Pakistan face Sri Lanka in a must-win Super Eight clash at Pallekele, requiring a massive victory margin or a rapid chase to overturn a significant net run rate deficit and reach the semi-finals.
Sri Lanka have been knocked out of semi-final contention after losing both their Super Eight matches against New Zealand and England, while the match carries immense importance for Pakistan.
The Men in Green must beat Sri Lanka by 64 runs or chase the target within 13.5 overs to surpass New Zealand in the points table, where they currently sit second behind England.
This will be the 31st meeting between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in T20 internationals, with Pakistan winning 17 matches, Sri Lanka claiming 12 victories, and one encounter ending with no result.
| Team | Total | Win | Loss | No result |
| Pakistan | 30 | 17 | 12 | 1 |
| Sri Lanka | 30 | 12 | 17 | 1 |
At T20 World Cups, Sri Lanka and Pakistan have met four times, winning two matches each, including Pakistan’s triumph in the 2009 final and Sri Lanka’s semi-final victory in 2012.
Match-by-Match Breakdown in T20 World Cups
T20 World Cup 2007
Pakistan posted 189 for six after recovering from 33 for three, with captain Shoaib Malik scoring 57 and Younis Khan making 51 in a decisive 101-run partnership at the Wanderers.
Sri Lanka, chasing 190, were restricted to 156 for nine despite Tillakaratne Dilshan and Chamara Silva scoring 38 each, while Shahid Afridi’s superb three for 18 secured Pakistan’s commanding 33-run victory.
Pakistan’s innings was rescued after early setbacks, with Malik reaching his half-century in 27 balls and Younis completing a 32-ball fifty, while Afridi and Misbah-ul-Haq added late boundaries to boost the total.
Sri Lanka’s reply faltered early with quick wickets, and although a 53-run stand between Mahela Jayawardene and Silva offered hope, disciplined bowling from Afridi and Hafeez ensured Pakistan secured an emphatic win.
T20 World Cup 2009 (Group Stage)
Sri Lanka recovered from a dramatic middle-order collapse to post 150 for seven at Lord’s, with Tillakaratne Dilshan scoring 46, before restricting Pakistan to 131, securing a 19-run Super Eight victory.
Pakistan’s chase was anchored by Younis Khan’s composed 50 and a 66-run partnership with Misbah-ul-Haq, but three wickets in eight balls, including Younis and Shahid Afridi, decisively ended their resistance.
Sri Lanka’s explosive start, powered by Dilshan and Sanath Jayasuriya, produced 59 runs in five overs, while Pakistan conceded 20 extras, before disciplined spin bowling dramatically halted their momentum.
Shahid Afridi’s tight spell triggered Sri Lanka’s slump after 80 in eight overs, yet Lasith Malinga’s superb three for 17 and sharp fielding ensured Pakistan fell short despite a spirited recovery.
T20 World Cup 2009 (Final)
Pakistan clinched the ICC World Twenty20 title at Lord’s, chasing 139 for two to defeat Sri Lanka by eight wickets after restricting them to 138 for six in the final.
Abdul Razzaq’s superb three for 20 reduced Sri Lanka to 32 for four early, while Mohammad Aamer dismissed Tillakaratne Dilshan in the opening over to seize immediate control of the match.
Kumar Sangakkara anchored Sri Lanka with an unbeaten 64 and added 59 runs in the final five overs with Angelo Mathews, but disciplined Pakistani bowling restricted the target effectively.
Shahid Afridi struck a composed unbeaten 54, sharing a decisive 76-run stand with Shoaib Malik after Kamran Akmal’s brisk 37, sealing Pakistan’s victory in the 19th over of the match.
T20 World Cup 2012 (Semi-Final)
Sri Lanka posted 139 for 4 in the 2012 World Twenty20 semi-final in Colombo, with Mahela Jayawardene scoring 42 and Tillakaratne Dilshan 35, before restricting Pakistan to 123 for 7, winning by 16 runs.
On a crumbling, sharply turning pitch at R Premadasa Stadium, Jayawardene’s elegant 42 off 36 balls, featuring inventive sweeps and reverse-sweeps, proved decisive in a tense, low-scoring contest dominated by spin bowling.
Mohammad Hafeez top-scored with 42 and briefly revived Pakistan’s chase, but Kumar Sangakkara’s sharp stumping off Rangana Herath shifted momentum, as Sri Lanka defended 48 runs from the final 35 deliveries.
Herath’s match-winning 3 for 25, supported by disciplined spells from Umar Gul and Saeed Ajmal, ensured Sri Lanka reached their second World Twenty20 final, successfully defending 140 despite late resistance from Pakistan.
