Pathum Nissanka led from the front and showed his consistent class as Sri Lanka got over the line in a nervy chase against Hong Kong. Pathum Nissanka played an important role as Sri Lanka got benefitted by poor fielding to win the game in the end. Hong Kong put into bat first scored 149/4 with Nizakat Khan scoring an unbeaten 52 off 38 balls while Anshuman Rath scored 48 off 46 balls while Zeeshan Ali scored 23 off 17 balls as well.
In reply, Sri Lanka rode on Pathum Nissanka’s 68 off 44 balls with 6 fours and 2 sixes to his name and then when things got tough Wanindu Hasaranga stepped up with an unbeaten 20 off 9 balls and won the game for Sri Lanka as they with this win top the table of Group B with 2 wins out of 2 games making the table very interesting going forward.
Nizakat Khan’s unbeaten half-century propels Hong Kong to a competitive 149/4 in 20 overs
Put into bat first, Zeeshan Ali and Anshuman Rath came out to bat for Hong Kong while Nuwan Thushara had ball in hand for Sri Lanka. Zeeshan was given OUT LBW but he reviewed it and got the decision overturned in his favour thanks to an inside edge. Zeeshan got a streaky boundary past the keeper for a boundary. Dushmantha Chameera shared the new ball from the other end. Rath managed to get a boundary away through cover point region.
Thushara gifted away 4 leg byes to the batting side. Zeeshan then flicked Thushara behind square for a boundary. Maheesh Theekshana came into the attack next. He bowled a decent over. Chameera drew first blood for his side as he got rid of Zeeshan Ali for 23 off 17 balls with 2 fours to his name.
Chameera bowled a short of a good length around the fifth stump line with a hint of extra bounce off the surface. Zeeshan hung back and looked to play the short arm jab and got a top edge which went straight up in the air as Kusal Mendis settled underneath it and took a simple catch. Babar Hayat came to the crease next.
Theekshana bowled the final over of powerplay and could have had Hayat out but the LBW was not given. Sri Lanka did not review and the replays showed three reds. A chance went begging. At the end of the powerplay, Hong Kong were 42/1 in 6 overs. Wanindu Hasaranga came into the attack and was welcomed into the attack with a boundary from Rath through deep backward square leg and deep midwicket.
Captain Charith Asalanka came into the attack next and bowled a tidy over. Hasaranga then removed Babar Hayat for 4 off 10 balls. Hasaranga bowled a flighted delivery around middle and leg stump which was a googly. Hayat danced down the track and swung his bat across the line. He got beaten on the inside edge to the keeper. Kusal Mendis failed to collect the ball initially and did well to recover quickly. He picked up the ball and broke the stumps in a flash. Hayat was well short of his crease. Nizakat Khan came to the crease next.
Asalanka bowled a decent over as Hong Kong reached 62/2 in 10 overs at the halfway stage of the innings as the players paused for the Drinks Break. Hasaranga continued after the break as Nizakat stepped down the track and launched it over long-on for the maximum. Rath then hit Asalanka inside out over extra covers. Nizakat slammed Asalanka straight down the ground to long-on. Nuwan Thushara came back into the attack next.
Anshuman was hit on the elbow by a throw from the fielder in the deep. He was in pain and the magic spray worked for him in the end. Nizakat put the full toss away from Thushara past backward point region. He got a triple to end the over. Theekshana returned to the attack as the 100 came up for Hong Kong in 13.3 overs. Nizakat managed to get a boundary away through the backward point region.
Wanindu Hasaranga came to bowl his final over as the 50-run stand came up between the two players. Rath hit a delectable drive through the covers for a boundary. After 15 overs, Hong Kong were 112/2 and looked good to get a big total from here. Chameera returned to the attack as Nizakat muscled down the ground for a boundary past mid-off. Chameera eventually got rid of Anshuman Rath for 48 off 46 balls with 4 fours to his name.
