Sports : Many times victory on the cricket field also gives the bitter sip of defeat. This is what happened with Pakistan in the final match of Group-2 of T-20 World Cup 2026. In this match against Sri Lanka, Pakistan registered a thrilling victory by 5 runs. But he failed miserably to get a ticket for the semi-finals. To reach the next round, Pakistan had to limit Sri Lanka to a score of 147 runs. But Sri Lanka’s combative batting dashed all the hopes of Pakistan.
In the match, Sri Lankan captain Dasun Shanaka won the toss and chose to bowl first. Which Pakistan’s opening batsmen proved completely wrong. Both of them made a record partnership of 176 runs for the first wicket. Sahibzada Farhan scored 100 runs in 60 balls. While Fakhar Zaman contributed 84 runs in 82 balls. Almost all the bowlers of Sri Lanka proved to be very expensive. However, in the last overs of the innings, he was successful in curbing the pace of runs a bit. Pakistan laid a strong foundation on the scoreboard.
The end of the innings of the Pakistani team which was moving towards a big score was quite disappointing. Pakistani batsmen could add only 14 runs in the last 12 balls of the match and during this the team lost 6 important wickets. After this dramatic collapse, Pakistan scored a huge score of 212 runs at the loss of 8 wickets in the stipulated 20 overs. Sri Lanka had a huge target of 213 runs to win. But Pakistan’s main strategy was to restrict Sri Lanka to within 147 runs.
According to the mathematics of the semi-finals, Pakistan needed a huge improvement in run rate along with victory. As soon as the Sri Lankan team crossed the mark of 148 runs. Similarly, all the chances of Pakistan going to the semi-finals were completely destroyed. The New Zealand team got the biggest benefit from this situation. Which managed to qualify from Group-2 and reach the semi-finals. Despite Pakistan’s victory, its World Cup journey ended and huge disappointment was visible on the faces of the team players.
Sri Lanka, which set out to chase the huge target of 213 runs, had a very poor start. During the power play itself, two of their key batsmen got out and returned to the pavilion. At one time, Pawan Ratnayake took charge of Sri Lanka, who was completely out of the match, with his brilliant and patient innings. Ratnayake’s combative batting completely shattered Pakistan’s semi-final dreams. He faced Pakistan’s bowlers bravely and kept the match exciting till the end. His innings was no less than a lifesaver for New Zealand.
In the last moments of the match, captain Dasun Shanaka took charge and brought a storm of runs on the field. With his aggressive batting, he had brought Sri Lanka very close to victory. A six was needed on the last ball to win. But Shanaka could not achieve that feat and the Sri Lankan team could score only 207 runs. Pakistan won this match by 5 runs. But the sorrow of being out of the World Cup overshadowed their modest victory. Despite Farhan’s century, Pakistan’s further journey came to a disappointing halt here.
