DUBAI, United Arab Emirates: Sri Lanka’s inexperienced cricket team overcame a poor start with bat and ball to put on an impressive all-round show Sunday and win the Asia Cup for the sixth time with a 23-run victory over Pakistan.
Bhanuka Rajapaksa hit an unbeaten 71 off 45 balls in Dubai and led Sri Lanka as it recovered from 58-5 to reach 170-6 in the final after Pakistan won the toss and elected to field.
Pakistan crashed to 147 all out off the last balls as its top order continued to struggle against the pace with fast bowler Pramod Madushan claiming 4-34 in only his second T20 international.
Leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga then baffled the lower order with his sharp googlies to accelerate Pakistan’s collapse.
Hasaranga, who earlier scored 36 off 21 balls, had Pakistan’s top-scorer Mohammad Rizwan (55) caught in the deep in his last over before claiming the wickets of Asif Ali and Khushdil Shah in the same over to finish with 3-27.
“It was all about nerves, I knew the youngsters can always deliver,” Sri Lanka skipper Dasun Shanaka said. “We have players with good caliber, and they stood up well.”
Sri Lanka had an awful bowling start when left-arm fast bowler Dilshan Madushanka conceded nine runs through a no ball and several wides before the 21-year-old’s first legitimate delivery at the sixth attempt.
Madushan, who made his T20 debut in the last Super 4 match against Pakistan on Friday, settled his team’s nerves quickly by claiming the wickets of Babar Azam (5) and Fakhar Azam (0) off successive deliveries inside the powerplay.
Babar was brilliantly snapped up by Madushanka over his head at short fine leg off a hard flick and Fakhar went for a golden duck by dragging the first ball onto his stumps.
Babar, the second-ranked T20 batter, ended the tournament with only 68 runs in six games.
“As a batting unit we didn’t perform according to our potential,” Babar said. “We didn’t finish the way we would have wanted to and gave away 15-20 extra runs … the more you learn from these ups-and-downs is good, but you need to reduce your mistakes.”
Rizwan and Iftikhar Ahmed (32) added 71 runs for the third wicket in almost 10 overs as Sri Lanka kept mounting the pressure by bowling tidily in the middle overs.
Madushan broke the stand in his return spell as Pakistan collapsed from 102-3 to lose its last seven wickets for 45 runs with Sri Lanka fielders holding onto all their catches.
Earlier, Pakistan’s fearsome pace attack, led by Haris Rauf (3-29), had Sri Lanka in trouble inside the first nine overs before Rajapaksa and Hasaranga led the recovery.
Rajapaksa hit six fours and three sixes in his innings.
Fast bowler Naseem Shah (1-40) had Kusal Mendis clean bowled off the first ball with a stunning inswinging delivery while Rauf dismissed Pathum Nissanka and Danushka Gunathilaka.
But Rajapaksa and Hasaranga counterattacked after having negotiated the spin threat of Shadab Khan (1-28). Surprisingly Babar used his premium left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz for only one over which went for three runs as both Sri Lanka batters cut loose against the pace of Shah and Mohammad Hasnain (0-41).
Pakistan was scrappy in the field as Rajapaksa was dropped either side of his half century by Shadab in the deep. Rauf had Hasaranga caught behind in the 15th over, but Rajapaksa added a further 54 runs in the last five overs with Chamika Karunaratne, who made 14 not out.
Rajapaksa provided Sri Lanka with a late flourish when he smashed Shah for a boundary off the penultimate ball and then smashed a six over extra cover to give Sri Lanka a strong total to defend.
Sri Lanka made a stunning comeback with five successive wins in the tournament after getting beaten by Afghanistan in its opening game. Sri Lanka also beat Pakistan in the last Super 4 game.
Sri Lanka beats Pakistan in Asia Cup cricket final
https://arab.news/m3p3g
Sri Lanka beats Pakistan in Asia Cup cricket final
- Sri Lanka made a stunning comeback with five successive wins in the tournament after getting beaten by Afghanistan in its opening game
6 things we learned from the latest 2026 World Cup Asian qualifiers
- We are bringing you instead of the usual five things we learned from a breathless eight hours or so of action across Asia, we are bringing you five
Tuesday saw a fitting end to this year’s 2026 World Cup qualification matches. It had everything — so much so, we are bringing you that instead of the usual five things we learned from a breathless eight hours or so of action across Asia, we are bringing you five.
No “new manager bounce” and no complaints for Saudi Arabia
Indonesia’s 2-0 win over the Green Falcons — their first — came as no big surprise, given the 1-1 draw in Jeddah back in September. But the fact this was a deserved victory for the hosts was worrying.
When Herve Renard was brought back last month, it was hoped he’d bring with him some of the old magic from the 2022 tournament qualifiers. But it there was a sign of it in last week’s 0-0 draw in Australia, there was none in Jakarta.
Indonesia hit the post in the opening minute and seemed more energetic, more determined and more prepared for the following 90 or so. There were queries about a few refereeing decisions, but that is not why Indonesia won. They were the better team.
No Al-Dawsari — no creativity, no goals
The defeat means there have been three goals scored in six games, two from the head of Hassan Kadesh in China. There have been none in the last four and little threat of any.
The injury to Salem Al-Dawsari, whose status as the country’s best player is reinforced in his absence, was felt deeply. There was nobody to get their foot on the ball, nobody able to run at the defense and nobody who could find that killer pass. There were far too many aimless crosses into the area.
Saudi Arabia perhaps underestimated Indonesia, who were much improved and had a clear game plan.
Luck still on the Saudi side
At this stage in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, Saudi Arabia had 16 points. They currently have six. Last time, there was a sense they were on the march to Qatar. That’s not the case now. Such results four years ago would have meant that famous win against Argentina never happened.
But it is not over by a long shot. The bright spot is that with Japan running away with one of the top two automatic qualification places, no other team is managing to win much either.
Renard will have been relieved Australia did not taste victory in Bahrain to go three points clear in second; their 2-2 draw means the Socceroos have seven points and the rest — Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, China and Bahrain — are all on six.
The group could not be tighter and, while exciting for the neutral, Saudi Arabian fans will be expecting an improvement in 2025.
Bahrain in late drama again
In a dramatic encounter, Bahrain drew 2-2 with Australia. It is hard to say how the two teams will feel about the result but, for the third time in four home games, there was huge excitement late on. The Reds left it until deep into injury time to get a point against Indonesia in October, and had a late goal disallowed against China only to lose in added time.
This was even more exciting. When Kusini Yengi put Australia ahead in the opening minute, it looked as if the Socceroos would get revenge for their home defeat in September. But then came two goals in three second-half minutes from Mahdi Abduljabbar, putting Bahrain on the brink of a famous victory and into second place in the group. However, Yengi struck again, 95 minutes after his first. The spoils were shared and a tight group got tighter still.
Five-star UAE dash Qatar’s automatic dreams
Two teams with seven points apiece met in Abu Dhabi. Both expected a tight encounter but it proved anything but — the UAE thrashed Qatar, the Asian champions, 5-0. It was a stunning victory and a stunning performance from Fabio Lima, who scored all but one against a hapless Qatari defense.
The signs were there, with 12 goals conceded from the first five games, but there were huge gaps for the hosts to enjoy themselves just as they did with that 3-1 away win on the opening day.
With three away games to come for the UAE this was a must win, keeping them in the hunt for second, three points behind Uzbekistan who beat North Korea 1-0. Qatar are surely out of the running as they trail by six points with just four games remaining. If the 2022 World Cup hosts are going to qualify, they will have to do it the hard way.
Palestine frustrate the stars of Korea, Iraq moving smoothly
For the second time in two months, Palestine held the mighty South Korea to a draw. It was 0-0 in Seoul and 1-1 in Amman, and both results were a credit to their spirit, determination and skill.
Zaid Al Qunbar opened the scoring after 12 minutes, capitalizing on a mistake from Bayern Munich’s Kim Min-jae. Tottenham Hotspur’s Son Heung-min soon equalized, but that was that. This was not one-way traffic; Palestine, playing in front of a largely empty stadium, gave as good as they got and are just three points off fourth.
Iraq, meanwhile, picked up a 1-0 win in Oman to move two points clear of Jordan in third. It is the kind of quiet victory that takes teams to the World Cup. There is still work to do — but the same can be said of all but two or three teams out of the 18.
2025 will be unmissable.
Tatum stars as Celtics end Cavaliers unbeaten start with a 120-117 victory in NBA Cup
- Tatum admitted that ending Cleveland’s unbeaten record, which has left them sitting on top of the Eastern Conference, had motivated the Celtics
- Brooklyn Nets defeated the Charlotte Hornets 116-115
LOS ANGELES: Jayson Tatum scored 33 points as the Boston Celtics ended the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 15-game unbeaten start to the season with a hard-fought 120-117 victory in the NBA Cup on Tuesday.
The Celtics unleashed a barrage of 22 three-pointers to overwhelm Cleveland, who clawed their way back to within two points of the lead late in the game after trailing by 21 early in the second half.
But despite the Cleveland fightback, reigning NBA champions Boston held their nerve and kept the scoreboard ticking over to close out a deserved win.
Tatum’s 33 points included six three-pointers while the Boston star added 12 rebounds and seven assists in an all-round Celtics effort that saw six players finish in double figures.
Tatum said Boston’s championship pedigree had helped the Celtics over the line as Cleveland threatened late in the game.
“We’ve played a lot of basketball, we’ve played in the biggest games,” Tatum said. “NBA is a bunch of talented teams — guys are gonna make plays, they’re gonna make shots.
“I say it all the time — how you respond shows your growth and how special your team is.”
Tatum admitted that ending Cleveland’s unbeaten record, which has left them sitting on top of the Eastern Conference, had motivated the Celtics.
“They came in 15-0 feeling like they were the best team; we felt like we were the best team — it’s all competition. We were ready to play today,” Tatum said.
Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said his team had been caught off-guard by Boston’s superior intensity.
“The they had playoff force and physicality — we had regular season force and physicality,” Atkinson said. “That’s why we were down by whatever we were down. Second half we turned it up, but it was kind of too late. We’re just going to have to put it in the bank and make adjustments.”
Boston were quickly into their stride, rattling in five early three-pointers to sprint into an 18-8 in the opening minutes of the first quarter.
Cleveland rallied to reduce the deficit to 26-20 at the end of the first quarter, but the Celtics kept up the pressure in the second.
Tatum drained a superb three-pointer in the final seconds of the first half to give Boston a commanding 65-48 lead at the break.
The Celtics stretched into a 21-point lead early in the second half, but the Cavaliers clicked into gear and came roaring back to close the gap to two points at 88-86.
Tatum though had the last word, nailing an imperious three-pointer to give Boston a five-point lead heading into the final quarter.
A nip-and-tuck final period saw Cleveland repeatedly close to two points but Boston pulled clear in the final minutes to seal victory.
Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland’s scoring with 35 points while Evan Mobley added 22 with 11 rebounds and six assists.
In other early games on Tuesday, the Brooklyn Nets defeated the Charlotte Hornets 116-115 thanks to a 34-point display from Cameron Johnson.
Argentina beat Peru to close in on World Cup spot; Brazil and Uruguay draw
- Ecuador won 1-0 at Colombia with a goal by Enner Valencia in the seventh minute
- Bolivia and Paraguay drew 2-2 in a match between teams that could end up fighting for the seventh position in the region’s qualifying
BUENOS AIRES: Lautaro Martinez’s goal gave Argentina a 1-0 win over Peru on Tuesday in a South American qualifying match in Buenos Aires and left the hosts close to a spot in the 2026 World Cup in the US, Mexico and Canada.
Their main continental rivals Brazil drew 1-1 against Uruguay in Salvador, Brazil with two impressive goals in an otherwise lackluster match. Federico Valverde gave Uruguay the lead with a curled shot from the edge of the box, and Gerson netted his first for Brazil in similar fashion at the Arena Fonte Nova.
Argentina lead South American qualifying with 25 points from 12 matches, five points clear of their closest competitor, Uruguay. Ecuador and Colombia are next with 19 points each.
Brazil lag in fifth position with 18 points after several uninspiring performances, still hoping that striker Neymar will return from injury and fit in again. Paraguay, with 17 points, are in sixth place.
South American qualifying will give six direct berths in the next World Cup. Seventh-place Bolivia, with 13 points, are in the international playoff position. Venezuela (12), Chile (9), and Peru (7) are out of qualifying spots.
The next round of South American World Cup qualifying will be played in March.
Uninspiring Argentina
Martinez’s goal was his 32nd for the national team, which puts him level with the legendary Diego Maradona.
Until Martinez scored, Argentina’s best chance was in the 21st minute, when striker Julian Alvarez hit the Peruvian goalkeeper’s right post. Messi once again had a modest performance, as he did in his team’s 2-1 defeat at Paraguay on Thursday.
Messi crossed the ball in the penalty area in the 55th minute to give Martinez one of the few clear opportunities of the match. The striker moved his body with more grace than power to put the ball in the back of the next.
Despite the disappointing performance at home, Lionel Messi’s team will finish the year with few question marks beyond its performances in November.
“We won Copa America, we lead South American World Cup qualifying,” said goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez. “We must be proud of ourselves.”
Jeers for Brazil
Brazil fans at home in Salvador jeered their team after the final whistle. In a match with few opportunities for either side, Uruguay seemed closer to winning for most of the second half.
Valverde opened the scoring in the 55th minute after Brazilian defenders failed three times to clear the ball from their penalty area. The Real Madrid midfielder hit the ball to the left corner to score. Gerson equalized in the 61st minute.
Striker Raphinha said he understood the frustration from his team’s fans, but disagreed with them.
“We played great. We did everything we could to leave here with a victory. We must have our heads high up, it will be very tough to beat us,” he said.
Also on Tuesday, Ecuador won 1-0 at Colombia with a goal by Enner Valencia in the seventh minute, in which he dribbled through three players before scoring. Ecuador lost defender Piero Hincapié to a red card in the 34th minute but held on for the win.
Bolivia and Paraguay drew 2-2 in a match between teams that could end up fighting for the seventh position in the region’s qualifying. Chile, one of the worst performing teams in the region this year, showed some fighting spirit and beat Venezuela 4-2.
'I have left a legacy': Nadal retires from tennis
- Nadal, a 22-time Grand Slam winner, enjoyed a glittering and historic career over the past 23 years
- Nadal was celebrated with a video montage on the many screens around the Martin Carpena arena in Malaga where over 10,000 fans saw his career come to a close
MALLORCA: Rafael Nadal said he has left both a sporting and personal legacy after retiring from professional tennis on Tuesday at the Davis Cup.
The 38-year-old was beaten in the opening singles rubber of the quarterfinals as Netherlands defeated Spain 2-1 to reach the final four.
Nadal, a 22-time Grand Slam winner, enjoyed a glittering and historic career over the past 23 years.
“I leave with the peace of mind that I have left a legacy, which I really feel is not just a sporting one but a personal one,” Nadal told fans in Malaga in a speech during a ceremony to honor his retirement.
“I understand that the love I have received, if it was just for what happened on the court, would not be the same.”
Nadal paid credit to many who have helped him along the way, including his uncle Toni Nadal, who coached him as a child and for a large part of his career.
“The titles, the numbers are there, so people probably know that, but the way that I would like to be remembered more is like a good person, from a small village in Mallorca,” continued Nadal.
“I had the luck that I had my uncle that was a tennis coach in my village when I was a very, very small kid, and a great family that supports me in every moment...
“I just want to be remembered as a good person, a kid that followed their dreams and achieved (even) more than what I had dreamed.”
Nadal was celebrated with a video montage on the many screens around the Martin Carpena arena in Malaga where over 10,000 fans saw his career come to a close.
Former rival Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Serena Williams and other tennis greats left messages in the video, alongside former Spanish football stars including Raul and Andres Iniesta, who retired from playing in October.
“I leave the world of professional tennis having encountered many good friends along the way,” said Nadal in his emotional speech.
The Spaniard said he hoped to be a “good ambassador” for tennis in the years to come and was not afraid to begin his retirement.
“I am calm because I have received an education to take on what is coming next,” he explained.
“I have a great family around me who help me with everything that I need every day.”
Pep Guardiola reportedly agrees to contract extension at Manchester City
- City have not commented on several reports that the 53-year-old Guardiola would extend his stay into a 10th season with the deal including an option for an additional year
- Guardiola’s apparent decision to stay also comes as City face a slew of alleged financial breaches
MANCHESTER: Pep Guardiola has agreed to a contract extension to stay at Manchester City for at least another season, according to British media reports Tuesday.
The City manager, whose contract was due to expire at the end of this season, has overseen a period of unprecedented dominance since joining the club in 2016. City have won six Premier League titles in seven years and won the Champions League.
City have not commented on several reports that the 53-year-old Guardiola would extend his stay into a 10th season with the deal including an option for an additional year.
Under the Catalan coach, City became the first team to win four straight English league titles. He also led City to the treble in 2023, winning the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup in one season — matching Manchester United’s achievement in 1999.
Guardiola’s apparent decision to stay also comes as City face a slew of alleged financial breaches. Punishment could be as extreme as expulsion from the league.
City face more than 100 charges ranging over a nine-year period when it was trying to establish itself as the biggest force in English soccer.
The club denies the charges and Guardiola had said in September — when a closed-door hearing was scheduled — that he welcomed the chance to clear the club’s name. A verdict is not expected until next year.
