A brilliant bowling performance followed by steady batting helped Pakistan defeat Sri Lanka in the final to clinch the T20I tri-series at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Saturday. Chasing a modest target of 115, Pakistan got off to a solid start as openers Saim Ayub and Sahibzada Farhan laid the foundation with an important 46-run partnership. Farhan scored 23 off 22 balls, including two fours and a six, before pacer Eshan Malinga broke the stand by dismissing him. Babar Azam then joined Saim at the crease, guiding Pakistan past the 50-run mark by the eighth over. However, Saim fell for 36 off 33 balls, hitting six fours, as Wanindu Hasaranga struck to leave Pakistan at 75-2 in 11.3 overs. Skipper Salman Ali Agha and Babar forged a crucial partnership to keep Pakistan on course, but Agha was dismissed for 14 off 14 balls by Pavan Rathnayake. Rathnayake struck again soon after, removing Fakhar Zaman for three, leaving Pakistan at 104-4 in 17.1 overs. Despite the mid-innings wobble, Pakistan comfortably crossed the finish line in the 19th over. Babar Azam remained unbeaten on 37 off 34 balls, featuring two fours and a six, while Usman Khan contributed three runs, sealing a memorable six-wicket victory for the home side. Batting first, Sri Lanka started steadily, with openers Pathum Nissanka and Kamil Mishara adding 20 runs for the first wicket.
The partnership was broken when Shaheen Afridi struck early, dismissing Nissanka for 11 off seven balls, which included a four and a six.
Mishara then joined skipper Kusal Mendis to guide Sri Lanka past the 50-run mark with a 50-run stand for the second wicket.
However, the partnership ended as Mendis was dismissed cheaply by Mohammad Nawaz for 14 off 18 balls, leaving Sri Lanka at 84-2 in 10.3 overs.
Mishara played a determined innings, scoring his third T20I fifty, but fell for 59 off 47 balls, hitting two fours and four sixes.
Abrar Ahmed then struck, dismissing Kusal Perera for one, reducing Sri Lanka to 103-4 in 14.4 overs. Abrar followed it up by removing Pavan Rathnayake for eight in the same over, leaving Sri Lanka in trouble.
Nawaz accounted for Janith Liyanage’s duck, sending Sri Lanka to 105-6 in 15.3 overs. He returned in the 18th over to dismiss Wanindu Hasaranga for five off 11 balls.
Shaheen then struck twice in quick succession, removing skipper Dasun Shanaka for two and Maheesh Theekshana for one, leaving Sri Lanka at 113-9 in 18.5 overs.
The Lankan innings ended in the final over when Salman Mirza dismissed Dushmantha Chameera for a duck, finishing the innings at 114 all out.
For Pakistan, Shaheen and Nawaz were the standout bowlers with three wickets each. Abrar took two wickets, while Salman Mirza and Saim Ayub claimed one wicket each.
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif felicitated the entire nation on the excellent conclusion of the tri-nation cricket series and Pakistan’s victory in the final.