Sports

Ahmedabad, Sep 13 (IANS) Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel set an ambitious target for his state's teams and players in the 36th National Games, starting here on September 29, doubling the cash bonanza for medal winners.

At a mega ceremony to launch the #GoForGold programme on Tuesday, the Chief Minister announced a cash bonanza for medal winners while interacting with the state's contingent, including players, coaches and support staff.

Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister asked the state contingent to 'aim for GOLD'!

"Once you believe that you can achieve the impossible, you are already halfway there. If you can believe, no one can stop you from achieving greatness," he said.

"The state government is doubling the cash awards for winning medals as a gesture of encouragement and appreciation," he added.

Gujarat's Sports Minister Harsh Sanghavi reminded the gathering that Team Gujarat enjoyed the Home Advantage as the host state and urged his players to take full advantage of it.

"You all have started playing sport on this very land and now you have an opportunity to bring glory. It is my heartfelt desire that all of you excel in your sport," he declared.

Former All-England Open winner and national badminton coach Pullela Gopichand and world champion shooter Anjali Bhagwat were the chief guests at the function. They exhorted the players to think big and let the results take care of themselves.

"I congratulate the Gujarat government for taking the initiative to host the National Games. If we can organise an event with 20,000 athletes so grandly, I am confident that we can host the Olympics too which assembles only 11,000 athletes," Gopichand declared.

"I am delighted to be here, especially as my first-ever shooting match was here in Ahmedabad when I came as an NCC girl. I went on to win a medal and my journey in the sport began," Anjali Bhagwat said.

"Mental strength and mindset are the two keys to success," she said. "You need to believe that you can be a champ. Give 100 percent but visualise yourself winning the medal, standing on the podium. If your mind doesn't see that, you can't get there," she added.

The state coaches, while advising the selected players via a video presentation, urged their wards to "play fair yet fierce" and beat the competition.

The Honourable Chief Minister also unveiled the kit for the National Games, the playing gear that the team will wear during competitions and training. He also briefed on the ongoing preparations for the National Games, training camps etc.

Neary 2,000 persons were present at the function, including players representing Gujarat in the National Games along with their coaches, assistant coaches, team managers, etc, top sports officials and bureaucrats from the state, representatives of sports academies, media, etc.

--IANS

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Beijing, Sep 13 (IANS) World Table Tennis (WTT) on Tuesday announced plans for the 2023 edition of the WTT Singapore Smash, with a wider range of participants to compete in the event next March.

China's Fan Zhendong and Chen Meng were crowned the first Grand Smash champions in Singapore in March.

According to the WTT, the inaugural event was broadcast in 196 countries and regions, reaching a cumulative audience of more than 160 million.

The WTT confirmed that the mixed doubles draw will increase from 16 pairs to 24 pairs for the 2023 event, and the number of seeds in the singles competitions will increase from 8 to 16 players, reports Xinhua.

The Singapore Smash 2023 will feature 64-player men's and women's singles draws, and 24-pair doubles and mixed competitions.

The main draw of the Singapore Smash 2023 will take place between March 11 and 19, and the singles qualifying competitions will be held from March 7 to 9.

--IANS

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Kanpur, Sep 13 (IANS) Having won their opening encounters, India Legends, will take on West Indies Legends in match number six of the Road Safety World Series 2022 at Green Park Stadium here on Wednesday.

West Indies Legends -- who registered a comprehensive 9-wicket win over Bangladesh in their season opener -- will be bolstered with the arrival of their skipper Brian Lara. Lara -- who missed the opening game due to personal reasons -- arrived in Kanpur on Monday.

The Sachin Tendulkar-led India Legends side put up a clinical performance against South Africa Legends last on Saturday to secure a mammoth 61-run win in front of a packed stadium. The defending champions ticked off all the checkboxes in the previous game as their batting, bowling and fielding looked up to the mark.

Although the opening pair of Tendulkar and Naman Ojha failed to give India Legends a sublime start in the powerplay and were dismissed early against South Africa Legends. Fans would be hoping for a good knock from the master blaster and from local lad Suresh Raina -- who played a brilliant cameo the other evening.

