Sri Lanka vs Hong Kong, Asia Cup 2025 T20 Match 8 Highlights: Sri Lanka avoid Hong Kong scare, win by four wickets

Hasaranga ends with back to back fours. Sri Lanka have got away with this one, Hong Kong unforced errors are pretty much the only reason why they haven't pulled off a historic win today. Yasim Murtaza was the man who started the pressure on Sri Lanka in the death overs and well, his no ball pretty much ended it as well. A memorable match for Hong Kong nonetheless, one in which they nearly beat the former T20 World Cup champions and scuppered their plans of boosting their NRR.

Well all that pressure that was build by him and his team goes out of the window because Murtaza, a spinner, oversteps third ball of that 18th over. He then makes it even worse by sending in a rank slot ball for the free hit for Hasaranga to club down the ground for six. Single last ball and then Shanaka clobbers the last past deep midwicket for four.

Sri Lanka now need just nine runs to win off 12 balls. There are wide smiles among their fans in the stands, they were looking anything but that just five balls ago.

Well this is quite unbelievable scenes in Dubai! Mendis goes for a biggie and he ends up sending it straight up into the sky. The midwicket fielder doesn't need to move at all, it goes straight down his throat.

Mendis c Babar Hayat b Yasim Murtaza 5 (5)

SL 127/6 in 17.1 overs

What in the world are we seeing here. Hong Kong have dropped as many as 11 catches today and still they remain in the hunt in the 17th over. Ehsan Khan's second ball in that over is short and wide outside off. Asalanka slashes at it and sends it straight into the hands of the man at short third.

Asalanka c Shukla b Ehsan Khan 2 (5)

Sri Lanka 122/5 in 16.2 overs

Murtaza stretches his vocal chords to the limit in his appeal and the umpire raises his finger. Perera takes the review though. This was floated up full outside off. Perera tries to sweep and takes it low on his foot. If there is no bat on that, he looks quite plumb. There was no bat but well, it is umpire's call on impact. Important thing, though, is that Hong Kong suddenly have two new batters to bowl to.

Perera lbw b Yasim Murtaza 20 (16)

Sri Lanka 118/4 in 15.2 overs

Yasim Murtaza returns for the 16th over, Perera works his first ball through the midwicket region. The first run taken comfortably and then the batters decide very late to go for a second. Then they decide not to. Nissanka gives his attempt to return to the crease everything he has gone but he fails to make his ground.

Nissanka run out (Yasim Murtaza/Nizakat Khan) 68 (44)

Sri Lanka 118/3 in 15.1 overs

Well the wheels are coming off now. Perera was dropped fourth ball of that 13th over and then Nissanka goes for a big shot fifth ball of the 14th. It went towards deep midwicket where Shahid Wasif drops the ball and lets it roll to the boundary. 13 runs in that over, Nissanka on 67 off 42, Perera on 11 off 10.

SL 109/2 in 14 overs, need 41 to win from 36 balls

He gets there with a single off Shukla first ball of the 13th, his 17th T20I half century. Three more singles in the next three balls and then Nissanka ends the over with back to back fours.

He ends the over on 49 off 38, Perera on six off eight.

SL 96/2 in 13 overs, need 54 to win from 42 balls

Nissanka has got to 49 ion 34 balls, he has Kusal Perera at the other end on four off six balls. Sri Lanka's run rate has improved to 7 but their required rate remains 8.25. They have regained control here largely thanks to Nissanka but what a performance this is from Hong Kong. Most of their deliveries continue to find fielders instead of the boundary.

Sri Lanka 84/2 in 12 overs, need 66 to win from 48 balls

Aizaz Khan with the wicket for Hong Kong. Bangs the third ball of the 10th into the track, it gets big on Mishara and his pull shot goes up off a top edge. Caught at deep midwicket.

Mishara c Babar Hayat b Aizaz Khan 19 (18)

SL 62/2 in 9.4 overs

Well forget the NRR, Sri Lanka are struggling to keep up with the required run rate for this match. Kamil Mishara is on two off seven balls, Pathum Nissanka on 22 off 15. Sri Lanka are going at a run rate of 5.83, which is unacceptable in any T20 situation, let alone in the powerplay. Their required rate has now climbed to 8.21.

He has scored 15 runs in that over and ends up back in the pavilion in the fourth. Shukla ramps up the pace on the short ball, it climbs on Mendis who goes for almost a blind pull. Top-edged and caught at deep midwicket.

Mendis c Anshuman Rath b Shukla 11 (14)

SL 26/1 in 4 overs

Well make that 11 runs in THREE overs! Ateeq Iqbal keeps Kusal Mendis pinned to the crease all through that over. Sri Lanka are in a proper ditch here. Meanwhile, Ravi Shastri says in commentary that Hong Kong have been given a warning for failing to start the over on time.

Well, more blows to Sri Lanka's NRR boost plans. Eight runs came off the first over bowled by Yasim Murtaza and then just three off the second, in which Nissanka managed to avoid being LBW by centimetres.

