fifty, his fourth of the tournament, having already scaled Virat Kohli’s record haul of 319 runs from the 2014 edition earlier in the innings.

Sri Lanka was guilty of letting them loose too. In the 11th over, Zaman slashed hard outside off against Theekshana and edged to the keeper only for the home team to appeal half-heartedly and then not go for a referral. Four overs later, Wellalage shelled a regulation catch at long-off that came from Farhan’s fluffed hit.

Between the two instances, the pair added 56 runs and looked on course to take the total beyond Sri Lanka’s reach.

However, a slew of wickets that commenced with Zaman chopping onto his stumps off Madushanka saved Sri Lanka from getting buried under a mammoth total.

Farhan picked two boundaries, a whip through midwicket and a drill wide of mid-off, to complete his 59-ball century.

But he could only add 11 runs after the departure of his partner and chipped to extra covers against Shanaka. Sandwiched between the openers’ wickets were four singles digit scores that further pegged the innings back.