Sri Lanka A stun Pakistan A to seal spot in the final of ACC Men’s T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup

Muscat: Sri Lanka A knocked out defending champions Pakistan A to book a spot in the final of the ACC Men’s T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup at the Oman Cricket Academy ground on Friday afternoon.

 In the first semi-final, Sri Lanka A outplayed Pakistan Shaheens by seven wickets, chasing down 136 with 21 balls to spare. Dushan Hemantha was the star performer, taking 4 wickets for 21 runs and earning the Player of the Match award.

Pakistan A, after choosing to bat, struggled against Hemantha's precise bowling. Omair Yousuf was the top scorer with a solid 68 off 46 balls, but Pakistan A's batting lineup couldn't capitalise further, ending at 135/9.

Besides Hemantha, Nipun Ransika and Eshan Malinga took two wickets each, effectively stifling Pakistan's run rate.

In response, Sri Lanka A's chase was led by a quickfire 43 off 20 balls from Lahiru Udara and an unbeaten 52 off 46 balls by Ahan Wickramasinghe. Pakistan's bowlers were unable to break Sri Lanka A’s steady partnership-building, with Abbas Afridi and Sufiyan Muqeem each taking a wicket but struggling to maintain control.

Sri Lanka A’s impressive all-around performance earned them a place in the final, and will play the winner of the second semi-final between India A and Afghanistan later in the evening. The final is scheduled to be held on Sunday.

Brief scores: Pakistan A: 135/9 (Omair Yousuf 68; Dushan Hemantha 4/21, Ethan Malinga 2/28, Nipun Ransika 2/21) lost to Sri Lanka A 137/3 in 16.3 overs (Lahiru Udara 43, Ahsan Wickremasinghe 52; Abbas Afridi 1/16).