Fakhar Zaman’s 127 anchors Pakistan’s 326-run chase in final win

Fakhar Zaman leads chase with 127-run century

Fakhar Zaman, described by Cricinfo as a "big-match monster" that Pakistan cannot live without, led the successful chase by scoring 127 runs off 99 balls. He was later named Player of the Match.

Zaman reached his 12th ODI hundred on the 84th ball he faced. His innings included 72 runs on the leg side, with many boundaries placed between fine leg and midwicket.

The batter received two reprieves when Maheesh Theekshana dropped him on 69 in the 25th over and missed another catch in the 32nd over. Zaman said, "I was just waiting for that moment," adding that his preparation remained the same as the previous four matches.

Zaman and Saad Baig combined for a 149-run partnership to rebuild the innings. Before his dismissal in the 34th over by Dilshan Madushanka, he scored 75 runs in his final 40 deliveries.

Dilshan Madushanka ended with bowling figures of 3/63 off 9.3 overs, the top bowling performance of the game. Following Zaman's wicket, Pakistan required 106 runs at a run rate of less than 6.5 runs per over for the remaining 16.5 overs.

Between overs 33 and 42, the side went through a nine‑over spell without scoring any boundary.

Arafat Minhas provides match-turning 61 runs

Arafat Minhas contributed a match-turning 61 runs to the victory. He scored these 61 runs off 31 balls, including 48 runs off his last 17 balls with four sixes and three fours.

For the sixth wicket, Minhas and Hasan Nawaz compiled 94 runs from 65 balls, securing the win. During this partnership, Minhas reached a half-century.

In the 47th over, Minhas hit a six over long-on off Madushanka. Needing 18 runs from the last 18 balls, he hit two sixes and a four against Asitha Fernando, then top‑edged a slower delivery that Fernando caught.

Saad Baig hits maiden ODI half-century

Saad Baig contributed 74 runs off 75 deliveries to the middle-order recovery. This performance marked his first ODI half-century.

Together with Fakhar Zaman, Baig built a 149-run partnership for the third wicket.

Kamindu Mendis scores maiden century in Sri Lankan total

Kamindu Mendis scored his maiden ODI hundred during the Sri Lankan innings. Mendis and Avishka Fernando put on 87 runs off 104 deliveries at the start of the innings.

Pavan Rathnayake scored 77 runs off 65 balls and shared a 146-run third-wicket partnership with Mendis lasting 119 balls. Rathnayake was dismissed after being caught on the straight boundary off Rauf's bowling.

Rathnayake finished as the series leading run-scorer with a total of 427 runs at a strike rate of 122.70. Sri Lanka were 255 for 2 after 41 overs and finished on 325 for 8.

After Kamindu's dismissal, Sri Lanka lost five wickets for 28 runs, causing a middle-order collapse. Sri Lanka's tail-enders had to play out the final 11 balls as their middle order collapsed.

Shaheen Afridi leads bowling attack in death overs

Shaheen Afridi dismissed Sri Lanka's centurion Kamindu Mendis, sparking a batting collapse for Sri Lanka in the final nine overs. Afridi got Mendis lbw and later dismissed Dasun Shanaka caught at long-on off his own bowling in the 44th over.

Pakistan bowlers Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah each took two wickets. Afridi's figures were 2 for 50 from ten overs. Afridi took two wickets for 50 runs in the final overs for Pakistan.

Naseem and Rauf restricted Sri Lanka during the death overs, creating a decisive passage of play in the match. Heavy dew on Lahore's outfield late in the evening impeded Sri Lanka's bowling and fielding.

Shaheen Afridi hit the winning runs, a six over deep-midwicket, off Dilshan Madushanka.

Pakistan avenges 2025 final loss

Babar Azam was dismissed for a five-ball duck early in the chase by Sri Lankan pacer Dilshan Madushanka.

The victory allowed Pakistan to avenge their loss to New Zealand in the home tri-series final of 2025.