Stuart Binny and Yusuf Pathan will look to give West Indian bowlers a run for their money in the death overs with their explosive hitting skills.

India's bowling department looks balanced as it has a decent pace attack in Irfan Pathan, Manpreet Gony, and Munaf Patel while the spin department looks equally potent due to the presence of Pragyan Ojha and Rahul Sharma.

West Indies Legends -- who are coming on the back of a big win over Bangladesh -- would also replicate their performance from the opening game. Acting skipper Dwyane Smith -- who slammed a match-winning fifty -- along with pacers Krishmar Santokie and Darren Powell would be aiming for a strong show against the hosts. Their spinners Dave Mohammed, Devendra Bishoo, and Suleiman Benn are equally dangerous in this format and it won't be easy for the Indians to go after them.

In the first edition, India Legends edged West Indies Legends by 12 runs. Out of 25 T20Is between these two teams, India have won 17 whereas West Indies have come out victorious on 7 occasions. 1 game ended without a result.

--IANS

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New Delhi, Sep 13 (IANS) The India U-17 boys football team is all focused on putting the mistakes behind them when they face Nepal in the SAFF U-17 Championship final at the Racecourse International Stadium in Colombo on Wednesday.

The Indian camp sounded confident on the eve of the match. "We started the tournament well. But it was a nervy start nonetheless. This is the first tournament that the boys are playing for the country, and that can always give you a few jitters," said head coach Bibiano Fernandes.

"The result against Nepal was a wake-up call for us. The boys reacted extremely well after the setback. We have identified and worked on our weaknesses. I need to credit the boys for taking up this challenge," he added.

The Indian team had started its campaign with a victory against Bhutan but suffered a 1-3 loss at the hands of Nepal in their second group stage game before turning their fortunes around against Bangladesh with a 2-1 victory in the semifinal.

While the coach's perspective was about eliminating the mistakes and the jitters, the players are all looking forward to redeeming themselves for the last defeat against Nepal.

"We were terribly upset after the loss to Nepal. We wanted a rematch, and it is our chance to prove ourselves in the final," said captain Vanlalpeka Guite. "We are completel" focused."

One major change for the boys, the coach noted, has been the change in the mindset. "There is always a lot to learn from any defeat, and I need to appreciate the mindset of the boys. We all know how good Nepal are, and you can see how much the boys are focusing on the job ahead," said Bibiano.

Playing in Sri Lanka, the Indian team has mostly to deal with loud cheers for the rival team. "The opposition supporters do not affect us. We need to focus on ourselves. We have faith in our abilities. Having the fans cheering for the opposition is an extra motivation," Bibiano said.

--IANS

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Hyderabad, Sep 13 (IANS) A new National Cricket Board -- Indian Schools Board for Cricket (ISBC) -- has been launched by former captain and Padmashree Dilip Vengsarkar here on Monday.

ISBC is a non-profit organisation that will search, nurture and groom young cricketing talent across India, especially in rural areas (and less privileged) to give a new future and opportunity to the hidden and promising rural cricket talent.

Speaking on the occasion, Sunil Babu Kolanapaka, Founder and CEO of the Board said, "ISBC has entered into grooming school cricketers. TSPL was a huge success with 5120 school cricketers, 31 districts of Telangana state participating in the tournament and 550 matches in which the villagers saw some extraordinary cricketing talent and the 'Indian Schools Board Cricket' has started today to develop this talent."

Dilip Vengsarkar thanked the people of the board for this occasion and said, "It is a good initiative. This will give a good opportunity and platform to the children of our young generation. Good and talented people will get the right direction, especially those from rural areas. Students with hidden talents will get a golden opportunity."

Ankesh Rathore, president, said, "India needed an organised structure to produce school cricketers, which the ISBC would accomplish."

Whereas, Padam Raj Parakh, secretary, said, "We are delighted to have a school group consisting of 19 countries, under which we plan to organize a "School World Cup" by the end of 2023.

