The 2025 Asia Cup is reaching its final stages, and Sri Lanka and Pakistan will face off in a crucial Super Four encounter on Tuesday at Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi. Both teams are coming into this match with fresh defeats that have put a dent in their hopes of progressing to the final. The upcoming showdown is a make-or-break game for both sides. With a loss for either side, their chances of qualification will hinge on other results.
Sri Lanka's campaign took a hit when they suffered a loss to Bangladesh in their previous Super Four match. The defeat served as a wake-up call for Sri Lanka and highlighted inconsistency in their middle order and their bowling department. While the Sri Lankan team boasts a strong lineup, their loss against Bangladesh exposed weaknesses in handling pressure situations.
Pakistan, on the other hand, faced their arch-rivals India in their last encounter and once again failed to confront them. While they fought valiantly in terms of batting, their bowlers were not up to the task. The game once again highlighted Pakistan's inconsistency against India, failing in both the batting and bowling departments. Heading into the match against Sri Lanka, Pakistan will look to address their batting vulnerabilities and expect their bowlers to provide the support to keep Sri Lanka under control. A loss in this Super Four clash would mean that the losing side would be left to hope for favourable results from other teams in their group.
Head-to-head
Matches - 23
PAK Won - 13
SL won - 10
Pakistan likely XI: Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Fakhar Zaman, Salman Agha (c), Hussain Talat, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed
Sri Lanka likely XI: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (wk), Kamil Mishara, Kusal Perera, Charith Asalanka (c), Dasun Shanaka, Kamindu Mendis, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dunith Wellalage, Dushmantha Chameera, Nuwan Thushara