Chameera bowled a pace-off delivery on a good length angled away from the left-hander. Rath swiped across with vehemence only to find Kamindu Mendis who was stationed in the deep in front of square leg. He tumbled after completing the catch but made sure he did not drop the catch. Captain Yasim Murtaza came out to bat next. Thushara came out to bowl his final over. Nizakat was dropped by the keeper off Thushara as Kusal Mendis was having a day to forget out there. Thushara bowled a no ball on which Perera took a brilliant catch but the bowler overstepped. Free Hit did yield only a single. Murtaza then picked up the half volley and flicked it away to long leg for a boundary.
Dasun Shanaka came into the attack next. He dismissed Murtaza for 5 off 4 balls. He bowled a hard length ball angled away from the left-hander. Murtaza slashed hard and failed to keep it along the turf. The ball curved in the air as it flew to Chameera at fine deep backward point. He made no mistake. Aizaz Khan walked out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway.
Chameera bowled the 19th over as Nizakat launched it away as he picked it up and deposited over long-off for the maximum. Theekshana came to bowl the final over of the innings. Nizakat Khan got to his half century off 36 balls with a brace behind point region. In the end, Hong Kong ended with 149/4 in 20 overs with Nizakat remaining unbeaten on 52 off 38 balls with 4 fours and 2 sixes to his name. Aizaz Khan was unbeaten on 4 off 6 balls. 13 extras given by Sri Lanka.
Dushmantha Chameera was the pick of the bowlers for Sri Lanka with figures of 2/29 in 4 overs. Wanindu Hasaranga bowled well for his 1/27 in 4 overs. Dasun Shanaka bowled an over for 5 runs and picked up a wicket. Maheesh Theekshana finished with 0/22 in 4 overs. Charith Asalanka the captain finished with 0/22 in 3 overs. Nuwan Thushara finished with 0/36 in 4 overs. This meant Sri Lanka now needed 150 runs to win off 20 overs to make it 2 wins out of 2 games in Asia Cup 2025.
Pathum Nissanka’s brilliant 68 guides Sri Lanka over the line with 7 balls to spare
Chasing 150 for the win, Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis came out to open for Sri Lanka while Yasim Murtaza had ball in hand for Hong Kong. Ayush Shukla had ball in hand from the other end. Pathum Nissanka was given OUT LBW to Shukla but he reviewed thanks to Mendis and saw the ball missing the stumps. The decision was reversed to NOT OUT.
Ateeq Iqbal came onto bowl next. He started with a maiden. Shukla continued as Pathum Nissanka swished him over square leg for the maximum to get to his 50th maximum in T20Is. Mendis then whipped Shukla through backward square leg for a boundary. Mendis whacked away towards wide long-on for a boundary. Shukla dismissed Mendis for 11 off 14 balls with 2 fours to his name.
Shukla bowled a back of a length delivery that only got up to the chest height. Mendis went for the pull but did not catch it in the meat of the blade. Rath who was stationed at deep backward square leg ran a long way to his left before grabbing it using a reverse cup and tumbling over as he held onto the catch. Kamil Mishara came out to bat next. Ehsan Khan came into the attack next. Ehsan bowled a tidy over.
Iqbal bowled the last over of the powerplay. He bowled a decent over as Sri Lanka were 35/1 after 6 overs. Kinchit Shah came into the attack next. Pathum Nissanka was dropped as a tough catch was dropped by the fielder running in from midwicket boundary. Murtaza returned to the attack as Mishara tonked him down the ground over wide long-on for the maximum. Mishara creamed Shah for a boundary through the covers.
Aizaz Khan came onto bowl next. He got rid of Mishara for 19 off 18 balls with one four and one six to his name. It was a slower bumper outside off-stump, Mishara almost hopped on his toes before pulling it towards the fielder at deep midwicket. Hayat ran in a few yards before flinging himself forward to take a good catch. Kusal Perera came out to bat next and got off the mark. After 10 overs, Sri Lanka were 65/2 and in a decent position at this stage.
