Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Highlights, Asia Cup Super 4: SL win thriller, to face India in final

Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Live Score: More positive visuals as the Pakistan players get a peptalk from their coach. As expected, Grant Bradburn is very animated and chirpy as teh players listen to him in all seriousness. Zaman Khan receives his ODI cap from Haris Rauf.

Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Live Score: Ah finally! The rain has thankfully stopped and the covers are starting to come off. If it doesn't rain any further anytime soon, we could see the toss taking place in roughly 10 minutes from now - 2.50PM. But then again, let's not get too ahead of ourselves. It's a lot darker today in Colombo as compared to the last few days and it'll be really surprising if it isn't a start-stop kind of a day.

Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Live Score: There you have it! The official announcement is out: TOSS HAS BEEN DELAYED HERE AT THE PREMADASA STADIUM. It was on the cards to be honest. Dark clouds scattered around in the sky and now it's opened up. The good news though – albeit slightly – is the rain is still light and could stop at any moment.

Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Live Score: More disheartening sights! Waqar Younis and Dominic Cork are discussing about the match but while holding big black umbrellas. Furthermore, looking up at the sky and the forecast which is predicting a 70 percent rainfall, Cork says he is not expecting a full 50-overs contest here. "It looks like we surely are looking at a curtailed game here," he says.

Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Live Score: Bummer! Half an hour before the scheduled toss, it has started to rain in Colombo. Thankfully, it's a slight drizzle but enough for the covers to come on and cover the pitch. Parts of the ground still remains uncovered which indicates that it may not be too heavy at the moment. Oh wait! Scratch that, Premadasa is entirely covered now. How many times have we seen small drizzle take the form of a thunderstorm. It's crazy how the weather has been in Sri Lanka. Nonetheless, here's hoping these are nothing more than passing showers.

Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Live Score: The Asia Cup was anticipated to heavily assist spinners, given the conditions in Sri Lanka where the tournament is being held. As expected, spinners have indeed taken center stage as the leading wicket-takers in this competition. Sitting at the top of the list is India wrist-spinner, Kuldeep Yadav. Following a remarkable five-wicket performance against Pakistan, he followed up with four more dismissals against Sri Lanka to lead the pack with 9 wickets. But hold on for a moment; he's not the only one with such an impressive tally of wickets. Dunith Wellalage, Haris Rauf, and Taskin Ahmed also share this distinction. However, it's quite probable that the Sri Lankan spinner will surge ahead after today's match.

Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Live Score: For a 20-year-old cricketer, receiving a million-dollar compliment from the iconic Lasith Malinga is a dream come true. The Sri Lankan legend believes that India had to contend with more than just 11 players due to the remarkable performance of Wellalage, who excelled both with the bat and the ball. While he captured the hearts of Sri Lankan fans with a sensational five-wicket haul, he came close to leading his team to victory with an unbeaten score of 42 runs. If his teammates had displayed a bit more determination, the result could have been different. Click here to read more

Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Live Score: As of now, 50 minutes before the PAK vs SL toss, the weather is not too concerning in Colombo although it is overcast. "Cloudy... bit of cloud cover... hasn't rained but plenty on way around evening. Still expected to get a game today though," is the update we have from the venue. So cheer up folks, and expect an on-time start. Despite there being rain, the weather prediction has been a bit off the radar. During hours where 90 percent rain was expected, there has been none and we've seen instances of incessant showers when the prediction was zero. However, the weather has significantly improved in the last few days and this can only mean promising things for cricket. Today too, there is a bit of rainfall expected in the second half but as of now, we are all clear and ALL SET for a 2.30PM start.

Pakistan's defeat to India, where they conceded 356 runs and were dismissed for a mere 128 in just 32 overs, marked their second-largest loss in ODIs. After such a resounding setback, it's customary to witness a knee-jerk reaction characterized by stern scrutiny, harsh words, and furrowed brows. However, Pakistan's head coach, Grant Bradburn, took an unexpected approach. Rather than expressing disappointment, Bradburn referred to the loss as a "gift" and extended gratitude to India for their performance. The former New Zealand international viewed the heavy defeat as a valuable "wake-up call" for his team in the lead-up to the World Cup, emphasizing that they have enjoyed a relatively successful run in recent months. Click here to read the full story.

Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Live Score: Former PCB chairman Ramiz Raja has conveyed a direct message to the Pakistan team ahead of their pivotal final Super 4 encounter with Sri Lanka. During an exclusive segment on his YouTube channel, Ramiz offered valuable advice to the squad, urging them to distance themselves from the distractions of social media and television. He underscored the significance of mental rejuvenation, especially considering the emotional turbulence the team endured following their recent loss to India.

Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Live Score: Pakistan bowling coach Morne Morkel conveyed his firm belief in the potential of Pakistan's spinners as they gear up for their final Super Four showdown against Sri Lanka in spin-friendly conditions. Morkel emphasized the spin bowlers' readiness to make a significant impact and underscored their determination to rise to the occasion when the team requires their expertise the most, displaying the confidence to transform into decisive match-winners.

Sri Lanka vs Pakistan Live Score: It's a rare achievement to dismiss two batsmen with over 10,000 runs each in a single match, but the 20-year-old Dunith Wellalage accomplished this remarkable feat recently. With just one day's rest, Wellalage now faces another formidable batting lineup that excels against spin. His next challenge is none other than Babar Azam, the world's top-ranked batsman and arguably the finest player of spin bowling. Babar is determined to prove that Wellalage's success against India was merely a stroke of luck, and it will be intriguing to see how the young bowler responds. Will he claim another significant scalp in the form of the Pakistan captain or return to reality? A fascinating contest awaits.

The Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Asia Cup Super Four match will be played on the same surface as the India vs Sri Lanka game… so no prizes for guessing what either team's bowling composition is going to look like. While SL's pretty much picks itself, PAK need to weigh their spin bowling options. In the last match, spinners picked up a total of 16 wickets to fall. Similar to Wellalage, Pakistan possesses Mohammad Nawaz, who wouldn't hesitate to deliver a left-arm spin performance similar to Dunith's the other day.

In recent history, Pakistan have enjoyed a streak of eight consecutive victories against Sri Lanka in completed ODIs. Additionally, it's noteworthy that Sri Lanka's last ODI triumph over Pakistan dates back to 2015. The last time these two teams faced off in an ODI was in October 2019.

Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Live Score: Some important milestones lined up today

- Dimuth Karunaratne is just 68 runs shy of the 8000-run milestone in international cricket, with his current tally standing at 7932 runs.

- Iftikhar Ahmed, with 46 sixes to his name, is on the cusp of reaching 50 maximums across various formats.

- Dasun Shanaka, with 97 boundaries in ODIs, is closing in on the impressive mark of 100 fours in the format.

Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Live Score: Babar Azam boasts an impressive track record against Sri Lanka. Over his last six innings, the Pakistan captain has consistently delivered with scores of 103, 101, 30, an unbeaten 69, 115, and 31. While Babar continues to search for a breakthrough against India, there's no denying that he has established himself as a dominant force when facing Sri Lanka. Given what is at stake today, Pakistan desperately requires Babar's magical touch. Remember, a defeat here would spell the end of Pakistan's journey, whereas a victory would grant them a chance to avenge their loss to India by setting up another marquee IND vs PAK marquee clash in the Asia Cup final on Sunday.

Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Live Score: Quite simply, there are two compelling reasons:

Stability in the Line-Up: They boast a more settled team composition.

Home Advantage and Red-Hot Form: Playing on their home soil, Sri Lanka enter the contest with a scorching run of form.

While assessing the last five matches, both Pakistan and Sri Lanka have posted a record of W, W, W, W, L. Despite this, Sri Lanka maintain the upper hand. In the absence of Wanindu Hasaranga and Dushmantha Chameera, their stand-in bowlers, Dunith Wellalage and Matheesha Pathirana, have excelled and feature prominently in the list of leading wicket-takers. Remarkably, the 20-year-old Dunith Wellalage shares the top spot with Kuldeep Yadav, each with 9 wickets, while Matheesha Pathirana is close behind with 8 wickets.

Moreover, Sri Lanka's fearless approach, especially when confronting spinners, adds to their potency. Their versatility and the presence of utility all-rounders make Sri Lanka a formidable and unpredictable team.

Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Live Score: The cricket world may rage for India vs Pakistan, but Pakistan and Sri Lanka have made for some riveting rivalry of their own, more so in ODIs. In one-day internationals, Pakistan and Sri Lanka have crossed paths 155 times. Among these highly competitive encounters, Pakistan has emerged victorious 92 times, while Sri Lanka has celebrated success on 58 memorable occasions. The cricketing history between these two nations includes four matches that concluded without a result and a singular thrilling encounter that ended in a dramatic tie.

Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Live Score: The last time Pakistan and Sri Lanka faced each other in the Asia Cup, it was at last year's final, where SL comprehensively defeated PAK by 23 runs – a huge margin for T20Is. Sri Lanka were rattled early after being reduced to 58/5, but Bhanuka Rajapaksha took matters into his own hands and blasted a fine 71 not out to lift SL to 170/6. He first added 58 runs with Wanindu Hasaranga and another 54 with Chamila Karunaratne.

In reply, Pakistan were a little restricted in their start despite a half-century from Mohammad Rizwan, but barring him and a 32 from Iftikhar Ahmed, no other batter could stand up. Sri Lanka’s spin trio of Pramod Madushan, Hasaranga and Karunaratne combined to pick 9 wickets to bowl Pakistan out for 147. Almost a year later, the two teams will again clash in a knockout, with the stakes as high as the final from last year.

Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Live Score: As the mystery surrounding Shreyas Iyer's injury continues, we have some very important update coming in from Colombo to share. Shreyas, as we speak, is batting in the nets at the moment but looks far from his free-flowing best. The pain might have eased up but he is still moving a little stiff. India still have a good 24 hours to go before deciding on their tentative Playing XI but with the World Cup coming up and the match against Bangladesh having little relevance for either side, Shreyas might miss a third straight India game tomorrow.

Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Live Score: There is just something about revealing your Playing XI before a match. Australia started it, England adapted it and now Pakistan are following suit. Disclosing your team combination to an opposition almost 24 hours before toss is the ultimate example of 'Alright, let's see what you got'. And that is the kind of attitude you associate with this Pakistan team. Gone are the days when they would be run over by oppositions – this team has transformed immensely under Babar Azam. Yes, you will have the occasional off day such as they did against India, but the fact that they were rolled over and still have the confidence in their abilities to unveil the 11 players they are going ahead with says a lot about the character of this Pakistan team.

Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Live Score: Sri Lanka's remarkable 13-match winning streak may have recently concluded, but their performance over the past couple of months has been truly impressive. From successfully qualifying for the World Cup to coming close to defeating India in their last match, Sri Lanka cricket finally seems to have repaired the broken. For a long time, Sri Lanka experienced ups and downs during their transitional phases, but after years of development, they have assembled a core group of players that can thrive on the big stage. Their victories against higher-ranked teams can no longer be considered upsets. With bowlers who can bat and batters who can bowl, coupled with the occasional emergence of talents like Dunith Wellalage, Sri Lanka's future appears to be quite promising.

Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Live Score: India currently sits comfortably at the top with 3 points and an impressive net run rate of +4.76. In contrast, Pakistan and Sri Lanka's chances are hanging by a thread. They are ranked 2nd and 3rd, respectively, with Sri Lanka holding a slightly better net run rate of -0.200 compared to Pakistan's -1.892. The current scenario is quite straightforward: the winner of this match will advance to the final. However, if the weather intervenes and the contest is abandoned, Sri Lanka will progress due to their superior run rate.

Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Live: Naseem Shah's unfortunate exclusion from the team is undoubtedly a setback for Pakistan. However, Babar Azam may not be too disheartened by it as the player set to step in for Naseem shows great promise in being just as menacing. In his six T20I appearances, Zaman Khan has picked four wickets and much like his fellow quicks, this 22-year-old possesses the ability to consistently deliver impressive pace.

Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Live Score: Pakistan's strength, their brawn, their muscle is their pace-bowling trio of Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf, but with injuries to two of them and uncertainty hovering over Shaheen's finger, the timing could not worse for Babar and his team. Rauf will take no further part in the Asia Cup as a precautionary measure, while Naseem has been ruled out altogether and his World Cup chances appear slim too. As for Shaheen, even THE EAGLE might find it DIFFICULT TO LAND with a troubled finger. Click HERE to read more.