Pakistan must restrict SL to 147 or fewer to reach semis

T20 World Cup Super Eight Group 2 action in Pallekele on Saturday produced a record-breaking first innings as Pakistan kept their semifinal hopes flickering, piling up 212 for eight against already eliminated Sri Lanka.

Needing not just a win but a comprehensive one to edge past New Zealand on net run rate, Pakistan were propelled by the tournament’s most in-form batter, Sahibzada Farhan. The right-handed opener once again delivered under pressure, smashing his second T20I hundred while rewriting the record books.

Farhan struck 100 off 60 balls in a commanding knock that blended authority with calculation. In the process, he took his tally to 383 runs in seven matches -- the most by any batter in a single edition of the T20 World Cup -- surpassing Virat Kohli’s 319 runs in six games during the 2014 tournament.

He found an equally destructive partner in Fakhar Zaman, who blazed 84 off just 42 deliveries. Together, the pair stitched a mammoth 176-run opening stand -- the highest ever for any wicket in a T20 World Cup match -- laying the perfect platform for a total that kept Pakistan’s equation alive.

The 212 for eight is now Pakistan’s highest-ever total in T20 World Cups, bettering their previous best of 201 for five against Bangladesh in 2016. Although Sri Lanka clawed back with wickets in the latter half of the innings, the damage had already been inflicted during the opening surge.

Despite the imposing total, Pakistan’s task remains clear and uncompromising. To eliminate New Zealand and progress as runners-up from Group 2 alongside group champions England, they must restrict Sri Lanka to 147 or fewer -- a narrow but achievable margin that keeps the contest delicately poised heading into the second innings.