New Delhi: Sri Lanka defeated Pakistan by 23 runs in the final match of the 2022 Asia Cup played in Dubai. In the final match, Sri Lanka scored 170 runs in 20 overs after playing first. In reply, Pakistan’s team could score only 147 runs. Sri Lanka has won the Asia Cup title after eight years and for the sixth time.
Vanindu Hasaranga and Bhanuka Rajapaksa were the heroes of Sri Lanka’s explosive victory. Hasaranga was brilliant with both bat and ball. Hasaranga first scored 36 runs in 21 balls and then took important three wickets. At the same time, Rajapaksa played an unbeaten 71-run innings.
The young fast bowler Pramod Madhushan also played an important role in this victory. He took four wickets for 34 runs.
Bhanuka Rajapaksa (71 not out off 45 balls) and Wanindu Hasaranga (36 off 21 balls) aggressive knocks took Sri Lanka to 170/6 in 20 overs. Apart from Rajapaksa and Hasaranga during their stay at the crease, Dhananjaya de Silva (28 off 21 balls) and Chamika Karunaratne (14 not out off 14 balls) also played crucial knocks for Sri Lanka.
For Pakistan, Haris Rauf (3/29) was one of the three wickets, while Iftikhar Ahmed (1/21), Shadab Khan (1/28) and Naseem Shah (1/40) took one wicket each.
Chasing a challenging total, Mohammad Rizwan kept Pakistan alive in the game before being dismissed with a good half-century (55 off 49 balls) and Iftikhar Ahmed (32 off 31 balls). However, the other batsmen could not contribute and Pakistan could only score 147 runs in 20 overs.