Maaz Sadaqat 96 against Sri Lanka lit up the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Sunday, as Pakistan posted 215 for three in the second T20I of the three-match series. The left-hander faced 51 balls and struck six fours and seven sixes. He fell on the final ball of the innings, four runs short of a first T20I century.
Sri Lanka had put Pakistan in to bat, a decision covered in our report on how Sri Lanka won the toss and bowled first. That call soon looked costly. Pakistan scored at more than ten runs an over, and the visitors never regained control of the innings.
Maaz Sadaqat 96 against Sri Lanka: how the innings was built
Fakhar Zaman and captain Sahibzada Farhan opened with a stand of 55. Fakhar made 22 off 17 balls, with four fours, before Maheesh Theekshana bowled the breakthrough in the seventh over. By then, Pakistan had a platform, and Maaz walked in at number three.
The new pair then took the game away from Sri Lanka. Farhan and Maaz added 88 runs for the second wicket. Farhan reached his fifty off 32 balls, and Maaz followed with his own half-century off just 29 balls. Sri Lanka helped them along the way. Sineth Jayawardena dropped Farhan at short third in the fourth over, and Theekshana later put down a harder chance at midwicket.
Farhan finally fell in the 15th over. He slashed Dasun Shanaka towards deep third, and Jayawardena held the catch this time. The captain made 73 off 44 balls, with four fours and five sixes, according to Dawn’s match report.
The final overs, and a century that slipped away
Maaz then owned the closing overs. He hit Theekshana for three sixes in the 16th over alone. He also scooped Nuwan Thushara over short fine leg and carved boundaries behind point. At the other end, Hasan Nawaz kept the rate high with an unbeaten 19 off nine balls. Their stand of 72 carried Pakistan past 200 in the 19th over.
The century, however, stayed just out of reach. Eshan Malinga bowled a tight final over, mixing slower balls with a sharp yorker. Maaz collected two runs twice, but he could not find the boundary he needed. Off the last ball, he was caught by Shanaka at deep cover, and he walked off to a standing response from the home crowd.
For the bowlers, the figures told the story. Theekshana took one wicket but conceded 55 runs. Malinga finished with one for 41, and Shanaka with one for 30. Thushara, wicketless for 32, was the most economical of the attack.
A second statement innings in two matches
This knock followed straight on from Friday’s series opener. On debut that night, Maaz Sadaqat announced his arrival with a maiden T20I fifty as Pakistan chased 183 to win by four wickets. Two matches into his international career, he now has back-to-back fifties, and the second one nearly became a hundred.
The pattern matters for Pakistan’s planning. The side has searched for a settled top order, and the Farhan-Maaz pairing has produced runs in both matches of this series. Readers following the wider tour can use our guide to watching Pakistan against Sri Lanka live for the remaining fixture, while the background on Pakistan’s new T20I captain explains Farhan’s role at the top.
Sri Lanka now need 216 to level the series. Pakistan, in contrast, can seal the series tonight with a win, before the third and final match. The chase, therefore, decides whether Maaz’s 96 becomes a series-winning contribution or a footnote in a defeat.
FAQ
How many runs did Maaz Sadaqat score in the second T20I?
Maaz Sadaqat scored 96 off 51 balls, with six fours and seven sixes. He was caught off the final ball of the innings, four runs short of a maiden T20I century.
What total did Pakistan post against Sri Lanka?
Pakistan scored 215 for three in their 20 overs at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. Sahibzada Farhan made 73, Fakhar Zaman 22, and Hasan Nawaz finished unbeaten on 19.
What do Sri Lanka need to win the second T20I?
Sri Lanka need 216 runs to win and level the three-match series at 1-1. A Pakistan win in the chase would give the hosts an unassailable 2-0 lead.
