Despite successfully defending 212 and achieving a hard-fought victory, Pakistan’s campaign came to an end. They had to restrict Sri Lanka to 147 or less to overtake New Zealand in terms of net run rate and qualify for the semi-finals. Falling well below that margin ended their journey in the tournament, and New Zealand advanced to the final four.
Sahibzada Farhan and Fakhar Zaman ensure a blazing start
After Sri Lanka opted to bowl first, Pakistan’s opening pair came out with aggressive intent. Sahibzada Farhan once again proved why he has been one of the standout batters of the tournament, with a brilliant 100 off 60 balls. His innings included nine sharp fours and five towering sixes, anchoring Pakistan’s attack.
On the other hand, Fakhar Zaman played the perfect aggressor and shot 84 off 42 deliveries with nine boundaries and four sixes. Their opening partnership of 176 runs put Sri Lanka behind and laid the foundation for a huge total.
But once the breakthrough came, Sri Lanka clawed their way back. Dilshan Madushanka impressed with 3 for 33 while skipper Dasun Shanaka took two wickets to block the late acceleration. Pakistan eventually finished on 212 for 8 – a strong score, but one that came with extra pressure because of the qualifying equation.
Dasun Shanaka’s exploits almost spoil the script
Sri Lanka’s chase started steadily, with useful contributions from Kamil Mishara And Charith Asalanka. Pavan Rathnayake‘s 58 off 37 balls kept the required pace manageable, paving the way for a late attack.
Shanaka then stoked hopes of a miracle chase with a stunning 76 from just 31 balls, hitting eight sixes in a breathtaking display of power-hitting. For a while it looked like Sri Lanka could achieve an unforgettable victory.
Pakistan’s bowlers stood their ground when it mattered most. Abra Ahmed produced an eye-catching spell of 3 for 23, with crucial brakes applied in the middle overs. Shaheen Afridi And Naseem Shah scored important wickets as Sri Lanka closed at 207 for 6.
A consolation win as New Zealand advances to the semi-finals
Ultimately, Pakistan won the match by five points, but the celebrations remained muted. The victory was only a consolation as Sri Lanka’s total comfortably crossed the 147-run threshold that Pakistan so desperately needed.
With that, Pakistan exited the tournament despite a brawl, while D secured their place in the semi-finals. Farhan was named Player of the Match for his stunning century – a blow that deserved a bigger prize but ultimately failed to change Pakistan’s fate in the competition.
Also READ: T20 World Cup 2026: Here’s why Kusal Mendis and Babar Azam won’t play today’s PAK vs SL Super 8 match
Here’s how fans reacted:
This is what SL did to Pakistan 😅 #PAKvSL #T20World Cup 2026 pic.twitter.com/UMVuaenFQP
— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) February 28, 2026
Shadab Nawaz Faheem Usman Khan must get rid of all of them from the Pakistan team
Enough is enough 🙏 #PAKvSL— Rock.it (@hubpharma48) February 28, 2026
Well, that’s it. We are officially out of the World Cup.#PAKvSL #ICCMensT20WorldCup2026 #Srilanka
— Sadia Khan (@ISadiaSaeedKhan) February 28, 2026
Your captain said dew was a factor, you knew you can still lose the toss to nawaz n shadab. Fahem was a must, he could score just as well on order. Pethatic captain. Your problem was always of a lower order, you needed saim instead of usman, and faheem instead of nawaz or shadab. #PAKvSL
– Jibran Yousaf (@zOOmJb) February 28, 2026
Pakistani ilawa hr team tried kr rhi thi k pakistan semifinal m jai maar 🫠🙂…….#PAKvSL
— flowers🫶 (@ismjusta_girl) February 28, 2026
Situation of Pakistan team at the moment#PAKvSL pic.twitter.com/xhmJCgAqns
— Innovate Pakistan (@0ffside_soccer) February 28, 2026
Srilanka just eliminated Australia and Pakistan from the tournament #PAKvSL
— Thala Mass (@king_maker07) February 28, 2026
Pakistan is out of the World Cup.
I didn’t deserve to be in the semi-finals. #ICCMensT20WorldCup #PAKvSL
— Sharath Rao (@raosharathkumar) February 28, 2026
After the match, Dasun Shanaka apologized to all Sri Lankan fans for his statement
Respect ✅✅ #PAKvsSL #SLvsPAK #PAKvSL pic.twitter.com/ao5N1Ampgy– Muffadal Johns. (@i_Vishal18) February 28, 2026
Pakistan qualified for Karachi airport immediately after the match
✈️😅Won by just 5 runs against SL when they needed a huge margin of 65 runs to qualify for the semi-finals.#PAKvSL #T20World Cup 2026 #PakistanCricket #SLvPAK pic.twitter.com/nKf7zJmPZ4
— Harinder singh brar (@harry7081) February 28, 2026
In the post-match presentation, Salman admitted that the middle order has been a problem for the Pakistan team in recent years, but the squad of 15 still contains six openers.🤔#PAKvSL#SLvsPAK
— Caught&Bowled🏏 (@CaughtbehindICC) February 28, 2026
#PAKvSL 147 would always be too few to defend on this field. What a chase through Sri Lanka. Shanaka and Rathnayake were phenomenal in the chase. Great cricket match. #ICCMensT20WorldCup
— Kung Fu Dakait (@KariJyoti89159) February 28, 2026
Dasun Shanaka, you should have gotten that six for humanity.
— Ahsan (@oyee_ahsann) February 28, 2026
Smoked almost all of Pakistan single-handedly! Huge respect Dasun Shanaka, sew adi pei adi🫡🔥 #SLvPAK pic.twitter.com/W8u1Tg4kw8
— Baviyshh (@Baviyshrina) February 28, 2026
I always like his percussion. When he comes into the crease as batter, he remains silent at first. Then he shows his monster stroke. He is the Chris Gayle of our generation. Dasun Shanaka — what a player! @dasunshanaka1 💙🔥#SLvPAK | #T20World Cup
— Murshidul Amin Umayer Sirazi (@UmayerSirazi) February 28, 2026
Feel for Dasun Shanaka and Sri Lanka.
That should have been a wide one.#ICCMensT20WorldCup #SLvsPK #CricketTwitter pic.twitter.com/Tlztvw1N0x
-JD (@dhaka73242) February 28, 2026
Pakistan won the match, Dasun Shanaka won our hearts 🫂♥️ pic.twitter.com/G3P5KF4aRy
— 𝐀kki 𝐍🕊️ (@akmal_noori_13) February 28, 2026
Dasun Shanaka The man you are#SLvPAK
— Mousumi Soren (@meww1499) February 28, 2026
Also READ: Fans go wild as Sahibzada Farhan creates history with stunning century in PAK vs SL Super 8 clash at T20 World Cup 2026
#Fans #erupt #Sahibzada #Farhan #beats #Dasun #Shanaka #Pakistans #semifinal #dream #ends #T20 #World #Cup