ISBC will start cricket activities for 2023 from the month of July-August. The schedule and participation will be announced after December 2022. ISTL will have academic scholarships, introduce specialist cricket training at ICC level academies in India and abroad.

The members who have been unanimously elected to ISBC for a period of three years are president Ankesh Rathore (Rajasthan), vice-presidents Sandhya Agarwal (Madhya Pradesh), Y Sudarsana Babu (Andhra Pradesh), Sangram Lonkar (Maharashtra), secretary Padam Raj Parakh (Rajasthan), joint secretary Mohammad Yousuf (Tamil Nadu), Dr S Senthil Kumar (Tamil Nadu), treasurer D Srinivas Reddy (Andhra Pradesh), executive committee Jayesh Gandhi (Maharashtra), Varsha Sharma (Madhya Pradesh), T Srinivas Reddy (Andhra Pradesh), Ch Vijay Kumar (Andhra Pradesh), Amit Bokadia (Rajasthan), Abhishek Avala (Telangana), founder-CEO Sunil Babu Kolanpaka (Telangana), chief patron Dr K Laxman MP, patron Avinash Gehlot MLA (Rajasthan).

--IANS
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Kolkata, Sep 12 (IANS) Indian Super League (ISL) winner Hyderabad FC put in a strong performance against I-League side Rajasthan United to claim a 3-1 win in the Durand Cup 2022 quarterfinals here at the Kishore Bharati Stadium in Kolkata on Monday.

Bartholomew Ogbeche (6'), Akash Mishra (45') and Javi Siverio (68') found the back of the net for Manolo Marquez's team while Martin Chaves (29' pen) scored at the other end from a spot-kick in an entertaining 3-1 win for HFC.

This win knocks Rajasthan United out of the competition while Hyderabad are set to face Bengaluru FC in the second Semifinal in a few days.

Under the lights, even as it was pouring down, Bart Ogbeche took just six minutes to get himself on the scoresheet as he thumped in a header from the edge of the box to convert a Borja Herrera cross and take Hyderabad into an early lead.

It was Hyderabad who then piled the pressure on for most of the game but against the run of play, Rajasthan were offered a way back when Akash Mishra handed an awkward high ball and the referee pointed to the spot.

Laxmikant Kattimani was beaten but HFC did not take long to restore their lead. Akash Mishra popped up with a stunning goal, as he drove a long-range effort from the left into the far corner to bring it back to 2-1 before the break.

Javi Siverio effectively decided the tie after he converted from a Halicharan Narzary cross just after the hour mark. It was Narzary's first touch after coming on as a sub while Siverio bagged what was his first goal of the current Durand Cup campaign.

The likes of Joel Chianese, Joao Victor, Sweden Fernandes, Nikhil Poojary and Lalchungnunga Chhangte all came close on a few occasions while Martin Chaves also hit the bar at the other end in an eventful second half.

But it was the determination of Odei Onaindia and Nim Dorjee Tamang, that rarely allowed the I-League side a clear shot at Kattimani's goal for most of the game.

This win takes Hyderabad FC to their first ever Semifinal in the Durand Cup as they take on fellow ISL side Bengaluru FC at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata on September 15.

--IANS

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New Delhi, Sep 12 (IANS) After being selected in the India squad for the 2022 T20 World Cup squad in Australia, veteran wicket-keeper batter Dinesh Karthik on Monday shared a heartfelt message on social media.

Karthik, who made another India comeback with his stellar run in the IPL 2022, has been playing the role of a finisher for RCB and the national team. Given his impressive strike rate and finishing prowess, the All-India Senior Selection Committee on Monday picked the veteran cricketer in India's 15-member squad for the upcoming Men's T20 World Cup.

After the team announcement, Karthik expressed his happiness on Twitter and wrote, "Dreams do come true".

The 37-year-old has also been added to the squad announced to play the home series against Australia and South Africa. He had earlier mentioned that the motivation to play for India remains as strong as ever.

