Sharjeel Khan, Sarfraz Ahmed and Umar Akmal played blistering knocks to give Pakistan a 6-wicket, morale-boosting win over Sri Lanka.
Over 19 || Score 150/4 (Malik 12; Iftikhar 0) Target 151
Bad time to get out, but Umar Akmal has done enough for the team. He wanted to end in style, and paid the price. Brilliant catch at long on by Thisara Perera. Kulasekara got his first wicket too.
WICKET: Umar Akmal c Thisara Perera b Nuwan Kulasekara 48 (37b)
Nine runs and a wicket from the over. Pakistan need one run.
Over 17 || Score 129/3 (Akmal 35; Malik 9) Target 151
Pakistan inched closer to a deserving win. Umar Akmal welcomed back Sri Lanka's most experienced bowler Nuwan Kulasekara with a four, hit over extra cover. Eight runs from the over.
In the previous over, Dushmantha Chameera leaked only three runs.
Pakistan need 22 more runs from 18 balls.
Over 4 || Score 28/1 (Sharjeel 8; Sarfraz 5); Target 151
What an over. After conceding two back-to-back fours of the first two deliveries, Shehan Jayasuriya removed Mohaammad Hafeez. Caught and bowl.
WICKET: Mohammad Hafeez c & b Shehan Jayasuriya 14 (11b)
Newly arrived Sarfraz Ahmed then got a four of the very first he faced.
Over 2 || Score 14/0 (Sharjeel 8; Hafeez 5); Target 151
A delightful push from Mohammad Hafeez, which pierced through the two fielders. The Pakistan open, on his toes, to produce that back-foot punch. It was followed by a wide.
Thisara Perera then allowed Sharjeel Khan to pull away for a six by pitching it short. 12 runs from it.
Pakistan need 137 runs more from 18 overs.
Over 20 || Score 150/4 (Dilshan 75; Siriwardana 4)
A decent total, thanks to Tilakratne Dilshan's 75. Wahab Riaz conceded nine runs. The over started with a dot ball to Dilshan. But the Sri Lankan opener responded with a four, through the third man area. Three singles and a two of the last delivery.
Riaz settled with a wicket, conceding 30 runs. But Mohammad Amir went wicketless, conceding 31 runs. Mohammad Irfan was impressive though, two wickets conceding 18 runs.
Over 19 || Score 141/4 (Dilshan 69; Siriwardana 1)
Reverse Dilscoop, then a dropped catch. Pretty eventful over.
Mohammad Amir started by conceding a four to Tilakratne Dilshan, with the Sri Lankan opener producing a reverse Dilsoop. It was followed by two couples, then a single, then a wide.
In the fourth delivery, Mohammad Irfan attempted a single handed catch at third man, and spilled. Dilshan benefited from the dropped catch. 14 runs from the over.
Over 18 || Score 127/4 (Dilshan 56; Siriwardana 1)
Brilliant over from lanky Mohammad Irfan. Conceded three runs and picked two wickets.
WICKET: Chamara Kapugedera b Mohammad Irfan 2 (3b)
WICKET: Dasun Shanaka b Mohammad Irfan 0 (2b)
Dilshan still out there, and he has got Milinda Siriwardana's company.
Over 16 || Score 117/2 (Dilshan 49; Kapugera 0)
Good first over from Shoaib Malik. He removed Shehan Jayasuriya of the last delivery of the over. Jayasuria tried to go over the long-off, but could only find a waiting Sharjeel Khan.
WICKET: Shehan Jayasuriya c Sharjeel Khan b Shoaib Malik 4 (6b)
Chamara Kapugedera is the new man.
Over 15 || Score 113/1 (Dilshan 48; Jayasuria 2)
Finally, a breakthrough for Pakistan as Wahab Riaz removed Dinesh Chandimal, who tried to slog. Sharjeel Khan at mid-wicket completed the catch.
WICKET: Dinesh Chandimal c Sharjeel Khan b Wahab Riaz 58 (49b)
Three runs from the over. Shehan Jayasuriya is the new man.
