Pakistan National Cricket Team vs Sri Lanka National Cricket Team Match Scorecard: Shaheen Afridi gave Pakistan a perfect start by dismissing Sri Lanka’s Kusal Mendis for a golden duck in the first over of their Super Four match at Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, September 23, 2025. Afridi’s delivery pitched around middle and leg stump. Mendis attempted a flick but sent the ball straight to mid‑wicket fielder Hussain Talat. The catch was taken cleanly, and Mendis departed without scoring.
Shaheen Afridi also achieved a major milestone in this match. With his second wicket, he became Pakistan’s second-highest wicket-taker in T20I cricket. He surpassed spinner Shadab Khan, who had 112 wickets in 112 T20Is at an average of 24.37. Shaheen now trails only Haris Rauf, who has over 128 wickets at an average of nearly 21.
Both teams are under pressure after losing their opening Super Four matches. Pakistan sit at the bottom of the points table, while Sri Lanka are in third place. India and Bangladesh lead with two points each, with India ahead on net run rate. The match is crucial for both sides as the winner keeps its hopes alive for a place in the Asia Cup 2025 final.
Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha won the toss and elected to bowl first in the crucial match. Pakistan captain Salman Agha said the pitch looks good and will not change much during the game. "We will bowl first. Looks a good wicket, don't think it will change much. I think we started well (against India), but then the tempo shifted.. They are a good side, we’re a good side. We don’t think about the past, just need to focus on today. We have an unchanged side," he said during the toss.
Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka said the pitch looks good and batting first would have been fine. "I would have done the same thing. It looks a good pitch, don't mind batting first. We are playing good cricket, we need to improve in a few areas. Batting and bowling at the death. There are two changes. Theekshana and Karunaratne are in. We thought that we might need one extra bowler, that's why we have brought in a bowler who can bat," Asalanka said.
Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Asia Cup 2025 Super 4 Match 3 Playing XIs
Sri Lanka Playing XI: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis(w), Kusal Perera, Charith Asalanka(c), Dasun Shanaka, Kamindu Mendis, Chamika Karunaratne, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushmantha Chameera, Nuwan Thushara
Pakistan Playing XI: Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Fakhar Zaman, Salman Agha(c), Hussain Talat, Mohammad Haris(w), Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed
Fans in India can watch the match live on the Sony Sports Network. Channels airing the game include Sony Sports Ten 1, Sony Sports Ten 3 Hindi, Sony Sports Ten 4 Tamil, Sony Sports Ten 4 Telugu, and Sony Sports Ten 5. The match will also be streamed live on the SonyLIV app and website. A subscription is required to access the stream.