Sri Lanka defeated Pakistan by 23 runs in the final of the Asia Cup 2022 on Sunday, September 11, to clinch their sixth title at the Dubai International Stadium in the UAE. Batting first, Sri Lanka scored 170 runs by losing six wickets, however, Pakistan was unable to cross the 150-run mark as they were bowled out for 147.

The victory also marked the first time Sri Lanka won five successive T20I matches since April 2014, which included wins in their title-winning World Cup campaign. They also won the Asia Cup after eight years, with their last victory coming in the 2014 edition.

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Sri Lanka began the match underwhelmingly, losing five wickets before the halfway point of their innings. Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis, their opening duo, failed to register double digits. Dhananjaya de Silva restored some confidence by scoring 28 runs but was dismissed soon. At a point, Sri Lanka stood at only 85 runs in 11 overs against a mighty Pakistan bowling.

However, it was Bhanuka Rajapaksha and Wanindu Hasaranga who helped Sri Lanka to make a comeback. Rajapaksha scored an undefeated 71 runs off 45 balls, with six boundaries and three sixes, whereas Hasaranga played a knock of 36 runs off 21 balls, with a strike rate of 171.43. Their partnership helped Sri Lanka set a target of 171 to Pakistan.

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Hasaranga shone in bowling as well, registering a figure of 3/27 in four overs. Right-arm pacer Pramod Madushan, however, was the bowling star of the night with a figure of 4/34. He claimed the wickets of Pakistan captain Babar Zaman, Iftikhar Ahmed and Fakhar Zaman and Naseem Shah.

The heroics of Hasaranga and Madushan forced Pakistan, who were cruising at 93 for two, to be all out for 147. The 17th over by Hasaranga saw the fall of Mohammad Rizwan, Asif Ali and Khushdil Shah, something Pakistan could not recover from.