DOHA:Pakistan’s T20 World Cup journey came to a heartbreaking end on Saturday after they failed to beat Sri Lanka national cricket team by the required 65-run margin in their final Super 8 clash at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium.
Although Pakistan secured a narrow five-run victory, it proved insufficient. Sri Lanka crossed the crucial 148-run threshold on the fifth ball of the 16th over, officially eliminating Pakistan from semifinal contention. As a result, New Zealand national cricket team advanced as the second qualifier from Group 2, joining England cricket team in the last four.
Earlier, Pakistan posted a formidable 212-8 after being put in to bat — their highest-ever total in a T20 World Cup. Sahibzada Farhan etched his name into the record books, becoming the first player to score two centuries in the same edition of the tournament. His scintillating 60-ball 100 included five sixes and nine fours, taking his aggregate to 383 runs — a new T20 World Cup record, surpassing Virat Kohli’s 319 runs set in 2014.
Farhan found an able partner in Fakhar Zaman, who hammered 84 off just 42 deliveries, striking four sixes and nine fours. The pair stitched together a commanding 176-run opening stand in 15.5 overs, laying the perfect platform for a massive total.
However, despite the batting heroics and the eventual win, Pakistan’s campaign ended in disappointment as the required net run-rate equation slipped out of reach.
