PAK vs SL: Watch - Debutant Zaman Khan In Tears After Failing To Defend Six Runs Off Final Two Balls

Pakistan have been eliminated out of the Asia Cup 2023 following their two wickets against Sri Lanka in their last Super Four match of the ongoing six-team tournament. The Babar Azam-led team’s hopes of advancing to the final match of the continental tournament were dashed.

Pakistan skipper Babar Azam opted to bat after winning the toss at R. Premadasa Stadium on Thursday, September 14. The Men in Green posted a total of 252/7 in 42 overs in a rain-curtailed match, with Mohammad Rizwan, Abdullah Shafique, and Iftikhar Ahmed shining with the bat.

Kusal Mendis Wins Player Of The Match Award

Wicketkeeper-batsman Kusal Mendis played a crucial role in helping the team chase down the revised target of 252 runs. Mendis (91 runs off 87) narrowly missed out on his well-deserved century. He formed a 100-run partnership with Sadeera Samarawickrama (48) for the third wicket.

Part-time spinner Iftikhar Ahmed took three wickets for 50 runs in his eight overs. Iftikhar claimed the crucial wickets of Mendis, Sadeera, and Dasun Shanaka. Left-arm pacer Shaheen Afridi took two wickets in the penultimate over of the match, leaving seven runs to defend in the final over.

Watch – Debutant Zaman Khan Crestfallen In Final Over

Debutant Zaman Khan started the final over well, conceding just two runs off the first four balls. Zaman bowled a wide yorker to Charith Asalanka on the penultimate ball, which went to the boundary between the keeper and short third after taking an outside edge.

The young pacer was disappointed with the outcome and was on the mat, hiding his head between his arms. Babar Azam had an extensive conversation with him before the final ball. Asalanka calmly placed the ball into the vacant leg-side region to complete two runs.

Go big, or go home ??
Sri Lanka takes that spot in the finals as they end Pakistan’s journey in this tournament ??

Watch #AsiaCup2023 only on #DisneyPlusHotstar, free on the mobile app.#PAKvSL #FreeMeinDekhteJaao #AsiaCupOnHotstar #Cricket pic.twitter.com/PFFTuwo2CO

— Disney+ Hotstar (@DisneyPlusHS) September 14, 2023

We Entrusted Zaman Khan With The Final Over – Babar Azam

During the post-match presentation following the loss, Babar Azam admitted that their bowling and fielding didn’t meet their standards to win the virtual semi-final match.

“Ultimately, we chose to utilize our top bowlers. This led to my decision to have Shaheen bowl the penultimate over, and we entrusted Zaman Khan with the final over. Sri Lanka displayed excellent cricket throughout the match, outperforming us. Our bowling and fielding fell short of our standards, which contributed to our defeat.”

Also read: PAK vs SL: Watch – Haris Rauf Hands Zaman Khan His Maiden ODI Cap With Special Message