Sahibzada Farhan dominated Sri Lanka’s bowling to score a rapid century, giving Pakistan momentum in the Super Eight match at Pallekele while chasing semi-final qualification hopes in the T20 World Cup.
Opening with Fakhar Zaman, Farhan broke Virat Kohli’s record for most runs in a single T20 World Cup edition, reaching 323 and establishing himself as the tournament’s leading run-scorer.
The duo shared a 176-run partnership, a T20 World Cup record, surpassing Finn Allen and Tim Seifert’s previous unbroken 175 against UAE, while Fakhar scored a fluent fifty and punished the bowlers consistently.
Pakistan’s powerplay had produced 64 runs, their best start of the tournament, with both batters scoring freely and taking advantage of misfields, extras, and loose deliveries from Sri Lanka’s attack.
Middle-Order Wobbles
Pakistan’s middle-order struggled as Khawaja Nafay fell for two, Shadab Khan was run out attempting a non-existent second run, and Mohammad Nawaz was dismissed first ball, exposing the team’s vulnerability.
Salman Agha lasted only two balls at number six, limiting Pakistan’s scoring in the final overs, as Sri Lanka regained control briefly before Farhan reached his century, anchoring the innings through pressure.
Despite these setbacks, Pakistan crossed 200 with 212 for eight, leaving their bowlers with the task of restricting Sri Lanka to 147 or below to remain in contention for the semi-finals.
Key Records Broken
Farhan became only the second player after Chris Gayle to score two centuries in T20 World Cups, while his opening stand with Fakhar became Pakistan’s highest for any wicket in the tournament.
He also equalled Matthew Hayden, Virat Kohli, and Babar Azam for four 50-plus scores in a single edition, demonstrating remarkable consistency and dominating Sri Lanka’s bowling throughout the innings.
Tournament Context
Sri Lanka were already eliminated from the semi-finals after losing three successive matches, leaving Pakistan’s qualification hopes dependent on a win by restricting to 147 runs to qualify for semi-finals
