The Pakistan Shaheens clinched a dramatic five-run victory over Sri Lanka A in the second semi-final of the Asia Cup Rising Stars 2025 on Friday. The hard-fought win at Doha’s West End Park International Cricket Stadium earned them a place in the tournament final against Bangladesh A this Sunday.
After setting a target of 154 runs, the Shaheens displayed disciplined bowling to restrict Sri Lanka A to 148/9 in their 20 overs. This was despite a late surge from Milan Rathnayake that brought the match down to the final deliveries.
Sri Lanka A began their chase explosively, amassing 29 runs in the first two overs. This was thanks to Lasith Croospulle’s rapid 27-run cameo from just seven deliveries. However, the Shaheens fought back through key breakthroughs from their bowling attack.
Opener Vishen Halambage contributed 29 runs before falling to Sufiyan Muqeem in the eighth over. This triggered a dramatic collapse, seeing Sri Lanka slump from a strong position to 99/8. The late resistance came from Milan Rathnayake, whose determined batting kept Sri Lanka in contention until the final over. In that over, they needed eight runs from four deliveries but ultimately fell short.
ACC Men’s Asia Cup Rising Stars 2025 – Semi Final 🏏
🇵🇰 Shaheens clinch a thrilling 5-run victory over Sri Lanka ‘A’ and book their spot in the final against Bangladesh ‘A’ on Sunday, November 23 🏆#PAKvSL #BackTheBoysInGreen pic.twitter.com/hfYN9I41ZZ
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) November 21, 2025The bowling effort was led by Sufiyan Muqeem and Saad Masood, who claimed three wickets each. They received supporting contributions from Ahmed Daniyal, Shahid Aziz, and Ubaid Shah.
Batting first after being put in, the Pakistan Shaheens posted 153/9 in their allotted 20 overs. The innings began promisingly with a 30-run opening partnership between Mohammad Naeem and Maaz Sadaqat. Yet, early wickets threatened to derail their progress.
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From a precarious position of 62/5, the middle-order partnership of Saad Masood and Ghori staged a crucial recovery. They had a 47-run stand that stabilised the innings. Ghori remained unbeaten with a team-high 39 runs from 36 deliveries. Meanwhile, Ahmed Daniyal provided late momentum with a quickfire 22 from just eight balls.
Sri Lanka’s bowling was spearheaded by Pramod Madushan, who took four wickets, with Traveen Mathew claiming three.
The Pakistan Shaheens will now face Bangladesh A in the tournament final at the same venue on Sunday. This sets the stage for an exciting conclusion to the Asia Cup Rising Stars competition.