"The bigger vision was to play for the country. I know there is a World Cup around the corner. I want to be part of that World Cup desperately and help India cross the line," Karthik had said.

"It's been a long time since India won a multi-nation tournament. I want to be that person who is helping India do that. For that, you need to prepare differently, you need to be aware of so many things and try to be that player where people stand up and notice you and say, 'hey this guy is doing something special and I wanted to be that guy," he added.


--IANS
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Mumbai, Sep 12 (IANS) India on Monday announced their 15-member squad for the upcoming ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022, with fit-again Jasprit Bumrah and Harshal Patel, making their comeback.

India's squad for the World Cup in Australia is largely along expected lines and have only few changes from the fifteen, who took part in the recently concluded Asia Cup 2022.

Both Bumrah and Harshal had missed the multi-nation tournament in the UAE due to respective injuries and their return for the marquee event will bolster the team's fast bowling ranks. Arshdeep Singh and Bhuvneshwar Kumar are the other two pacers in the squad, along with the all-rounder Hardik Pandya.

However, the squad led by Rohit Sharma will miss the services of all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, who sustained a right knee injury during the Asia Cup and recently underwent a surgery. Left-hander Axar Patel will step in as a like-for-like replacement for Jadeja. Apart from Axar, R Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal and Axar Patel are the other two specialist spinners.

From the Asia Cup squad, the likes of Ravi Bishnoi and Avesh Khan have made way for Bumrah and Harshal while Deepak Hooda holds on to his spot.

Avesh, conceded at an economy of 12 runs per over in the two games that he played before being ruled out with an illness. On the other hand, wrist-spinner Ravi Bishnoi played a solitary game against Pakistan but was dropped for the next game despite doing well.

The batting unit is identical to the one that played the Asia Cup with captain Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant and Dinesh Karthik all included. Mohammed Shami, the pacer, has been named as a standby player, along with fellow pacer Deepak Chahar, Ravi Bishnoi and batter Shreyas Iyer.

Along with the T20 World Cup, the All-India Senior Selection Committee also picked India's squads for the upcoming home T20I series against Australia and South Africa at home.

World Cup standbys Mohammed Shami and Deepak Chahar have been picked in the squads that will play Australia and South Africa in the build-up to the marquee event. While Shami hasn't played T20Is since last year's World Cup, Chahar made his international T20I comeback against Afghanistan in India's last Asia Cup game.

The duo will come in for Arshdeep Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Hardik Pandya, who will report to the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru for conditioning-related work at different times during the course of these two home series.

While Arshdeep will miss the series against Australia, Bhuvneshwar and Hardik will sit out the following assignment against South Africa.

"Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh and Bhuvneshwar Kumar will be reporting to the NCA for conditioning-related work during the course of the home series against Australia and South Africa," the BCCI said in a statement.

Australia will play their three T20Is at Mohali (September 20), Nagpur (September 23) and Hyderabad (September 25) while South Africa will start their tour with T20Is at Thiruvananthapuram (September 28), Guwahati (October 2) and Indore (October 4).

India will also play the Proteas in a three-match ODI series just before the World Cup, the squad for which will be announced in due course.

India squad for ICC T20 World Cup: Rohit Sharma (Captain), KL Rahul (vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Dinesh Karthik (wicket-keeper), Hardik Pandya, R Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Arshdeep Singh.

Standby players - Mohd Shami, Shreyas Iyer, Ravi Bishnoi, Deepak Chahar.

India Squad for Australia T20Is: Rohit Sharma (Captain), KL Rahul (vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Dinesh Karthik (wicket-keeper), Hardik Pandya, R. Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohd. Shami, Harshal Patel, Deepak Chahar, Jasprit Bumrah.

India squad for South Africa T20Is: Rohit Sharma (Captain), KL Rahul (vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Dinesh Karthik (wicket-keeper), R Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Mohd Shami, Harshal Patel, Deepak Chahar, Jasprit Bumrah.

--IANS
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Dubai, Sep 12 (IANS) A collective impressive performance by Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Wanindu Hasaranga and Pramod Madushan led Sri Lanka to Asia Cup 2022 title with a clinical 23-win over Pakistan in the final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, here on Sunday.

