Sri Lanka 3-211 (Kusal Perera 84, Tillakaratne Dilshan 48, Kumar Sangakkara 44*, Saeed Ajmal 2-25) beat Pakistan 187 (Sharjeel Khan 50, Sohail Tanvir 41, Sachithra Senanayake 3-27) by 24 runs.
Kusal Perera along with Tillakaratne Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara humiliated the strong looking Pakistani bowling as Sri Lanka won the game easily.
The Lankan Lions piled up 211 runs for the loss of three mere wickets in 20 overs and the Green Caps managed 187 before their innings was folded back with four balls to spare.
Kusal Perera (Sri Lanka) was declared ‘Player of the match’ for his astonishing knock of 84 off 59 deliveries.
The second and final Twenty20 was played on Friday, December 13, 2013, at Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
Earlier, Mohammad Hafeez won the toss for Pakistan and sent in Sri Lanka to bat first. Kusal Perera along with Tillakaratne Dilshan provided a rising beginning to their side by smashing 52 runs in the first five overs. Perera attained his third T20 fifty in the 12th over and the first wicket fell at 100 in 11.6 overs when Dilshan was gone for 48.
The debutant Seekkuge Prasanna contributed 21 quick fired runs while Kumar Sangakkara came in next and continued punishing the rival bowlers with numerous boundaries. Kusal Perera finally ran himself out for 84 off just 59 deliveries with 4 towering sixes and 5 fours. Sangakkara remained unbeaten for 44 as Sri Lanka powered 211 in 20 overs.
Saeed Ajmal was the only successful bowler with two wickets and completed the tally of 100 wickets in 2013.
Pakistan lost two quick wickets at 27 when Sohaib Maqsood joined in with Sharjeel Khan. They took the score to 62 before the latter surrendered for 15 and Umar Akmal was unable to open his account. Sharjeel Khan speeded up the run rate and completed his maiden T20 half century on the 24th ball but was clean bowled on the very next one for 50 with 3 big sixes and 5 fours.
The hosts were reeling at 7-85 when Shahid Afridi and Sohail Tanvir kept the chase on. They enhanced the score to 121 as the first was caught smartly by Sangakkara for 28. Saeed Ajmal appeared in the park next as Sohail Tanvir took over and played some excellent shots. The pair shared a 63 runs association which was dislodged at 184 while the latter left the crease after scoring 41. Saeed Ajmal was the last batsman who was dismissed for 20 as Pakistan managed 187 in 19.2 overs.
Sachithra Senanayake was the star performer with three wickets, Nuwan Kulasekara, Seekkuge Prasanna and Thisara Perera shared two each whereas Lasith Malinga chipped in with one wicket.
Sri Lanka triumphed in the second encounter with a margin of 24 runs and leveled the series at 1-1.
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