Pathum Nissanka survived a run out scare as he came back for three runs. Pathum Nissanka hit a boundary by getting down on one knee and swept it away behind square for a boundary. Pathum Nissanka was given a reprieve as Ehsan Khan put down a sharp return catch. Pathum Nissanka flicked away behind square for the maximum. Pathum Nissanka soon reached his fifty off 35 balls as he reached his 17th half century.
Kusal Perera then was put down at extra covers. Perera was again dropped at mid-off as Hong Kong’s fielding fell away towards the end. Pathum Nissanka hit back-to-back boundaries off Shukla. Perera hit Khan for a boundary as the 100 came up for Sri Lanka in 13.1 overs. Nissanka helped it on its way off short fine leg for a boundary. Pathum Nissanka did it again as another catch was dropped in the deep and the ball went away to the fence.
Perera hit Ehsan Khan for the maximum over deep backward point for the maximum. Pathum Nissanka was dropped again as Ehsan dropped him of his own bowling. At the end of 15 overs, Sri Lanka were 118/2 and needed 32 runs off the remaining 30 balls. Nissanka was run out trying to run and was short of his crease at the bowler’s end for 68 off 44 balls with 6 fours and 2 sixes to his name. Dasun Shanaka came to the middle next. Perera fell to Murtaza soon for 20 off 16 balls with a boundary and maximum to his name.
He tossed it up full around off-stump slower through the air. Perera got down on one knee and looked to play the big sweep shot and got beaten on the inside edge and wore it on the back pad. The umpire gave it OUT. The review was taken and the decision stayed as OUT. Captain Charith Asalanka came into the middle next. He got off the mark soon. Soon, Ehsan got rid of Asalanka for 2 off 5 balls.
The bowler bowled a back of a length delivery around the fifth stump line, gripped and turned away. Asalanka rocked back and slashed hard and sliced it straight to the man at short third man who grabbed a simple catch. Kamindu Mendis came out to bat next. Murtaza then dismissed Kamindu for 5 off 5 balls. Murtaza tossed it up full around fourth stump line slower through the air. Mendis stepped down the track and swung his bat across the line. He mistimed it straight up in the air from the toe end of his blade. The fielder at deep midwicket settled underneath it and took a comfortable catch. Wanindu Hasaranga came out to bat and got off the mark straightaway.
Murtaza bowled a no ball and the free hit yielded a maximum as Hasaranga clubbed it straight down the ground for the maximum. Shanaka joined the party as he pulled it over diving deep midwicket for a boundary. Hasaranga then hit Iqbal past mid-off for a boundary to level the scores. He hit the winning runs too as he hit Iqbal for a boundary straight down the ground for a boundary to end the game. Hasaranga was unbeaten on 20 off 9 balls with 2 fours and a maximum to his name. Dasun Shanaka was unbeaten on 6 off 3 balls with a boundary to his name. 2 extras given by Hong Kong as Sri Lanka got over the line by 4 wickets with 7 balls left.
Yasim Murtaza picked up 2/37 in 4 overs. Ayush Shukla finished with 1/30 in 3 overs. Ehsan Khan bowled well for his 1/25 in 4 overs. Aizaz Khan chipped in with 1/27 in 3 overs. Ateeq Iqbal finished with 0/18 in 2.5 overs. Kinchit Shah bowled 2 overs for 15 runs. So, Sri Lanka won by 4 wickets with 7 balls to spare and for his outstanding batting performance yet again, Pathum Nissanka was awarded the Player of the Match.
What Lies Ahead
The bandwagon moves to Abu Dhabi next for the next game which is going to be between Bangladesh and Afghanistan live at 8PM on Tuesday 16th September 2025. It will now be a must-win game for Bangladesh against Afghanistan who will be playing after a week’s gap.
Let’s see how this match unfolds on Tuesday night as the Tigers need a win badly to stay in the hunt for Super 4s. Afghanistan win tomorrow then they will qualify alongside Sri Lanka into super 4s. A lot is riding on the game tomorrow.
Also Read: Asia Cup 2025: Nizakat Khan’s Unbeaten 52 Takes Hong Kong’s Score To Challenging 149/4