This is Sri Lanka's sixth Asia Cup title -- 1986, 1997, 2004, 2008, 2014 & 2022. After losing their opening game against Afghanistan, Sri Lanka beat Bangladesh, Afghanistan, India, Pakistan and then again Pakistan to clinch the 2022 Asia Cup.

An impressive fighting fifty by Bhanuka Rajapaksa (71 not out off 45) and an attacking knock by Wanindu Hasaranga (36 off 21) propelled Sri Lanka to a fighting total of 170/6 in 20 overs. Apart from Rajapaksa and Hasaranga, Dhananjaya de Silva (28 off 21) and Chamika Karunaratne (14 not out off 14) also played vital knocks for Sri Lanka, during their stay at the crease.

Chasing a challenging total, Pakistan were helped by some wayward bowling of Dilshan Madushanka, who gave 12 runs in the first over rife with wides and uncontrolled swing. However, Pakistan couldn't take advantage of that momentum as Sri Lanka found a hero in Pramod Madushan, who dismissed Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman off consecutive deliveries and helped his team get on top.

Babar, who now does not have a fifty in six T20I games on the trot, first flicked one straight to short fine before Zaman chopped the ball onto his wicket. At 22/2 after 3.3 overs, Pakistan were in a spot of bother, but the in-form Mohammad Rizwan and Iftikhar Ahmed batted cautiously to lead the recovery for their team.

Rizwan was picking crucial boundaries at regular intervals to keep the scoreboard ticking. On the other hand, Iftikhar, who got a reprieve in between, was also giving the much-needed support as Pakistan were 68/2 after 10 overs.

Though Pakistan were keeping wickets in hand, the required rate was rising with every passing over. Iftikhar hit Hasaranga for a much-needed six and boundary to give impetus to the run-chase. He tried to do the same against Madushan but the ball only got the height not the distance, with the fielder at deep backward square got under it and held it safely, leaving Pakistan at 93-3 after 13.2 overs.

From there on, Pakistan needed to put the foot down on the accelerator but Sri Lanka bowled and fielded with excellence. They dried up the runs, increasing the pressure while upping the required run rate.

All-rounder Mohammad Nawaz couldn't deliver the big hits, falling for 6 against Karunaratne. It was now up to Rizwan, who was the set batter to guide Pakistan home, as they needed 69 off 28 deliveries.

After bringing up his half-century, Rizwan was outfoxed by Hasaranga as Sri Lanka etched closer to victory with the required run rate almost touching the 16-run mark. Hasaranga then dismissed Asif Ali for a first-ball duck and followed it up with Khushdil Shah for 2.

Eventually, Karunaratne got the final scalp of Haris Rauf (13) as Pakistan were bowled out for 147 in 20 overs, losing by 23 runs. Pramod Madushan (4/34) and Wanindu Hasaranga (3/27) were the highest-wicket takers for Sri Lanka while Chamika Karunaratne (2/33) and Maheesh Theekshana (1/25) also chipped in with a crucial wicket.

Earlier, put into bat first, Sri Lanka were off to a terrible start, losing three wickets inside the power play against the quality pace bowling. In the very first over, pacer Naseem Shah clean bowled Mendis, who was late to bring his bat down on a quality length ball. Pathum Nissanka and Dhananjaya de Silva then hit a few boundaries to show some fight back.

However, Pakistan skipper Babar Azam brought Haris Rauf into the attack and he put Sri Lanka back in trouble by taking the wickets of Nissanka and Danushka Gunathilaka.

On a quick delivery at 146 kph, Nissanka played a lofted shot but the ball went only to mid-off, where Babar Azam took a good catch running back. The pacer then dismantled the stumps of Gunathilaka, to leave Sri Lanka in deep trouble at 36/3 after 5.1 overs.

Among all Sri Lankan batters, Dhananjaya de Silva looked most comfortable and it seemed he would bail his team out of trouble. But, Iftikhar Ahmed got rid of De Silva with a brilliant reflex catch off his own bowling in the ninth over.

