In a nail-biting T20 tri-series encounter at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Sri Lanka’s Dushmantha Chameera delivered a sensational final-over performance to help his team defend 184 and beat Pakistan by six runs on Thursday night. With Pakistan needing 10 off the final six deliveries and three wickets in hand, Chameera’s pinpoint yorkers left captain Salman Ali Agha and his teammates helpless, securing Sri Lanka’s place in the Saturday final.
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Chameera’s composure under pressure was remarkable, finishing with figures of 4-20. He first dismissed Faheem Ashraf in the penultimate over and then sealed the match by delivering a perfect yorker to Mohammad Wasim on the final ball. The packed stadium fell silent as Sri Lanka emerged victorious, leaving Pakistan agonizingly short despite a valiant chase.
Pakistan’s innings had started shakily, collapsing to 43 for 4 in the sixth over after Chameera removed Sahibzada Farhan and Babar Azam in the space of three deliveries. Eshan Malinga added to Pakistan’s woes by rattling Saim Ayub’s stumps. From this precarious position, a resilient partnership developed between Salman Ali Agha and Usman Khan, adding 56 for the fifth wicket and keeping Pakistan’s hopes alive.
Usman’s aggressive shot-making eventually led to his dismissal against Wanindu Hasaranga, but Mohammad Nawaz joined Salman to mount another fightback. The duo added 70 runs for the sixth wicket in just 36 balls, with Nawaz striking two sixes and Salman completing a classy fifty. With 22 required off 12 balls, it appeared Pakistan could pull off a dramatic finish. However, Chameera’s composure and precision ended their hopes, leaving Pakistan agonizingly short.
Earlier, Sri Lanka’s Kamil Mishara played a scintillating innings of 76 off 48 balls, including six fours and three sixes, forming the backbone of their total of 184 for 5. Put in to bat by Pakistan, Sri Lanka lost Pathum Nissanka early to Salman Mirza but quickly recovered as Mishara and Kusal Mendis added 66 runs for the second wicket. Even after Mendis was dismissed lbw by Abrar Ahmed, Mishara maintained control, reaching his fifty with an elegant inside-out six.
Pakistan’s bowlers struggled to contain the scoring on a batting-friendly pitch. Wasim and Faheem proved expensive, while Abrar Ahmed (2-28) was the standout bowler with clever variations. A late flourish by Dasun Shanaka (17 off 10) and a final-ball run-out ensured Sri Lanka crossed the 180-run mark, setting a challenging target for Pakistan.
During the chase, Pakistan’s top order faltered, with early dismissals of Sahibzada, Babar, and Saim putting immense pressure on the middle order. Salman Ali Agha led the fightback with elegant drives, ramps, and lofted shots, keeping Pakistan in contention almost single-handedly. Mohammad Nawaz supported with aggressive strokeplay, but it was ultimately Chameera’s final-over mastery that sealed the game for Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka’s innings had seen a blistering start in the powerplay, scoring 58 without loss in six overs, with Mendis punishing anything short. The wicket of Nissanka briefly slowed the momentum, but Mendis and Mishara ensured the scoring rate stayed high. After Mendis fell lbw to Abrar Ahmed, Kusal Perera’s dismissal at backward point left Sri Lanka 96 for 3. Mishara continued to dominate until his skyed slog-sweep ended in the 17th over, but the groundwork for a big total had been laid.
Dasun Shanaka and Janith Liyanage added quick runs in the closing overs, with Shanaka striking two massive sixes. However, a final-ball mix-up resulted in Shanaka being run out, ending Sri Lanka’s innings at 184 for 5. Pakistan’s spirited chase came close but fell short by six runs, with Chameera’s final-over spell remembered as the defining moment of the match.
Sri Lanka now advance to the tri-series final, while Pakistan will have to regroup and look for redemption in future matches.
