Pakistan knocked out as New Zealand reach T20 World Cup semis

Men’s T20 World Cup, Super 8s Group 2, Pallekele

Pakistan 212-8 (20 overs): Farhan 100 (60) Fakhar 84 (42); Madushanka 4-33

Sri Lanka 207-6 (20 overs): Shanaka 76* (31); Ahmed 3-23

Pakistan won by five runs

Sahibzada Farhan made a superb century as Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by five runs in the T20 World Cup Super 8s but missed out on a semi-final spot on net run-rate.

Farhan’s 100 off 60 balls featured nine fours and five sixes as Pakistan posted 212-8 – their highest-ever total at a T20 World Cup.

Pakistan needed to restrict Sri Lanka to 147 runs or fewer in their reply to ensure their net run-rate was better than New Zealand’s in Group 2.

However, Sri Lanka managed to scrape past the figure in 15.5 overs for the loss of five wickets which saw the Black Caps progress to the knockout phase.

It ensured New Zealand finished with a net run-rate of +1.390 as they claimed second spot ahead of Pakistan (-0.123).

Sri Lanka came up just short of pulling off the second-highest chase in World Cup history after some late big hitting from captain Dasun Shanaka as Pakistan’s players went through the motions.

With 28 needed off the final over Shanaka, who made an unbeaten 76 off 31 balls, crashed a four and three sixes.

But with six required for a Sri Lanka victory, Shaheen Afridi switched back on and bowled two dots with wide yorkers.

Earlier, a 176-run stand between Farhan and Fakhar Zaman had given Pakistan hope of delivering what had seemed a big ask on paper.

Fakhar, restored to open after batting in the middle order against England, played his part with some crisp ball striking en route to 84 off 42 balls.

In what was just his second innings at this World Cup, Fakhar clubbed nine fours and four sixes as Sri Lanka’s bowlers were flayed to all parts.

In what has largely been a trying World Cup for Pakistan, Farhan has stood as a beacon of hope at the top of the order.

The 29-year-old produced a stellar knock at the Pallekele Cricket Stadium to take his tally at the tournament to 383 runs in six innings at an average of 76.60.

Nobody has scored more runs at a T20 World Cup as he eclipsed Virat Kohli’s total of 319 at the 2014 event.

Farhan also now tops the six-hitting charts with 18 – one more than West Indies’ Shimron Hetmyer.

This innings combined the best of his aggression and elegant strokeplay as he became the first batter to make two centuries at a World Cup following his unbeaten 100 off 58 balls against Namibia.

The only blot on Farhan’s copybook – and it may feel hypercritical to highlight it – was an apparent lack of match awareness when he reached three figures off 59 balls.

Off the first ball of 19th over – and with a new batter at the non-striker’s end – he bunted Shanaka down the ground for a single to bring up his century.

From the non-striker’s end he watched two wickets, failed to get on strike, then drilled the first ball of Madushanka’s final over into the hands of cover.

Had Farhan turned down the single, kept the strike, and looked to hit more boundaries off the final 11 balls then Pakistan potentially could have got some valuable extra runs that might have made a difference.