Taken down by the already fallen: Sri Lanka end Pakistan’s T20 World Cup campaign

With Sri Lanka deciding to bowl first, everything came down to whether Pakistan’s attack could close out the game in batting-friendly conditions. Having played all their fixtures so far on slow, spin-friendly surfaces, Pakistan got a belter for a match where they had to factor in the net run-rate. And for the first time in the tournament, Pakistan finally got their XI right. For a fixture where a big total was needed, they stocked up the batting unit with players who batted with intent — which meant there was no space for Babar Azam. On the bowling front too, they chose to bring in Naseem Shah. But all of it proved too late, as keeping Sri Lanka to 147 seemed a bridge too far.

Pakistan’s Sahibzada Farhan, left, and batting partner Fakhar Zaman run between the wickets during the T20 World Cup cricket match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in Pallekele, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

For Pakistan to progress, they needed wickets. But on this surface, it was always a big if — and so it remained. With the exception of Abrar, who managed three strikes, the rest of the attack could only keep the Lankan batsmen in check, as wickets proved too hard to come by. Their only hope was that Sri Lanka combusted on their own, as they had against England and New Zealand. But even for their underfire batting unit, it was impossible to find a way to collapse on demand, and they ended with 207/6.

The big question

As Pakistan pack their bags and head home, they will face one familiar question. Despite having a batsman of Fakhar Zaman’s calibre, did they make the best use of him? Right through this campaign, the decision to include — or make proper use of — Fakhar has been under constant scrutiny. Having warmed the bench through the group stages, it was only during the Super 8s that Pakistan woke up and brought the left-hander back into the XI. But even in their defeat against England, he batted at No. 5. As Saim Ayub struggled up top and Babar failed to inject any sort of intent into the batting, questions were only getting louder.

After all, this is not a batting unit with plenty of wealth. And when it comes to natural intent and adding muscle to the lineup, Fakhar is capable of providing both. For this contest, where they needed to catch up on the run-rate, Pakistan needed the intent to flow right through the innings. Out went Saim and Babar, as they paired Fakhar with Farhan at the top.

Pakistan’s Sahibzada Farhan celebrates his century during the T20 World Cup cricket match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in Pallekele, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

And in the 15.5 overs they were together in the middle, the two showed exactly what Pakistan had been missing. The 176-run stand — the highest for any wicket in T20 World Cups — was precisely what Pakistan needed on the night. As usual, it was Farhan who gave them the strong start. Having been among the standout performers in the tournament, he has delivered consistently — the match against India his lone failure. Here, when Pakistan needed him, Farhan answered the call, giving Fakhar the time to settle in.

With Sri Lanka’s attack feeding plenty of deliveries into his swinging arc, Farhan in this form did not need to do anything extraordinary. He would stay put in his crease, shuffling every now and then, using the depth of the crease to good effect and freeing his arms by clearing the front leg.

Already knocked out of the tournament, Sri Lanka’s bowling started flat and showed no signs of revival. But their batsmen, especially their captain Shanaka, came up with a memorable knock to almost pull off a heist. In the end, both Pakistan and Sri Lanka would bow out of tournament in disappointment.