Shaheens lose to Sri Lanka A in Emerging Teams Asia Cup

LAHORE: Sri Lanka A secured their place in the ACC Men’s T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup final with a decisive seven-wicket victory over Pakistan Shaheens in the first semifinal at the Oman Cricket Academy Ground on Friday.

Chasing a target of 136, Sri Lanka A reached the finish line comfortably in the 17th over, thanks to impactful performances from Ahan Wickramasinghe and Lahiru Udara.

Ahan Wickramasinghe anchored the chase, finishing unbeaten on 52 runs off 46 balls, hitting four fours and a six. Openert Lahiru Udara gave Sri Lanka A a powerful start with a quick-fire 43 from just 20 balls, which included two fours and four sixes, setting a solid foundation for the chase.

Earlier, after choosing to bat, Pakistan Shaheens posted a total of 135 for nine in their allotted 20 overs. Omair Bin Yousuf led the scoring for Shaheens with a resilient 68 off 46 balls, featuring five fours and four sixes. However, the remaining batters struggled to maintain momentum with Haider Ali (14), Mohammad Imran Jnr (13) and Arafat Minhas (10) being the only others to reach double figures.

Sri Lanka A’s bowling was led by Dushan Hemantha, who delivered a stellar spell, claiming four wickets for 21 runs in his four overs. Eshan Malinga and Nipun Ransika provided valuable support, taking two wickets each and restricting the Shaheens from setting a formidable target.

Scores in brief: Pakistan Shaheens 135-9 in 20 overs (Omair Bin Yousuf 68; Dushan Hemantha 4-21, Nipun Ransika 2-21, Eshan Malinga 2-28)

Sri Lanka A 137-3 in 16.3 overs (Ahan Wickramasinghe 52 not out, Lahiru Udara 43).

Player of the match: Dushan Hemantha (Sri Lanka A).