All right, Ayush Shukla to bowl the first over for Hong Kong, Pathum Nissanka is on strike and he has Kusal Mendis at the other end.

Nizakat Khan finishes 52 in 38 balls, Aizaz Khan on four off six. Well Sri Lanka have been given a target of 150, which is definitely not the kind of total you would want to chase if your primary goal is to boost your NRR. Especially in Dubai.

He is the second Hong Kong player after Babar Hayat to have scored a fifty in the Asia Cup! Nizakat gets there by running two off the fourth ball of the 20th over bowled by Theekshana, the 36th ball he has faced this innings. What a knock this has been from the senior man. And he seems to be struggling with cramp. Remember, it is punishingly humid right now in Dubai.

Dasun Shanaka strikes with his second ball of the match! Short and wide, Yasim Murtaza throws his hands at the gift of a delivery. He ends up picking deep backward point.

Murtaza c Chameera b Shanaka 5 (4)

Hong Kong 127/4 in 17.2 overs

Caught at deep midwicket and Chameera gets another. That is the end of a rather memorable stand for Hong Kong. Rath tried to hit it over cow corner, couldn't find the connection and it is straight down the throat of Kamindu Mendis.

Rath c Mendis b Chameera 48 (46)

And it has come in just 34 balls. Well, if Sri Lanka's fundamental target today was to get an NRR boost, that is down in the dumps. Rath and Nizakat have stroked the ball around the ground and frustrated the "defending champions".

Rath with a truly imperious shot over extra cover second ball of the 12th by Asalanka. It was sent into middle and off, Rath backed away and carressed it over the field beautifully. He takes a single and then Nizakat Khan pulls the fourth ball right over the bowler's head for another four. Mishara, who had earlier let a ball go through him at cover point for four, dives right over it at the boundary.

Hasaranga bowls his second over in the ninth, his fourth delivery is a googly that fizzes right through the batter off a length outside off. Babar Hayat had advanced down the track, looking to smash it out of UAE. Mendis seemed to have picked it late as well, he fumbles, gathers the ball while flat on the ground and whips off the bails. Turns out he had done it all quickly enough.

They would've taken this score with their eyes closed at this stage of the game before the start of this match. Sri Lanka head coach Sanath Jayasuriya has hardly ever been seen smiling today the few times that the was shown on the screen. They have been guilty of being loose for at least half of this powerplay and Hong Kong, to their credit, have made them pay.

Fifth ball of the fifth over, hard length outside off. It climbs on Zeeshan Ali and takes him completely by surprise. He brings his bat up almost to defend himself, top edge and Kusal Mendis takes the catch.

Zeeshan Ali c Mendis b Chameera 23 (17)

Hong Kong 41/1 in 4.5 overs

Well they have made the most of the luck they enjoyed in that first over and Sri Lanka have a few things to worry about here. Thushara continues in the third over, his third delivery brishes Rath's pads and goes past the keeper for four leg byes. Then Zeeshan comes on strike next ball and whips the fifth behind square for four. Earlier, Dushmantha Chameera's last ball of the second over was full outside off, Rath drove it to cover point, who lets the ball go right through him and it was another four.

Sri Lanka have not really managed to find the right lines and lengths here.

Hong Kong 31/0 in 3 overs

Two LBW shouts, one of which had to be reviewed, an edge that was dropped and a streaky four. Well Hong Kong have had a healthy serving of luck in that first over. Zeeshan got off the mark when he get an outside edge on an attempted flick, the batters ran three. Then an LBW shout off hte third ball which wasn't given, the batters ran a leg bye there. Then a far more confident appeal for LBW that the umpire gives but Zeeshan reviews. There was a clear spike when ball passed bat and he survived. Zeeshan pokes at the fifth ball, it takes an edge, misses the stumps and goes to the boundary for four. He then got an outside edge on the last ball, Chameera dove at wideish first slip but couldn't get it to stick into his hands.

Nuwan Thushara has the ball in his hands, Zeeshan Ali is on strike with Anshy Rath at the other end. A sparse audience making themselves heard in the stadium.

That is the only change Sri Lanka have made. Asalanka says it is a good pitch, perhaps aiding spin more than pace. He says they are not underestimating any team in this format and are focussing on doing the basics right. Hong Kong captain Yasim Murtaza, meanwhile, says that he knows there is no way they are making it past the group stage now but they want to maintain a good work ethic.

Hong Kong XI: Zeeshan Ali (wk), Anshuman Rath, Babar Hayat, Nizakat Khan, Shahid Wasif, Kinchit Shah, Yasim Murtaza (capt), Aizaz Khan, Ayush Shukla, Ateeq Iqbal, Ehsan Khan

Sri Lanka XI: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (wk), Kamil Mishara, Kusal Perera, Charith Asalanka (capt), Kamindu Mendis, Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushmantha Chameera, Nuwan Thushara

Sri Lanka have won the toss and are bowling first in Dubai.