And in the next over, Shadab Khan breached the defence of Sri Lanka spinner Dasun Shanaka, who went for a wild slog but couldn't connect. With 58/5 in 8.5 overs, Sri Lanka were in danger of getting bowled but Rajapaksa and Hasaranga showed fighting spirit and did counter-attack.

Both Rajapaksa and Hasaranga looked in control against spinners and hit three boundaries off Shadab Khan. Hasaranga then slammed one boundary and a huge six over backward point to give impetus to the Sri Lankan innings.

From who else but Hasaranga -- 36 off 21. He was aggressive against Shadab, Hasnain and now Rauf again, hitting the pacer for two fours before he edged one to the keeper. What this wicket has done though is brought the match alive. Up until the ninth over, it was all Pakistan.

Hasaranga continued his aggressive approach and welcomed Haris Rauf with two boundaries before the pacer dismissed the batter to break a crucial 58-run stand for the sixth wicket, which brought the match alive. After the wicket of Hasaranga, Rajapaksa had the responsibility of batting till the last over and he did that with perfection. He hit boundaries and sixes to complete his half-century in 35 balls.

The left-hander also got able support from Chamika Karunaratne, which was required for a strong finish for Sri Lanka. Both Rajapaksa and Karunaratne remained not out, added 54 runs off only 31 balls and took Sri Lanka to 170/6 in 20 overs.

For Pakistan, Haris Rauf (3/29) was the pick of the bowlers with three wickets to his name while Iftikhar Ahmed (1/21), Shadab Khan (1/28) and Naseem Shah (1/40) were the other wicket takers.

Brief scores: Sri Lanka 170/6 in 20 overs (Bhanuka Rajapaksa 71 not out, Wanindu Hasaranga 36; Haris Rauf 3/29) beat Pakistan 147 all out in 20 overs (Mohammad Rizwan 55, Iftikhar Ahmed 32; Pramod Madushan 4/34, Wanindu Hasaranga 3/27) by 23 overs

--IANS

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Dubai, Sep 11 (IANS) Sri Lanka produced a clinical all-round performance to beat Pakistan by 23 runs in the final to win the Asia Cup 2022 title at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, here on Sunday.

This is Sri Lanka's sixth Asia Cup title. After losing their opening game against Afghanistan, they beat Bangladesh, Afghanistan, India, Pakistan and then again Pakistan to clinch the 2022 Asia Cup.

An impressive fighting fifty by Bhanuka Rajapaksa (71 not out off 45) and an attacking knock by Wanindu Hasaranga (36 off 21) propelled Sri Lanka to 170/6 in 20 overs. Apart from Rajapaksa and Hasaranga, Dhananjaya de Silva (28 off 21) and Chamika Karunaratne (14 not out off 14) also played vital knocks for Sri Lanka, during their stay at the crease.

For Pakistan, Haris Rauf (3/29) was the pick of the bowlers with three wickets to his name while Iftikhar Ahmed (1/21), Shadab Khan (1/28) and Naseem Shah (1/40) were the other wicket-takers.

Chasing a challenging total, Mohammad Rizwan hit a decent half-century (55 off 49) and along with Iftikhar Ahmed (32 off 31) to keep Pakistan alive in the game before getting out. However, there weren't many contributions from other batters as Pakistan were bowled out for 147 in 20 overs, losing by 23 runs.

Pramod Madushan (4/34) and Wanindu Hasaranga (3/27) were the highest-wicket takers for Sri Lanka while Chamika Karunaratne (2/33) and Maheesh Theekshana (1/25) also chipped in with a crucial wicket.

Brief scores: Sri Lanka 170/6 in 20 overs (Bhanuka Rajapaksa 71 not out, Wanindu Hasaranga 36; Haris Rauf 3/29) beat Pakistan (Mohammad Rizwan 55, Iftikhar Ahmed 32; Pramod Madushan 4/34, Wanindu Hasaranga 3/27) by 23 overs

--IANS

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