With a thrilling two-wicket victory over Pakistan, Charith Asalanka showed steely nerves to lead Sri Lanka to the Asia Cup 2023 final.
Charith Asalanka made no mistakes and guided his team to the Asia Cup final on the last bowl of the final over, despite the fact that Pakistani bowlers fought back in the final overs and took back-to-back wickets.
Pakistan chose to bat first and amassed a commendable total of 252/7 after the crucial Asia Cup 2023 match was cut short due to rain to 42 overs per side.
The hosts’ innings once again got off to a shaky start as their out-of-sorts opener Fakhar Zaman (4) failed to score significantly and was bowled out for nine runs by Pramod Madushan in the fourth over.
Pakistani captain Babar Azam joined Abdullah Shafique at the crease after the early dismissal, and the two forged a crucial 64-run partnership.
Before Babar was dismissed by Dunith Wellalage, Pakistan’s Babar and Abdullah had given Pakistan a commanding lead. This signalled Sri Lanka’s comeback.
With a quick 108-run partnership for the sixth wicket that was broken when Iftikhar was killed in the penultimate over, Rizwan and Iftikhar completely changed the course of the game.
Iftikhar scored 47 off just 40 deliveries, hitting four boundaries and two sixes, falling just three short of his half-century.
However, Mohammad Rizwan batted steadily throughout the entire innings, leading Pakistan’s scoring with an unbeaten 86-run knock from 73 deliveries that featured six boundaries and two sixes.
In a crucial Asia Cup 2023 match, Matheesha Pathirana led Sri Lanka’s bowling attack with 3/65 in his eight overs, followed by Pramod Madushan’s 2/58.
Each of Dunith Wellalage and Maheesh Theekshana made one scalp.
