In a crucial Super 4 clash of Asia Cup 2025, Pakistan square off against Sri Lanka at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi. This will be the last game at this venue before the focus shifts to Dubai. Both teams lost their first game in Dubai while defending a score and both were relatively close encounters. Similar scores were put up by both teams but were not defended by them later on.
Pakistan went down to their arch rivals India by 6 wickets with 7 balls to spare where a target of 172 was chased down by Men in Blue in 18.5 overs. While Sri Lanka lost in the final over defending 168 as Bangladesh chased it down with a ball to spare and 4 wickets in hand. So, both teams are in desperate need of a win as a loss here could mean out of running for a place in the final as it’s difficult to get to the final with only one win in three games. So, it is all to play for in Abu Dhabi.
Overview
All eyes will be at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi as Pakistan square off against Sri Lanka in a game that will decide which of these two teams stay in the race for the finals. The loser of this game will find it extremely hard to get to the next stage which is the final. So, both teams will be fighting really hard to stay alive in the race for the tournament final.
After winning two out of their three group stage games, Pakistan enter the match on the back of losing their first Super 4 encounter against India on Sunday. The heavy six wicket loss exposed both the batting and bowling shortcomings of the side. Pakistani opener Sahibzada Farhan played well and scored a brilliant 58 off 45 balls, while the remaining batters didn’t contribute anything significant except Faheem Ashraf, who provided late fireworks with an unbeaten 20 off just 8 balls.
Pakistan posted a competitive total of 171/5 but their bowlers were torn apart by the Indian opening pair of Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill. The bowling department lacked bite, with both spinners and pacers struggling to combine control with wicket-taking ability. The main pace bowler, Shaheen Shah Afridi, conceded 40 runs without taking a single wicket. Only pacer Haris Rauf bowled well and finished with 2/26 in his four overs.
On the other hand, Sri Lanka enjoyed an unbeaten run in the group stage but lost their first super 4 game. The four wicket defeat came against Bangladesh on Saturday. Sri Lanka after being put into bat first scored 168/7 in 20 overs thanks to a brilliant 64* off 37 balls from Dasun Shanaka and a crucial 34 off 25 balls from opener Kusal Mendis. However, their bowlers failed to defend the total and lost on the penultimate ball of the match. The pick of the bowlers was leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga, who took 2/22 in his four overs.
Their batting has leaned heavily on the top order, and the middle order has yet to prove its resilience under sustained pressure. Notably, the pace of Nuwan Thushara and the spin craft of Wanindu Hasaranga remained central to their plans.
Ahead of this clash, Sri Lanka will be more confident than Pakistan, as the island nation has won the last five T20Is played between the two sides. As far as the top performers in this tournament are concerned, Sri Lankan opener Pathum Nissanka is the second highest run getter of this edition of the Asia Cup with 146 runs, while Pakistan opener Farhan is in third spot with 132 runs. Sri Lankan pacer Thushara and Pakistan spinner Saim Ayub are among the top five wicket-takers of this tournament with six wickets each.
Conditions in Abu Dhabi are expected to test both batting units, with spin likely to play a bigger role as the match progresses. The toss could also prove critical, as chasing has not always been straightforward on this surface. For both sides, this is a must-win clash to keep their hopes of reaching the final alive.
The stage is set as the clash beckons between the battle of equals in Abu Dhabi.
Head-to-Head.
Overall, both teams have played against each other 23 times with Pakistan emerging victorious on 13 occasions while Sri Lanka won on 10 occasions. The last five clashes though has gone in favour of Sri Lanka.
Pitch & Weather Report
The pitch in Abu Dhabi will be a balanced one for both teams. It will suit the pacers initially with spin coming into play later on. The batters have to apply themselves and get runs. It is the last game at this venue and we have to see what pitch is dished out. The captain winning the toss might chase as toss is not that big a factor here. A score of 160-170 can be competitive. Used surfaces could create more problems for the batting sides of both teams.
The weather will be hot and humid. Temperatures will soar during the day and at night time it will cool down for sure. Players are used to it and will play according to the situation. There is no chance of rain and we will get a full day of cricket in for sure.
Possible/Predicted XI of both sides
Here, we will predict the playing XIs of both sides:
Pakistan XI: Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Fakhar Zaman, Hussain Talat, Salman Ali Agha (c), Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Abrar Ahmed, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf.
Sri Lanka XI: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (wk), Nuwanidu Fernando, Kusal Perera, Charith Asalanka (c), Kamindu Mendis, Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushmantha Chameera, Nuwan Thushara.
Key Players to watch out for in this clash:
Fakhar Zaman: Fakhar Zaman will be the key for Pakistan in this contest. Him opening the batting could mean him giving the team a fast start and setting it up for others. He looked good against India before being dismissed on a 50-50 call. Zaman is destructive and is home at the top of the order and he would like to go in there and deliver for his side when the match is on the line as he is a senior player in the group.
Haris Rauf: Haris Rauf bowled really well against India and will be expected to deliver the goods against Sri Lanka. He does not take the new ball and is expected to take the old ball. He bowls more at the death and will be expected to control proceedings and not leak runs. With Afridi blowing hot and cold, Rauf will have the mantle of taking things forward in this clash.
Kusal Mendis: Kusal Mendis led from the front in the game against Afghanistan and much will depend on him again to deliver the goods for the Lankan lions. Mendis forms a crucial partnership at the top with Nissanka and will be expected to carry it forward and give Sri Lanka the quick start they need in the powerplay. He is a central figure in the squad.
Wanindu Hasaranga: Wanindu Hasaranga delivered with the ball while others went for runs. He can deliver with the bat if and when it is required. He will also be a central figure in this game and would want to take wickets in the middle overs to dismantle Pakistan side. If he does so, then it will go a long way in helping Sri Lanka get the upper hand in this match. He will be a key lynchpin for the Lankans.
Key Stats/Records to watch out for in this clash
- Faheem Ashraf is one wicket away from completing 50 T20I wickets.
- Shaheen Afridi who has 111 wickets is 2 wickets away from becoming the second highest wicket taker for Pakistan in T20Is.
- Kusal Mendis who has 2198 runs is 6 runs away from becoming the highest run scorer for Sri Lanka in T20Is.
Predicted/Possible Outcome of this clash
It’s tough to predict a winner of this clash as this is the clash of equals between Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The team that handles pressure better will win this contest. It is a must-win clash as the loser goes home and winner stays in the fight. Head-to-head is tight favouring Pakistan but only just but Sri Lanka have won the last 5 games against them. The team that chases will have an advantage. But looking at track record and everything we reckon Pakistan have their noses in front and start as slight favourites. Sri Lanka will be no pushovers.
Let’s see how things go as the clash is set up in Abu Dhabi in a very close contest which it promises to be. We will find out later tonight who wins.