Over 14 || Score 110/0 (Chandimal 58; Dilshan 47)
Another big over for the batting side. Mohammad Nawaz conceded 13 runs. The over started with Dinesh Chandimal lofting the spinner for a straight six. A single and a double, then two dot balls.
But the over The over ended with Tilakratne Dilshan hitting a four.
Over 13 || Score 97/0 (Chandimal 51; Dilshan 41)
Deserving fifty for stand-in skipper Dinesh Chandimal. He reached the mini-milestone with a single of the first delivery of the 13th over, bowled by Mohammad Irfan.
Two more singles followed. The over ended with a four, with Tilakratne Dilshan hitting it into the fine leg boundary.
In the process, he became the first Lankan player to complete 5000 runs in T20Is, 15th overall.
Over 12 || Score 90/0 (Chandimal 49; Dilshan 36)
Suddenly Lankans are playing like defending champions, albeit in a different format. Both the openers have played some exhilarating shots and it's one of the best opening stand in the entire tournament.
Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi bowled out his quota. He leaked nine runs in the last over, that made 24 in total of his four overs
Over 11 || Score 81/0 (Chandimal 45; Dilshan 35)
A good over for Sri Lanka with Dinesh Chandimal hitting consecutive fours off the first two deliveries. A single and a double followed, before Tilakratne Dilshan crashing a square cut to the fench.
Of all the reputation of being a dangerous pace bowler, Wahab Riaz leaked 15 runs.
Over 6 || Score 44/0 (Chandimal 16; Dilshan 27)
Then the biggest over of the match with Dilshan taking on Mohammad Nawaz. The over started with a four which flew over the mid-on. It was followed by a six, first of the innings, over long-on, before another four.
After two dot balls, Dilshan once again swept over the square leg for third four of the match. Left-arm spinner leaked 18 runs in his first over.
Over 3 || Score 13/0 (Chandimal 6; Dilshan 4)
Three beautiful deliveries and little a room in the fourth delivery. Result a four. Dilshan pulled the fourth delivery with conviction and there was no protection for the bowler. Four.
That was all from the over. Mohammad Amir conceded four runs from his second over.
Over 1 || Score 6/0 (Chandimal 5; Dilshan 1)
Great first over, as usual from Mohammad Amir. He started with a bang, almost getting the wicket of Dinesh Chandimal. But the incoming delivery was climbing over the stumps.
After three dot balls, Sri Lanka opened their account with a single, then a leg-bye followed off a vicious in-swinging delivery from the menacing left-arm bowler.
But Chandimal finished the over with a cracking cover drive.
Playing XIs
Pakistan: Sharjeel Khan, Mohammad Hafeez, Iftikhar Ahmed, Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), Umar Akmal, Shoaib Malik, Shahid Afridi (capt.), Mohammad Amir, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Irfan, Mohammad Nawaz
Sri Lanka: Dinesh Chandimal (capt.), Tilakratne Dilshan, Shehan Jayasuriya, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Chamara Kapugedera, Milinda Siriwardana, Dasun Shanaka, Thisara Perera, Nuwan Kulasekara, Rangana Herath, Dushmantha Chameera
SQUADS
Pakistan: Shahid Afridi (capt.), Mohammed Hafeez, Sharjeel Khan, Khurram Manzoor, Umar Akmal, Shoaib Malik, Mohammed Amir, Wahab Riaz, Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), Mohammed Irfan, Mohammed Sami, Mohammed Nawaz, Anwar Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim.
Sri Lanka: Lasith Malinga (capt.), TM Dilshan, Dinesh Chandimal, Shehan Jayasuriya, Angelo Mathews, Chamara Kapugedara, Nuwan Kulasekara, Dasun Chanaka, Dushmantha Chameera, Milinda Siriwardana, Rangana Herath, Niroshan Dickwella, Thisara Perera, Jeffrey Vandersay, Sachithra Senanayeke.
Two years after contesting in the final of this edition, the Asian heavyweights will play in a a dead rubber. But both the sides -- Pakistan and Sri Lanka -- will look to end the tournament on a high, and take the best moments as they prepare for the more prestigious and bigger ICC World Twenty20 competition.
READ FULL PREVIEW HERE