12.15 am: Dasun Shanaka said before the tournament began: “The cricket always brings a different kind of vibe to Sri Lankan people, winning is the most thrilling thing. So we look forward to delivering for our country.” That will be all from our coverage. A brilliant tournament.

Player of the tournament: Wanindu Hasaranga

Player of the final: Bhanuka Rajapaksa

11.40 pm: What a tournament this has been. Men’s Asia Cup 2022 will live long in the memory of cricket fans. Sri Lanka, who lost the first match, went on to win five straight to become champions.

Summary:

First innings: Asked to bat first, Sri Lanka finished with 170/6 (Rajapaksa 71 off 45, Rauf 3/29).

Second innings: Backed up by a brilliant fielding display and good bowling by Madushan & Hasaranga, Pakistan were bowled out for 147. SL won by 23 runs. 

Pramod Madushan and Wanindu Hasaranga shared seven wickets between them as Sri Lanka beat Pakistan by 23 runs to win their sixth Asia Cup title on Sunday.

Chasing 171 for victory, Pakistan were bowled out for 147 with Madushan claiming four wickets and Hasaranga taking 3-27 in Dubai.

Bhanuka Rajapaksa had smashed an unbeaten 71 to lift Sri Lanka to 170-6 from a precarious 58-5 after being put in to bat by Pakistan.

— via AFP

Headline for anyone working on a feature story around SL’s coach: Born again with a Silverwood.

SRI LANKA ARE THE CHAMPIONS: Dasun Shanaka and Co defeat Pakistan by 23 runs on the back of an inspired performance with the bat, with the ball and in the field. Karunaratne with a wicket off the last ball and PAK are all out.

PAK 139/9 (19 overs): A not-so-ideal finish by Madushan to what was otherwise a great over. 19 runs from the over, 4/34. A no ball for four didn’t help. PAK need 32 off 6 balls.

PAK 125/9 (18.2 overs): OUT! Naseem gets a four and is out. Guess how? Caught in the deep, of course. Madushan with his 4th!

Need 51 from 12 balls. Time to start dancing SL fans.

PAK 120/8 (18 overs): OUT! Shadab goes too and another fine catch in the outfield. Gunathilaka this time, Theekshana strikes.

PAK 112/7 (17 overs): 59 off 18 balls needed. Shadab and Rauf in. This is as good as over now, surely? Hasaranga finishes with 4-0-27-3.

PAK 112/7 (16.5 overs): Three in the over for Hasaranga! Khushdil goes for a heave, caught at short third. A penny for Rizwan’s thoughts.

PAK 111/6 (16.3 overs): The dangerous Asif Ali is clean bowled for a first-ball duck! Wanindu Hasaranga picks two wickets in the over to put Sri Lanka on their way.

PAK 110/5 (16.1 overs): OUT! Rizwan goes after Hasaranga and finds the fielder at deep midwicket. He had just become the highest run-getter in the tournament. Did he time this chase badly though?

HALF CENTURY: 54 off 47 balls for Rizwan, comes up with a six over midwicket. First six of the night for him. Pakistan 110/4 after 16 overs.

Pakistan need 69 off 28 balls. At the halfway mark, they needed 103 runs from 60 balls. That seemed gettable, the last 5 overs have taken the final away from them.

PAK 102/4 (15.2 overs): Correction.

PAK 102/4 (15.2 overs): OUT! Theekshana’s over resulted in a wicket next over a little earlier. Now DDS’s over results in a wicket next over. Karunaratne strikes, Nawaz pulls it to long leg.

PAK 101/3 after 15 overs: Pakistan are stumbling. Two twos to start de Silva’s over but those could have been easily two fours but for great outfielding. And then de Silva bowls four dot balls to Nawaz. What. An. Over.

Styris on air: “This is not a great innings by Rizwan.” It is something that Pakistan have had issues with... his strike rate.

PAK 97/3 after 14 overs: Pramod Madushan has figures of 3-0-15-3 now. Brilliant!

PAK 93/3 (13.2 overs): OUT! That’s the result of the pressure built in the previous over. Cutter from Madushan and the ball is in the air for so long. Substitute Bandara takes a really good catch.

PAK 91/2 after 13 overs: Sri Lanka needed that from Theekshana. The required rate is above 11, the batters are not striking just over 100 but somehow still feels like Pakistan have this within their grasps.

PAK 88/2 after 12 overs: Six & four! Something did give. Iftikhar decides to go after Hasaranga and finds the boundaries. Sri Lanka are under pressure now. Pakistan have the platform to go big now and have firepower left.

PAK 74/2 after 11 overs: Just 6 runs in that Karunaratne over. But it feels like something’s about to give in this run-chase now.

PAK 68/2 after 10 overs: Just 5 runs in that Hasaranga over. But there was a LBW review by SL that took forever. UltraEdge showed inside edge... after an eternity.

