Spinner Mohammad Nawaz delivered a masterclass with the ball before Sahibzada Farhan lit up the chase, guiding Pakistan to a commanding victory over Sri Lanka in the ongoing Twenty20 tri-nation series at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. A packed home crowd roared in delight as the hosts made it two wins out of two, following their earlier triumph against Zimbabwe.
Pakistan’s impressive evening began with Nawaz’s decisive spell of 3 for 16, a performance that derailed Sri Lanka’s momentum just as they looked to accelerate. His clever use of flight, turn, and subtle variations included a brilliant two wickets in two balls, breaking the spine of the Sri Lankan innings and restricting them to 128-7 — a total Pakistan chased comfortably with 4.3 overs to spare, sealing a six-wicket victory.
Sri Lanka, still searching for their first win after a heavy defeat to Zimbabwe on Thursday, had actually started brightly. Captain Dasun Shanaka, opting to bat first, saw his openers Kamil Mishara and Pathum Nissanka fly out of the gates. Nissanka cut Salman Mirza for four off the very first ball of the match, signaling aggressive intent. Mishara followed suit, launching into Mohammad Waseem Jr — who replaced the injured Shaheen Shah Afridi — and then smashing Salman for a four and six in the third over. His brisk 22 off 12 balls, however, ended when Faheem Ashraf deceived him with a change of pace, mistiming a shot straight to Fakhar Zaman at mid-off.
At 32-1, Sri Lanka still looked settled, but the pressure soon mounted. Kusal Mendis attempted a risky second run and fell short, run out cheaply. By the end of the powerplay, Sri Lanka found themselves at a modest 44-2, with incoming batter Kusal Perera offering temporary resistance by pulling Faheem for a confident four.
Spinner Abrar Ahmed endured a rough start, leaking 11 in his opening over with a handful of wides. But he found his rhythm quickly, removing the struggling Nissanka for a laboured 17 off 23 balls with a well-judged catch at long-off. That dismissal left Sri Lanka stuttering at 65-3 at the halfway mark.
Perera’s promising 25 off 19 included a big six off Saim Ayub, but Nawaz’s introduction flipped the script dramatically. Tossing one up outside off, Nawaz got just enough turn to sneak the ball through bat and pad, rattling Perera’s stumps. His very next delivery sent Shanaka packing in near-identical fashion — turning defeat into potential collapse.
From 78-3, Sri Lanka slumped to 86-6, with Kamindu Mendis falling to Nawaz after a sensational boundary-line catch by Waseem, who showcased stunning athleticism. It took a gritty, unbeaten 41 from Janith Liyanage to lift Sri Lanka past 120. His powerful straight six off Abrar and later boundaries off Waseem and Salman provided some relief, while Wanindu Hasaranga chipped in with 11 before holing out. However, Sri Lanka’s final over produced only seven runs, leaving them with a below-par total.
Pakistan’s reply was both controlled and explosive. Saim Ayub ignited the chase with early boundaries, including a cracking shot off Eshan Malinga and two stylish off-side fours to close out the second over. Sahibzada Farhan soon joined the party, lifting Hasaranga for four and then hammering a four and six off Dushmantha Chameera.
Saim reached a personal milestone, bringing up 1000 T20I runs with a sliced boundary off Shanaka — though he was stumped shortly after for 20. That didn’t slow Pakistan. Sahibzada kept the scoreboard ticking, ending the powerplay at a strong 53-1, before producing a breathtaking cover drive off Malinga to break a brief lull.
His assault intensified when he took on Viyaskanth, dispatching him for a four and six in the same over. A crisp half-century arrived off just 33 balls, showcasing his superb timing and fearless strokeplay. At the other end, Babar Azam struggled to find fluency, managing only 16 off 17 balls before finally clearing the ropes with a pulled six off Shanaka.
Sahibzada, however, was unstoppable. He launched Hasaranga for two towering sixes in the 13th over and followed up with another maximum against Chameera. The Sri Lankan pacer responded by removing Babar and trapping captain Salman Ali Agha lbw off consecutive deliveries, but with Sahibzada still at the crease, Pakistan remained firmly in command.
The right-hander completed his sensational 80 not out from 45 balls, hammering five sixes and six fours during a display of high-class power hitting. Fittingly, he finished the chase by lifting Malinga for four — a shot that sealed Pakistan’s dominant win and sent the Rawalpindi crowd into raptures.
With this commanding performance, Pakistan strengthened their hold on the tri-nation series, while Sri Lanka face an uphill battle to stay alive.
