Shaheen Afridi’s new-ball brilliance, Kamindu Mendis’ defiant fifty, and a nervy unbroken stand between Mohammad Nawaz and Hussain Talat defined a tense Asia Cup 2025 clash in Abu Dhabi, leaving Sri Lanka on the brink of elimination.
Sri Lanka’s Asia Cup campaign continued its downward spiral as they fell to their second consecutive defeat, this time against Pakistan, in a contest that highlighted both batting collapses and nervy resilience. Set up by Shaheen Shah Afridi’s devastating spell and Hussain Talat’s all-round display, Pakistan overcame their own middle-order jitters to chase down Sri Lanka’s 133 for 8 with five wickets in hand.
Put into bat, Sri Lanka began briskly but paid dearly for reckless shot selection. Kusal Mendis clipped his first delivery to midwicket, while Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Perera both found boundaries before succumbing. Afridi, extracting swing and bounce, dismissed Nissanka with an edge and later returned to trap Kamindu Mendis lbw for his third wicket. Haris Rauf chipped in with pace and hostility, while Talat’s golden arm struck twice in one over, removing Charith Asalanka and captain Dasun Shanaka. At 58 for 5 inside eight overs, Sri Lanka were staring at humiliation.
Kamindu Mendis stood tall amidst the ruins. His patient 50 off 44 balls included partnerships of 22 with Wanindu Hasaranga and 43 with Chamika Karunaratne. He found gaps, rotated strike, and punished rare loose deliveries, ensuring Sri Lanka did not collapse entirely. Yet once he fell to Afridi’s toe-crushing yorker, the innings fizzled out. Abrar Ahmed’s miserly spell of 1 for 8 in four overs tightened the chokehold, and Sri Lanka crawled to 133 for 8, well below the par score of 180 expected on the Abu Dhabi surface.
Pakistan’s reply started strongly with Sahibzada Farhan and Fakhar Zaman adding 43 in five overs. But Maheesh Theekshana struck twice in the same over, including courtesy of a stunning one-handed catch by Hasaranga. Suddenly Pakistan were 57 for 4 as Hasaranga struck again, and when Dushmantha Chameera bowled Mohammad Haris, the scoreboard read 80 for 5. What looked like a stroll had turned into a scrap.
This was where Hussain Talat and Mohammad Nawaz came into their own. Talat, having already delivered with the ball, showcased composure with the bat. He anchored the innings with controlled singles and well-timed strokes, finishing unbeaten on 32 off 30. Nawaz provided the finishing touch, smashing three sixes off Chameera in the death overs to complete the chase with seven balls to spare. His 38 not out from 24 balls ensured Pakistan avoided embarrassment and sealed the points.
Sri Lanka’s bowling had spirit, but the total was never truly defensible. Theekshana and Hasaranga picked up two wickets apiece, and Chameera’s pace briefly rattled Pakistan, but the lack of scoreboard pressure showed. More tellingly, Sri Lanka’s batting collapse left their bowlers with too little to defend. Kamindu’s fifty was their lone positive, but without support, his effort was in vain.
For Pakistan, the match was both a relief and a warning. Afridi’s 3 for 28 reminded everyone of his destructive powers with the new ball, and Rauf’s aggression complemented him well. Talat’s all-round contribution and Nawaz’s finishing ability stood out as positives. Yet the collapse from 43 for 0 to 80 for 5 exposed a fragile middle order that could haunt them in tighter games ahead.
Sri Lanka now face elimination scenarios, reliant on Bangladesh to upset India to have any chance of reaching the final. Their reckless batting, poor shot selection, and inability to consolidate highlight deeper structural issues. For a team that once prided itself on grit, two straight defeats have left them looking like early casualties of the tournament.
Pakistan, meanwhile, march on with momentum, but with lessons to learn. Their five-wicket victory looked comfortable on paper, yet the stumbles during the chase revealed vulnerabilities. Still, Afridi’s fire, Talat’s composure, and Nawaz’s finishing ensured that the men in green kept their Asia Cup campaign firmly on track.
