Pakistan edge last-ball thriller against Sri Lanka but exit T20 World Cup

Pakistan needed to beat Sri Lanka by a substantial margin to leapfrog New Zealand into second semifinal qualifying spot.

Pakistan crashed out of ⁠the ⁠Twenty20 World Cup despite a five-run victory against already-eliminated Sri ⁠Lanka in a Group Two Super Eights match in ⁠Pallekele.

Their inferior net run-rate meant Pakistan had to win big against Sri ‌Lanka on Saturday in order to pip New Zealand and join group leaders England in the semifinals.

They racked up 212-8 after Sahibzada Farhan (100) and Fakhar ⁠Zaman (84) combined in a ⁠T20 World Cup record 176-run opening stand.

They had to restrict their opponents ⁠to 147 or less to make the ⁠last four, but ⁠Sri Lanka finished on 207-6, nearly snatching a victory.

Pavan Rathnayake made 58, and ‌Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka smoked an unbeaten 76 off ‌31 ‌balls, including hitting three consecutive sixes in the final over as his side fell marginally short of a memorable win.

Earlier, Farhan became the first player to score two centuries in the same T20 World Cup.

Farhan smashed a 60-ball 100 while fellow opener Fakhar Zaman cracked 84 off 42 balls as Pakistan, after being asked to bat, recorded their highest total at a T20 World Cup.

Farhan scored five sixes and nine fours as he took his aggregate for the tournament to 383 runs, a T20 World Cup record, passing India’s Virat Kohli’s 319 in 2014.

Farhan and Zaman put on an opening stand of 176 in 15.5 overs. Zaman hit four sixes and nine fours.

Farhan pushed Dasun Shanaka for a single to complete his century off 59 balls before being dismissed by Dilshan Madushanka in the final over.

Madushanka was the best Sri Lankan bowler with 3-33.

Pakistan’s previous highest at a T20 World Cup was the 201-5 they made against Bangladesh in Kolkata in 2016.