According to Dawn, Pakistan secured a 37-run victory over Sri Lanka in the opening match of the One-day International tri-series at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. Batting first, Pakistan posted a total of 305 runs, led by a century from Salman Ali Agha. Sri Lanka's response stalled early before a strong recovery partnership, but two quick mid-innings dismissals triggered a late batting collapse that handed Pakistan the win.

What happened

According to Dawn, Sri Lanka initially restricted Pakistan's final overs by taking five wickets for 36 runs in the last five overs, bowling Pakistan out for 305 in 49.5 overs. Sri Lanka then struggled early in their chase, falling to 91-4 against Pakistan's pace attack. Pavan Rathnayake and Janith Liyanage brought Sri Lanka back into contention with a 119-run partnership before Rathnayake was caught off Faheem Ashraf. Sri Lanka were within 53 runs of victory when Liyanage and Dasun Shanaka both mistimed shots to Babar Azam at long-on within four deliveries, causing Sri Lanka's batting lineup to unravel completely.

Key facts

  • Salman Ali Agha scored 107 runs off 90 balls, hitting 10 fours and a six to record his third ODI century.
  • Babar Azam (45) and Saad Baig (39) shared a 74-run partnership, while Hasan Nawaz added 37 runs for Pakistan.
  • Sri Lankan bowler Eshan Malinga delivered the best bowling figures of the match, taking 4-46.
  • Pavan Rathnayake achieved his maiden ODI half-century during his 119-run stand with Liyanage.
  • Haris Rauf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Faheem Ashraf claimed vital wickets to dismiss Sri Lanka short of the target.
  • The third participating team in the tri-series is not specified in the source; please check the official notice.

Why it matters

According to Dawn, the win provides Pakistan with a successful opening performance in the tri-series. The match highlighted a successful return for Salman Ali Agha following his earlier drop from Pakistan's Test team. For Sri Lanka, an effective late bowling effort and a strong middle-order rebuilding effort were ultimately undermined by costly shot selection during a crucial phase of the run chase.

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Source: Dawn - Home · Published October 18, 2026 · Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash