Kusal Mendis could not open an account against Pakistan this timeImage Credit Source: PTI
Pakistan Cricket Team is in constant headlines in the Asia Cup 2025. It also includes controversies and its highly average performance. Despite being one of the largest team in Asia, Pakistan is also struggling to reach the final of this tournament. His batting has been as bad as his bowling as disappointing. But the Pakistani team is not facing much problems against a batsman these days and this trend continued in the Asia Cup as well. These batsmen are Sri Lankan opener Kusal Mendis, who was dismissed without opening an account against Pakistan in the Super-4 match.
On Tuesday 23 September at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi, a super-4 round match was played between Pakistan and Sri Lanka, which was a do or a match like a do or die for both teams. In this match, the Sri Lankan team, who came out to bat first, wanted a fast start but in the first over, its desires were rebuilt when fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi took the wicket of Kusal Mendis on the second ball of the innings.
This was the first ball in this innings of right -handed explosive batsman Kus Mendis but he gave a direct catch to the fielder posted on the mid wicket. Mendis returned to the pavilion without opening the account. Along with this, the Sri Lankan batsman made a hat -trick of ‘Golden Duck’ against Pakistan (without opening an account on the first ball). This was the third consecutive time when Mendis was dismissed at 0 in the T20 match against Pakistan.
Incidentally, before this, this ‘accident’ was done in the Asia Cup itself and in the final. In the Asia Cup 2022 played in T20 format, Mendis was out on the first ball against Pakistan in the first Super-4 match and then the same story was repeated in the final. In this way, Mendis has not been able to score a single run in all three T20 matches played against Pakistan.
Talking about Pakistan’s bowling, all the Pakistani bowlers, including Shaheen Afridi, who were badly beaten by Team India, showed amazing this time. Shaheen Afridi took 2 wickets in his first two overs. At the same time, Pakistani captain Salman Aga was criticized for not bowling against all -rounder Hussain Talat against India. This time Salman did not make that mistake and Talat also proved it right. In his first over, this medium pacer took 2 wickets off 2 consecutive balls. Overall, Shaheen took 3 wickets, while Talat and Haris Rauf took 2–2 wickets, with the help of which Pakistan stopped Sri Lanka for just 133 runs.