Kandy, March 1 (NationPress) Pakistan concluded their journey in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 with a close five-run victory against Sri Lanka, but this win did not suffice for them to progress to the next stage due to an unfavorable Net Run Rate. The match took place at the Pallekele International Stadium in Kandy on Saturday.

Batting first, Pakistan scored a formidable 212/8, spearheaded by an impressive opening partnership between Sahibzada Farhan and Fakhar Zaman. Farhan struck 100 runs off 60 balls, making him the first player to achieve two centuries in a single edition of the T20 World Cup, while Fakhar contributed a brisk 84 runs. Despite losing wickets towards the end, Pakistan comfortably crossed the 200-run threshold.

In response, Sri Lanka faced early setbacks but regrouped through solid partnerships in the middle overs. Captain Dasun Shanaka delivered a remarkable unbeaten inning of 76 runs, keeping Sri Lanka competitive until the last over. With 28 runs needed off the final six balls, Shanaka managed to hit three sixes and a four, yet Sri Lanka ultimately fell short at 207/5.

Despite their victory, Pakistan's inability to restrict Sri Lanka to 147 runs meant they could not surpass New Zealand on the Net Run Rate, resulting in their elimination from the tournament.

Match Statistics: Pakistan vs. Sri Lanka

2 - Following Chris Gayle of the West Indies, Sahibzada Farhan is the second player to score two centuries in the T20 World Cups.

1st - Sahibzada Farhan (100) is the first player to score two centuries in a single T20 World Cup edition, with his earlier century being an unbeaten 100 against Namibia in Colombo.

4 - Farhan became the fifth player to record five scores over fifty in a single T20 World Cup edition, joining the ranks of M. Hayden (2007), Virat Kohli (2014 & 2021), and Babar Azam (2021).

64/0 - This was the score for Pakistan in the Power-play (1-6), marking their fourth-highest Power-play score in T20 World Cups.

383 - Sahibzada Farhan accumulated 383 runs at an average of 76.60 in this edition, the most runs by any player in a single T20 World Cup, surpassing Virat Kohli, who had 319 runs in 2014.

212/8 - Pakistan's total of 212/8 is their highest innings score in T20 World Cup history, with their previous best being 201/5 against Bangladesh in Kolkata in 2016. This is also their second-highest innings total in T20Is, trailing behind 232/6 against England in Nottingham in 2021.

18 - Sahibzada Farhan hit 18 sixes in this T20 World Cup, breaking the record of 17 sixes previously held by Shimron Hetmyer of the West Indies.

58 - Pavan Rathnayake scored 58 runs, marking his second fifty in the T20 World Cup, having previously scored 60 against Oman in Pallekele on February 12.

27 - Pakistan's mystery spinner Usman Tariq went wicketless for the first time in 27 innings during this T20I match.

76* - Dasun Shanaka scored 76 runs off 31 balls, including 2 fours and 8 sixes. This marks his highest score in 131 matches, surpassing his previous best of 74* against India in the 2022 edition. Notably, this innings also marked his 100th six in T20 internationals.