Pakistan Tri-Series Final Win Over Sri Lanka

Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by three wickets in the Pakistan tri-series final at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Saturday, chasing down a target of 326 with nine balls to spare. The hosts finished on 331 for seven in 48.3 overs after Sri Lanka had posted 325 for eight in their 50 overs, and captain Shaheen Shah Afridi struck the winning six.

Shaheen had won the toss and elected to field first. Pakistan then lost their first two wickets for just 14 runs, before Fakhar Zaman turned the final around with a century that ended a long wait for a three-figure score in one-day cricket.

Pakistan tri-series final: Fakhar’s century turns the chase

Fakhar scored 127 from 99 balls, with 11 fours and six sixes. He shared a 149-run stand for the third wicket with Saad Baig, who made 74 from 75 balls, after Maaz Sadaqat fell for five and Babar Azam departed without scoring. Both early wickets went to left-arm pacer Dilshan Madushanka, who put Sri Lanka firmly in control inside the first four overs.

Saad fell at 163 for three, but Fakhar reached his 12th one-day century before Madushanka bowled him in the 34th over, with Pakistan on 220. Salman Ali Agha added 17 before Arafat Minhas pushed the chase forward with 61.

Hasan Nawaz finished unbeaten on 37, and Shaheen sealed the title by pulling Madushanka over square leg for six at 48.3 overs, with Pakistan needing two runs from the final 14 balls.

For Sri Lanka, Madushanka took three wickets for 63 runs, while Asitha Fernando claimed two for 72.

Kamindu’s 131 sets up a testing target

Sri Lanka had built their total around Kamindu Mendis, who scored 131 from 128 balls with 12 fours and two sixes. Avishka Fernando made 38 from 49 balls in an 87-run opening stand before Salman trapped him leg before wicket.

Captain Kusal Mendis made only eight, but Pavan Rathnayake then joined Kamindu and the pair added 146 runs for the third wicket. Rathnayake scored 77 from 65 balls, with eight fours, before Haris Rauf dismissed him. Dasun Shanaka added a quick 17 from nine balls.

Shaheen finished with two wickets for 50 runs, Salman took two for 44, Naseem Shah two for 80 and Haris two for 60.

Why Fakhar’s century mattered so much

The century carried weight beyond the final itself. It was Fakhar’s second hundred in a one-day tournament final, after his ton against India in the 2017 Champions Trophy final at The Oval. That put him level with Saeed Anwar, the only other Pakistan batter with two centuries in one-day finals.

Fakhar also passed 4,000 one-day runs during the innings, reaching 4,019 runs in 96 innings to become only the 16th Pakistan batter to reach the mark. His previous one-day century had come against New Zealand at the 2023 World Cup in Bengaluru, and he had entered the final with scores of 16, nought, 10 and five in his four earlier innings of this tournament.

Sri Lanka had beaten Pakistan by eight wickets earlier in the tournament to reach the decider, and Pakistan had to do without Shadab Khan in the final after the all-rounder was ruled out on medical grounds. Shadab had suffered a blow to the head from a bouncer in the fifth match against Sri Lanka, and Faheem Ashraf came into the side in his place. Feature Pakistan reported on Shadab’s absence from the final and on Shaheen’s call for improvement ahead of the decider.

What happens next

Frequently asked questions

What was the result of the Pakistan tri-series final?

Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by three wickets, scoring 331 for seven in 48.3 overs in reply to Sri Lanka’s 325 for eight.

Who scored the most runs in the Pakistan tri-series final?

Fakhar Zaman top-scored with 127 from 99 balls for Pakistan, while Kamindu Mendis made 131 from 128 balls for Sri Lanka.

How did Pakistan win the Pakistan tri-series final?

Shaheen Shah Afridi hit a six off Dilshan Madushanka at 48.3 overs, after Fakhar Zaman’s 127, Saad Baig’s 74 and Arafat Minhas’s 61 had rebuilt the chase from 14 for two.

What record did Fakhar Zaman equal in the final?

Fakhar became only the second Pakistan batter, after Saeed Anwar, to score two centuries in one-day tournament finals, and he passed 4,000 one-day runs during the innings.