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Hong Kong rue six dropped chances, critical no-ball; Sri Lanka survive horror collapse to prevent massive Asia Cup upset
Hong Kong had Sri Lanka against the ropes in this Group B encounter, but sloppy efforts in the field and a late no-ball by captain Murtaza changed the game.
After a string of one-sided matches, Asia Cup 2025 finally had something which had the hearts of cricket fans pounding, as Sri Lanka narrowly staved off an embarrassing defeat at the hands of Hong Kong China. The underdogs mounted a late comeback which would have seen them record one of the most famous results in recent cricket history, taking 4 wickets in the space of 13 deliveries at the death to send waves of panic through the Lankan dressing room.
Ultimately, however, it was a tale of missed opportunities and errors which defined the match. Defending 150, Hong Kong had their share of chances to pile the pressure into the Lankans. However, six dropped catches meant that they kept providing the batters reprieves – particularly Pathum Nissanka, who was given a scarcely believable four extra lives enroute to scoring 68. This is only the third time in T20I history that a batter has been dropped four times in one innings.
Matters were made worse even after Hong Kong seemed to have Sri Lanka on the ropes: at 127/6 with 23 runs needed in 17 deliveries, the underdogs looked like they had the momentum. However, in a situation where mistakes can be costly, captain Yasim Murtaza delivered a no-ball in the 18th over that gave the new man in, Wanindu Hasaranga, a free hit on just his second delivery of the innings.
Hasaranga promptly hit it over the top for six, bringing the required rate below run a ball. He sprinted away to 20* off just 9 deliveries, ultimately clinching the win for Sri Lanka which puts them in a great position in this group of death.
‘We will work on a few things…’ promises HKG captain
Murtaza recognised that allowing a team like Sri Lanka that many opportunities is what caused a spirited effort to fall apart at the end, and rued the mistakes made in the field by his men. “We dropped a few catches and that cost us the game,” he admitted in the post-match interview.
However, he remained upbeat regarding what his team can take away from an excellent bowling performance which brought them close to an upset: “The positive thing is to be playing on the big stage. Dream come true. Once we go back, we will work on few things.”
Earlier, a 61-run stand between Anshuman Rath and Nizakat Khan had helped the team to a defendable score. However, Sri Lanka ultimately won with 7 balls to spare, and now sit at the top of Group B with a match against Afghanistan in hand. The upcoming Afghanistan vs Bangladesh match will be crucial in deciding which way this group swings.
