Pakistan eliminated from T20 World Cup despite win as New Zealand advance

[p]An inferior net run rate meant [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/pakistan/tS3K91g9/"]Pakistan[/a] ‌had to win big ⁠against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/sri-lanka/zahH5UHg/"]‌Sri Lanka[/a] in order ​to pip [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/new-zealand/G6PWlrQB/"]New Zealand[/a] and join ​group leaders [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/england/UJC5mtAU/"]England[/a] in the semi-finals.[/p][p][b]They racked up ⁠212-8 ​after [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/farhan-sahibzada/tny194sp/"]Sahibzada Farhan[/a] (100) and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/zaman-fakhar/KxE5FJlt/"]Fakhar Zaman[/a] (84) combined in a T20 World ‌Cup record 176-run opening stand.[/b][/p][p]Pakistan had to restrict their opponents to 147 or less to make the last four but [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/cricket/pakistan-tS3K91g9/sri-lanka-zahH5UHg/?mid=6yFg6oNj"]Sri Lanka finished on 207-6[/a] ‌nearly snatching a victory.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rathnayake-milan/Sx9gq9xB/"]Pavan ​Rathnayake[/a] made 58 and ‌Sri Lanka captain [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/shanaka-dasun/xp3ymljg/"]Dasun Shanaka[/a] smoked an unbeaten 76 off 31 balls.[/p][p]Defending champions India will play West Indies in a virtual quarter-final in Kolkata on ‌Sunday with the winners claiming the last semi-final spot.[/p][p][b]"It ⁠could have been a different story had ‌we won the toss,"[/b] Pakistan captain Salman Agha said.[/p][p][b]"Dew was a factor, and we couldn't ​execute our plans."[/b][/p][embed guid="f9371594-01a1-41d7-83aa-67baf0504d7a" url="https://x.com/T20WorldCup/status/2027797118791094555" social-type="twitter" /][p]Put in to bat in a do-or-die match at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Pakistan could not have asked for a better ​start.[/p][p]Farhan led their charge with scintillating power-hitting as he and Zaman denied Sri Lanka a breakthrough until the 16th over.[/p][p]Sri Lanka's sloppy fielding did not help ⁠their cause either.[/p][p]Dunith Wellalage dropped ​Farhan on 75, while Janith Liyanage caught the batter on 76 but stepped onto the boundary cushion in the process.[/p][h2]Farhan breaks Kohli's record[/h2][p]Farhan, who also bettered Indian Virat Kohli's record of most runs in a T20 World Cup with his tally of ‌383, needed 59 balls to become the first batter to score two hundreds in the same edition of the tournament.[/p][p]The partnership came to an end when Zaman dragged a Dushmantha Chameera delivery onto his stumps, which triggered a late collapse.[/p][p][b]Farhan was caught in the covers off the bowling of Dilshan Madushanka after a stellar knock studded with five sixes and nine fours.[/b][/p][p]Having already been eliminated, Sri Lanka faltered early in their chase and were 33-2 having lost both openers inside five overs.[/p][p]Charith Asalanka fell after a brisk 25 and spinner Abrar Ahmed (3-23) dismissed Kamindu Mendis ‌in his next over.[/p][p]Rathnayake's belligerent 58 could not force a win for Sri ​Lanka but knocked Pakistan out of the tournament.[/p][p]Shanaka, whose job is reportedly at ‌risk after leading Sri Lanka's poor campaign, injected fresh excitement into the dead rubber by hitting eight sixes.[/p][p]Needing 28 from the last over from Shaheen Afridi, Shanaka began with a four before clobbering three sixes in a row.[/p][p]Afridi recovered from the assault to finish with two fairly wide deliveries which Shanaka ⁠could not connect with.[/p][p][b]"It was a ⁠close game," [/b]Shanaka said. [b]"I could have ‌finished it but well bowled to Shaheen."[/b][/p]