Pakistan find themselves in a promising position at the halfway stage of their innings. Sri Lanka had the advantage after the double strike earlier but Rizwan and Iftikhar are building a strong partnership.

PAK 63/2 after 9 overs: Another over with one four and hard running. Theekshana comes on, Rizwan with a late cut for four. Have to say Pakistan are still favourites at this stage.

PAK 53/2 after 8 overs: A good over for Pakistan, with Rizwan finding the boundary early off Karunaratne. That is followed by some typically busy running.

PAK 43/2 after 7 overs: A lovely shot by Iftikhar second ball of the over, through extra cover for four. But Hasaranga does well to make it just a 6-run over.

Hasaranga time.

PAK 37/2 after 6 overs: End of a dramatic powerplay. So much happened there. Madushan finishes with a tidy over that saw some good outfielding by SL to keep things tight.

PAK 32/2 after 5 overs: Third ball. Have SL missed a review? Oh there is a noise on stump cam... but seems like the players didn’t hear anything. Iftikhar got a bottom edge, no one really went up in any serious appeal. Indeed, that was out. Rizwan finishes the over with a rasping square cut for four. That man, holds the key.

Shanaka has trusted Madushanka for a third over (technically, a fourth).

PAK 24/2 after 4 overs: No hat-trick, but what an over. What an eventful start to this run-chase.

PAK 22/2 (3.3 overs): OUT! Wow again. Madushan has two in two. Fakhar throws his bat out at a drive, played on. Bowled.

PAK 22/1 (3.2 overs): OUT! Wow. That’s a shocking ball, by all accounts. But Babar Azam picks up the fielder at short fine with precision. Madushan strikes, Madushanka with the catch... really sharp one. Babar has had a rather ordinary tournament.

PAK 20/0 after 3 overs: Dilshan Madushanka with a fine second over. One four, as Rizwan drove superbly down the ground but the pacer works the angle well rest of the over. Bowling to a packed offside ring field.

OUCH! SURJEET YADAV / AFP

PAK 16/0 after 2 overs: Decent first over by Theekshana. Another wide added to the extra column but three runs otherwise.

That’s peak meme-ing.

PAK 12/0 after 1 over: 9 runs even before a legitimate ball was bowled, 12 runs at the end of the over. Nice recovery there by Madushanka, the young left-arm pacer. Of course he’d have liked it to be tighter but that’s good character shown by a pacer who has actually been impressive most tournament.

After 0.1, Pakistan are 10/0: No ball. Wide. Wide. Five wides. Wide. Wide... and finally one run off a free hits.

On the one hand, chasing teams have enjoyed success at this Asia Cup. On the other, there have been a few close run-chases that could have gone either way. The key, you’d think, is a couple of early wickets for Sri Lanka.

9.19 pm: Massive finish with Sri Lanka! Rajapaksa hit Naseem for a four and six to end the innings and remain unbeaten on a fantastic 71 off 45.

Sri Lanka finish with 170/6

SL 155/6 (19 overs): Another life for Rajapaksa! He hit it miles up again and Shadab Khan and Asif Ali ended up colliding at the boundary to send the ball over the rope for six. Pakistan aren’t helping their cause. Worrying sign though as Shadab is still on the floor and getting treatment. That was a heavy collision.

SL 147/6 (18 overs): FIFTY for Bhanuka Rajapaksa! An excellent half-century from the left-hander, he’s taken just 35 balls to get there. He has paced his innings smartly and helped drag Sri Lanka out of what seemed like a hopeless position.

SL 145/6 (17.4 overs): Dropped! Haris bowls a nice slower ball and Rajapaksa hits it high but Shadab can’t hold on to the catch running in from long-on.

SL 136/6 (17 overs): Two sixes! Rajapaksa uses his powerful wrists to send one over the fence – Naseem bowls a slower ball and the left-hander flicks it a long way. Karunaratne then ends the over with a huge strike over long-on. Just the over Sri Lanka wanted.

SL 120/6 (16 overs): Left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz joins the attack and does well to concede just three singles in his first over. Sri Lanka would want to get past 160 from here.

SL 116/6 (14.5 overs): OUT! Haris Rauf breaks the partnership to bag his 50th T20I wicket. Wanindu Hasaranga hit two fours earlier in the over but edges it to Mohammad Rizwan this time. The right-hander walks back for a stroke-filled 36 off 21. The new batter is Chamika Karunaratne.

SL 106/5 (14 overs): Shadab bowls a tight over to finish with figures of 1/28. Rajapaksa and Hasaranga have added 48 runs so far for the sixth wicket.

SL 99/5 (13 overs): Hasaranga hits the first six of the match. Hasnain bowls it short and wide and the right-hander cuts it all the way. The right-hander also drove one past cover for four earlier in the over. Another solid over for Sri Lanka.

