Asia Cup final between Pakistan and Sri Lanka started on 11 September in Dubai. Sri Lanka won the match by 23 runs. Batting first Sri Lanka scored 170 runs at the loss of 6 wickets. Pakistan could only score 147 runs losing all the wickets in the process. Bhanuka Rajapaksa made 71 runs helping Sri Lanka reach the winning total.
Pakistan won the toss and chose to bowl first. The records show that team bowling first should win the match as well. The start of the game favoured the statistics. Sri Lanka were reduced to 58-5 in 9 overs. Wicket keeper opening batter Kusal Mendis was dismissed on golden duck by young pacer Naseem Shah and Captain Dasun Shanaka was gone for 2 runs in 3 balls. But pinch hitter Bhanuka Rajapaksa had other plans. He smashed every Pakistani bowler to score 71 runs in 45 balls.
For Pakistan Harish Rauf took 3 wickets whole Naseem Shah, Shadab Khan and Iftikhar Ahmed took 1 wicket each.Pakistan came into second innings determined to chase the target. The first over by Sri Lanka had a nightmare start with 9 runs in extras without a single legal ball bowled. But things changed in the 4th over when Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman were dismissed in consecutive balls by Pramod Madushan. Pakistan struggled to make runs from there. Mohammad Rizwan held one end and scored a fighting 55 runs in 49 balls. Required rate was under control until the 17th over. The last over of the Wanindu Hasaranga’s spell took the match away from Pakistan. He took three wickets in the same including Mohammad Rizwan. Iftikhar Ahmed scored 32 runs in 31 balls. Other than these two batters no other was able to give fight back to Sri Lankan attack.
For Sri Lanka Pramod Madhushan took 4 wickets, Wanindu Hasaranga took 3 wickets, Chamika Karunaratne and Mahesh Theekshana took 2 and 1 wicket respectively.Pakistan were all out in the last ball of the innings for 147 runs.
Sri Lanka won its 6th Asia Cup title and first after 8 years.
