Last Updated on 7 years by Charbel Coorey
What an incredible game this was…
So many unexpected twists and turns, and in the end, Pakistan snuck home to take out the T20I series, before the third game in beloved Pakistan.
I love stats, so here are some of my favourite from the 2nd T20I:
1st hat-trick ever for Pakistan in T20Is
Faheem Ashraf became the 1st Pakistan bowler to take a T20I hat-trick. After pinning Dasun Shanaka LBW, he was greeted by a big hug from skipper Sarfraz Ahmed.
The commentary from Danny Morrison made it all the more enjoyable. A great moment.
Second-worst 8 wicket collapse in T20I history
Sri Lanka’s lost 8/14 towards the end of the innings, and is one of the worst collapses ever.
Well placed at 106/1 with 3.5 overs to go, Sri Lanka would have believed they could reach 140+, which could have very well been enough. Instead, they went into free-fall, losing 8/14 in their last few overs.
7 straight limited-over losses
Sri Lanka lost their seventh straight game in the UAE.
After the 5-0 defeat in the ODIs, the Lions would have been hoping for a change in the T20Is. Their young, inexperience team have come close, but to no avail.
Two huge contributions
Shadab Khan has announced himself as a vital player for Pakistan.
With the ball, he bowled 4 great overs for 1/14 and saw Pakistan home with the bat, scoring 16* off 8 balls in a very tight finish. The 19 year old has a huge future.
102 v 18
Sri Lanka’s top three contributed 102 runs. The remaining eight batsmen contributed just 18.
Considering how well Sri Lanka bowled, this extraordinary collapse cost them the series.
All the attention now moves to Lahore. It’s fantastic to have international cricket in Pakistan, and should be a great occasion.
If Pakistan win the third game, they will move to within one point of first placed New Zealand in the rankings.