SL 85/5 (12 overs): Another classy shot from Rajapaksa, this time the left-hander plays a late cut off Iftikhar for four. This partnership has looked good so far.

SL 77/5 (11 overs): Strong over for Sri Lanka as Rajapaksa and Hasaranga pick a boundary each off Shadab’s bowling.

SL 67/5 (10 overs): Well, we’re at the halfway stage of the Sri Lanka innings, as Iftikhar completes another tight over, and it seems Sri Lanka have a mountain to climb. They have Rajapaksa and Hasaranga at the crease and the lefty-righty pair needs to deliver a partnership.

SL 58/5 (8.5 overs): OUT! Big blow for Sri Lanka as Shadab Khan dismissed skipper Dasun Shanaka. The leg-spinner tossed it up and the right-hander went for a mighty slog only to get clean bowled. It’s all Pakistan at the moment. The new batter is Wanindu Hasaranga.

SL 53/4 (7.4 overs): OUT! What a catch! Iftikhar joins the attack and gets the key wicket of de Silva. The right-hander struck it hard straight back and the off-spinner took a brilliant reflex catch. De Silva walks back for 28 off 21 and Sri Lanka are in big trouble. The new batter is skipper Dasun Shanaka.

SL 47/3 (7 overs): Pakistan introduce spin with the field spreading and Shadab Khan starts with a tight over, just five singles from it.

SL 42/3 (6 overs): Haris Rauf is breathing fire at the moment with pace, swing and accuracy. He bowls an excellent in-swinging yorker to Bhanuka Rajapaksa and strikes the left-hander on the front pad. The umpire says not-out and DRS shows umpire’s call. That was an entertaining powerplay alright.

SL 36/3 (5.1 overs): OUT! Haris strikes again and Gunathilaka is clean bowled. Another sensational delivery, it shaped in to the right-hander and beat him all ends up. Pakistan are pumped.

SL 36/2 (5 overs): Another superb drive through the covers by de Silva for four. Hasnain offers a bit of width and the right-hander has no hesitation in extending his arms and going hard.

The new batter is Danushka Gunathilaka.

SL 23/2 (3.2 overs): OUT! Sri Lanka have lost both their openers! Haris Rauf joins the attack and strikes as Pathum Nissanka mistimes one and Babar Azam runs back from mid-off to take a good catch. The right-hander departs for 8 off 11.

SL 23/1 (3 overs): It’s rare to see just one cover fielder and Sri Lanka are taking advantage of it. This time Nissanka drives one from Naseem for four.

SL 16/1 (2 overs): Stunning shot from de Silva! Hasnain pitched it full and shaped it away and the right-hander leaned it to play a gorgeous cover-drive for four. That was picture-perfect. He follows that up with a similar shot for four, this time on the rise over the in-field.

SL 2/1 (0.3 overs): OUT! What a ball from Naseem! He started with a wide way down leg but he nails his line this time and the big in-swinger breaches Kusal Mendis’ defence to crash into the stumps. The right-hander walks back for a first-ball duck. The new batter is Dhananjaya de Silva.

7.30 pm: The anthems are done and we’re ready for play! Can Sri Lanka post a big total? They’ll surely have their work cut out against a potent Pakistan attack. Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis are at the crease. Naseem Shah has the ball in hand. The title is on the line. Here we go!

Playing XIs

Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (w), Danushka Gunathilaka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Dasun Shanaka (c), Wanindu Hasaranga, Chamika Karunaratne, Pramod Madushan, Maheesh Theekshana, Dilshan Madushanka.

Pakistan: Mohammad Rizwan (w), Babar Azam (c), Fakhar Zaman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan, Asif Ali, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Hasnain.

TOSS: Babar Azam has won the toss and opted to bowl first.

Hello and welcome to live updates of the Asia Cup 2022 final between Pakistan and Sri Lanka at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

Sri Lanka will have the edge heading into the contest having beaten Pakistan in the last match of the Super Four stage. Dasun Shanaka and Co are on a four-match winning streak and will be confident of putting in another strong performance. But Babar Azam’s team can’t be counted out either. They’s played some solid cricket in the tournament and have plenty of firepower in their ranks to get the job done.

Squads

Pakistan: Mohammad Rizwan (w), Babar Azam (c), Fakhar Zaman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Asif Ali, Mohammad Nawaz, Hasan Ali, Haris Rauf, Usman Qadir, Mohammad Hasnain, Shadab Khan, Naseem Shah, Haider Ali, Shahnawaz Dahani.

Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (w), Danushka Gunathilaka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Dasun Shanaka (c), Wanindu Hasaranga, Chamika Karunaratne, Pramod Madushan, Maheesh Theekshana, Dilshan Madushanka, Dinesh Chandimal, Jeffrey Vandersay, Charith Asalanka, Asitha Fernando, Ashen Bandara, Praveen Jayawickrama, Nuwanidu Fernando, Matheesha Pathirana, Nuwan Thushara.