Pakistan is playing Sri Lanka at the R.Premadasa stadium in Colombo on Thursday in a match that is almost a semi-final for the Asia Cup 2023. Whoever wins will be sure to be in the final.
Asia Cup 2023: Rizwan, Iftikhar lauded on valiant knocks
Pakistan once again lost a lot of wickets early on, but Abdullah Shafique’s first ODI fifty gave the Green Shirts a much-needed break. However, wickets continued to fall for Pakistan.
Mohammad Nawaz’s wicket was lost when Pakistan had 130 runs and 5 wickets. It looked like the team wouldn’t reach 180 runs, but Mohammad Rizwan and Iftikhar Ahmed worked together to change the team’s luck and get them to a good score of 252 runs in 42 overs.
Rizwan’s amazing 86 runs in 73 balls helped speed up his innings and set up Pakistan’s comeback in the game.
Iftikhar helped the wicketkeeper batter and played a mature 47 runs in 40 balls to support him.Fans and past cricketers took to social media to praise the two batters for their important hits.
Pakistan won the toss and chose to bat first in a must-win game that was delayed by rain and then shortened to 45 overs.
Note that if rain stops play before Sri Lanka has played at least 20 overs, the match will end with no winner and the home team will qualify because they have a better net run rate (NRR) than Pakistan.
Using XI
Pakistan: Fakhar Zaman, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Haris, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Zaman Khan.
Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis (wk), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dasun Shanaka (c), Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Pramod Madushan, Matheesha Pathirana.
