Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Highlights Super 8 Match | Farhan and Fakhar Script History But Pakistan Miss the Semis by 60 Runs
The Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Highlights Super 8 match will be remembered for two things. A batting performance for the ages. And a heartbreak so precise it came down to a single umpire’s call on the final ball of the game.
Sahibzada Farhan scored his second century of the tournament, broke Virat Kohli’s all-time T20 World Cup run record, and anchored the highest opening partnership in T20 World Cup history alongside Fakhar Zaman. Pakistan posted 212 for 8 and won the match by five runs.
None of it was enough. New Zealand qualified. Pakistan went home. The margin between glory and elimination was 60 runs — the difference between what Pakistan needed and what they could manufacture in the final four overs.
From a cricket analyst’s lens, this match was won in the powerplay and lost at the death. It was a game of record partnerships, collapsed middle orders, and a finish that Kandy will talk about for years.
Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Super 8 Key Moments
- Farhan and Fakhar added 176, the highest partnership in T20 World Cup history.
- Farhan hit his second century of the tournament, first ever to score two in one edition.
- He finished with 383 runs, the most in a single T20 World Cup, breaking Kohli’s 319 record.
- Pakistan collapsed from 176 for 0 to 212 for 8, losing seven wickets for 35 runs and missing qualification.
- Shanaka smashed 4, 6, 6, 6 in the final over, but Sri Lanka fell six runs short.
Sahibzada Farhan’s Historic Night — Records That Will Stand for Years
This was not just a good innings. It was a rewriting of T20 World Cup history by a 24-year-old from Peshawar on a night when history was not enough to send his team through.
- 383 runs, most in a single T20 World Cup edition, breaking Kohli’s 319 record
- 2 centuries in one T20 World Cup, first player in history to achieve it
- 176 run partnership with Fakhar, highest stand in T20 World Cup history
- 100 off 59 balls tonight, Farhan’s second hundred of the tournament
Wellalage dropped Farhan on 75. Liyanage caught him on 76 but stepped onto the boundary cushion. Two let-offs. Two moments that, in hindsight, defined Pakistan’s entire campaign. Without those reprieves, Farhan does not get to 100.
Without that hundred, Pakistan do not post 212. Without 212, there is no five-run win. Every dropped chance mattered.
Watch the full Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Highlights Super 8 Match today on Khelo Pakistan
Pakistan Batting Analysis — Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Highlights Super 8
The innings had two completely different identities. The first 16 overs were among the finest batting Pakistan have produced at a T20 World Cup. The final four were among the worst.
| Phase | Score | Overs | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Powerplay | 64 for 0 | 1 to 6 | Dominant |
| Middle Overs | 112 for 1 | 7 to 16 | Controlled |
| Death Overs | 35 for 7 | 17 to 20 | Collapse |
The collapse from 177 for 1 to 212 for 8 in the last four overs is the story of Pakistan’s exit. Madushanka took three wickets.
The others simply ran out of time and composure. Pakistan needed 220-plus to give themselves a genuine NRR shot. They had the platform. They could not convert it.
Farhan 100 off 59Fakhar 84 off 42176 partnership overs 1-1635 runs overs 17-20
Abrar and Naseem Strike Early — Then Shanaka Takes Over
Playing his first match of the tournament, Naseem Shah needed just three balls to take a wicket. A back-of-hand slower ball dismissed Nissanka for a nothing score.
Abrar Ahmed bowled Mishara in the fifth over and later removed Asalanka and Kamindu Mendis with the final ball of his spell. At 101 for 5, Pakistan could smell an upset.
Then Rathnayake and Shanaka happened. Ten balls. Four sixes. A four. In the space of two overs, they swung the match completely. Rathnayake brought up his fifty off 32 balls.
When Shanaka took a single off Tariq to reach 148, Pakistan were mathematically out of the World Cup even while still alive in the match.
The final over was theatre. Shanaka needed 28 off Shaheen. He hit 4, 6, 6, 6. Six required from two balls. Shaheen bowled wide outside off, Shanaka could not connect with the reverse scoop.
One ball left. Afridi went full and wide again. Shanaka left it. The umpire called it legal. Game over. Pakistan won by five runs and still went home.
Pakistan Squad:
Sahibzada Farhan, Fakhar Zaman, Salman Agha (capt), Khawaja Nafay, Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan (wk), Abrar Ahmed, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Usman Tariq
Sri Lanka Squad:
Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara (wk), Charith Asalanka, Pavan Rathnayake, Kamindu Mendis, Dasun Shanaka (capt), Janith Liyanage, Dunith Wellalage, Dushmantha Chameera, Maheesh Theekshana, Dilshan Madushanka
| Match Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Ground | Pallekele International Cricket Stadium |
| Toss | Sri Lanka, elected to field first |
| Series | ICC Men’s T20 World Cup |
| Season | 2025/26 |
| Player Of The Match | Pakistan, Sahibzada Farhan |
| Match Number | T20I no. 3747 |
| Hours of Play |
19.00 start First Session 19.00 to 20.30 Interval 20.30 to 20.50 Second Session 20.50 to 22.20 |
| Match Days | 28 February 2026, Night, 20 over match |
| On Field Umpire | Australia, Rod Tucker |
| DRS Official | Australia, Sam Nogajski |
| TV Umpire | Australia, Paul Reiffel |
| Reserve Umpire | South Africa, Allahuddien Paleker |
What Cost Pakistan the Semi-Finals — The Gaps Nobody Is Talking About
The Three Moments That Sent Pakistan Home
- The death overs collapse. 35 runs from the final four overs after a 176-run opening stand is inexcusable. Pakistan needed 220-plus. The batting beyond the top two had no plan when the pressure came.
- Rathnayake’s promotion. Pakistan’s bowling plan against Rathnayake had no answer for his clean striking at number four. His 58 off 32 was the innings that made Shanaka’s heroics possible.
- Two dropped catches. Wellalage on 75. Liyanage on 76. If either had held on, Pakistan’s score drops by at least 25 runs. The qualification margin would have been even further away. But the irony is that those drops actually helped Pakistan post 212 — a score still not big enough.
Watch More:
India vs Zimbabwe Super 8 Highlights Match
FAQs
Q1: What happened in Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Super 8 Match?
Pakistan won by 5 runs but fell 60 runs short of the 65-run qualification margin. New Zealand qualified instead.
Q2: Did Farhan break Virat Kohli’s T20 World Cup record?
Yes. Farhan finished on 383 runs, breaking Kohli’s 319 set in 2014. First batter ever to score two centuries in one T20 World Cup edition.
Q3: Why did Pakistan not qualify despite winning?
Pakistan needed a 65-run win to beat New Zealand on NRR. They won by only 5 runs. New Zealand go through from Group 2.
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