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September 15, 2025

Nissanka Guides Sri Lanka to Win in a Thriller Against Hong Kong

Nissanka Guides Sri Lanka to Win in a Thriller Against Hong Kong
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Pathum Nissanka once again proved to be the main man for Sri Lanka, as he guided his team to a stunning win against Hong Kong. The 8th match of the ACC Men's T20 Asia Cup 2025 was a thriller, as Hong Kong put on a spirited show in the defense of a decent total.

Sri Lanka opted to bowl first after winning the toss in Dubai. Their decision proved right, as Hong Kong batters didn’t find much momentum at the start. The inexperienced opening pair of Hong Kong played cautiously, making sure not to give free wickets to the attacking Sri Lankan bowlers. They scored 42 in the Powerplay while losing just one wicket.

The Hong Kong team decided to keep wickets in hand, hence they didn’t try loose shots during the middle overs. However, this strategy also didn’t allow them to score big runs during the middle overs, as the Sri Lankan team kept continuous pressure on them.

Anshy Rath found himself struggling throughout the innings, as he made 48 off 46 deliveries. He tried to anchor the innings alongside Nizakat, but failed to convert the start by giving his wicket to Dushmantha Chameera.

Nizakat Khan provided some late fireworks to the Hong Kong team. He played a spirited knock and made a valiant 52 by smacking 4 fours and 2 sixes. Due to his formidable hitting, Hong Kong managed to put on a respectable total of 149 on the scoreboard.

When Sri Lanka came out to chase the target, they found it hard to play freely against Hong Kong bowlers. Kusal Mendis looked completely out of form, as Hong Kong bowlers kept pressure on him from the start. He fell cheaply to Ayush Shukla after making just 11 runs.

Kamil Mishara, who was the star of the last match, also didn’t find a strong footing in the middle. He also made just 19 runs and got out to Aizaz Khan at deep midwicket. After that, things became difficult for the Sri Lankan team, as scoring runs against attacking Hong Kong bowlers became hard from both ends.

This was the time when the match became tense, as Hong Kong tried to pull off an unexpected upset. However, the classy hand of Nissanka was still middling the ball nicely, as he was taking the game deep. He played a gritty innings of 68, smashing 6 fours and 2 sixes.

The match then went into the penultimate over, making things complex for both teams. Wanindu Hasaranga kept his nerve and showcased all his experience while hitting the winning runs for Sri Lanka. He made 20 runs off 9 balls, giving Sri Lanka the much-needed thrust in the business end of the innings.

Sri Lanka won the match by four wickets, but they got a reality check that even associate teams can come up with the goods on any given day.


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