Pakistan continued their dominant run in the Tri-Nation T20I Series with a convincing seven-wicket win over Sri Lanka at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. The hosts were clinical in all departments, first restricting Sri Lanka to a below-par score and then chasing it down with ease, thanks to a brilliant innings from Sahibzada Farhan.
Sri Lanka won the toss and opted to bat, hoping to post a competitive total on a surface that looked good for scoring. Their openers, Kamil Mishara and Pathum Nissanka, began positively, giving the visitors a rapid start.
Mishara came out swinging, scoring a quick 22 off just 12 deliveries. He struck two fours and two sixes, immediately putting Pakistan pacers under pressure. However, the aggressive approach didn’t last long. Faheem Ashraf changed his pace cleverly and induced a mistimed shot from Mishara, halting Sri Lanka’s early charge.
After a decent start, Sri Lanka innings fell apart in the middle overs. A run-out removed Kusal Mendis, but the real damage came from left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz, who completely changed the course of the match. He bowled with tremendous control, using the slightly slow pitch to his advantage.
In a crucial spell, Nawaz dismissed Kusal Perera for 25 and trapped skipper Dasun Shanaka for a first-ball duck. These two wickets, taken in consecutive deliveries, pushed Sri Lanka from 60/3 to 86/6, leaving their innings in disarray.
Janith Liyanage showed maturity and composure. Coming in during a crisis, he steadied the innings and remained unbeaten on 41 off 38 balls. His knocks of singles, doubles, and occasional boundaries helped Sri Lanka reach 128/7 in 20 overs.
Mohammad Nawaz is the picked up the bowler for Pakistan took 3/16 in 4 overs , while Salman Mirza, Faheem Ashraf and Abrar Ahmed got one wicket each.
Chasing 129, Pakistan began with an aggressive mindset. Openers Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub played with confidence. Saim Ayub scored 20 and helped his team reach 53/1 at the end of the Powerplay ,Once Ayub departed, Farhan shifted gears. He mixed power with elegance, punishing anything loose from the bowlers. He brought up his half-century off just 33 balls, hitting six fours and five big sixes. His timing, placement, and fearless approach completely took the game away from Sri Lanka.Dushmantha Chameera removed Babar Azam for 16 and trapped Salman Ali Agha LBW in consecutive balls. But by then, Pakistan needed fewer than 20 runs,
Farhan stayed calm, continued to attack, and struck the winning boundary to seal victory in just 15.3 overs. He remained unbeaten on 80 off 45 balls,Pakistan ended on 131/3, winning by seven wickets with 27 balls to spare.
For Sri Lanka Dushmantha Chameera was stand out bowler gets 2/29 in 3 overs while one wicket for Dashun Shanaka.
Pakistan vs Sri Lanka match summary
Toss: Sri Lanka won the toss and Opted to bat first
Sri Lanka innings: 128/7 in 20 overs
Top performer: Janith Liyange 41 runs off 38 deliveries , Mohammad Nawaz 3/16 in 4 overs
Pakistan innings: 131/3 in 15.3 overs
Top performer: Sahibzada Farhan 80 runs off 45 balls, Dushmantha Chameera 2/29 in 3 overs
Result: Pakistan won by 7 wickets
Player of the match: Mohammad Nawaz 3/16 in 4 overs
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