Urdu Report Desk
Sri Lanka defeated Pakistan by eight wickets in the third and final T20 international at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Tuesday, successfully chasing a target of 169 runs with 17 balls to spare. Despite the defeat, Pakistan secured the three-match series 2-1 after winning the opening two matches.
Kusal Mendis led Sri Lanka’s successful chase with an unbeaten 87, while Kamindu Mendis contributed an unbeaten 40. Earlier, Pakistan captain Sahibzada Farhan scored a fighting 76 to help his team post 168-8 in 20 overs.
Sri Lanka Chase Down 169-Run Target
Chasing 169, Sri Lanka lost opener Lahiru Udara for one run at a total of 15, with Mohammad Imran taking the wicket through an lbw dismissal.
Sineth Jayawardene and captain Kusal Mendis then steadied the innings, adding 59 runs for the second wicket. Jayawardene scored 38 before being caught off Arafat Minhas’s bowling at 74.
Kusal Mendis and Kamindu Mendis took control after the second wicket, guiding Sri Lanka to victory without further losses. Kusal struck nine fours and four sixes in his unbeaten 87, while Kamindu remained not out on 40.
Sri Lanka reached 169-2 in 17.1 overs, completing the chase with 17 balls remaining.
Mohammad Imran and Arafat Minhas took one wicket each for Pakistan.
Sahibzada Farhan Leads Pakistan’s Recovery
After winning the toss, Sri Lanka elected to field, putting Pakistan in to bat first.
Pakistan suffered an early setback when Fakhar Zaman was caught off Eshan Malinga for 12. Malinga struck again in the same over, dismissing Maaz Sadaqat for a duck.
Hasan Nawaz departed for 17 with Pakistan’s total at 67, before Khawaja Nafay fell for three at 72. Mohammad Imran Randhawa was dismissed for six, leaving Pakistan struggling at 86-5.
Captain Sahibzada Farhan held the innings together despite the regular loss of wickets. He continued to score aggressively and found valuable support from Arafat Minhas in the closing stages.
Farhan scored 76 off 47 balls, hitting seven fours and three sixes. He was dismissed while attempting another six on the penultimate ball of the innings.
Arafat Minhas remained unbeaten on 34 off 20 deliveries, helping Pakistan reach 168-8 in their allotted 20 overs.
Arafat and Farhan Add Crucial Runs
With Pakistan reduced to 86-5, Arafat Minhas joined Farhan and helped rebuild the innings. The pair added 66 runs for the seventh wicket, providing Pakistan with a competitive total.
Arafat’s unbeaten contribution of 34 proved important in lifting the score to 168, although Sri Lanka ultimately chased down the target comfortably.
For Sri Lanka, captain Dasun Shanaka took three wickets for 21 runs. Eshan Malinga and Nuwan Thushara claimed two wickets each, while Vijayakanth Viyaskanth took one wicket.
Pakistan Make Four Changes to Playing XI
Pakistan made four changes to their lineup for the final T20I. Arafat Minhas, Abdul Samad, Sufiyan Muqeem and Razaullah were included in place of Saim Ayub, Naseem Shah, Abrar Ahmed and Shadab Khan.
At the toss, Pakistan captain Sahibzada Farhan said the team was confident about batting first, having followed the same approach in the previous match.
Sri Lankan captain Kusal Mendis said his side wanted to finish the series with a victory and improve its performance during the powerplay overs.
Pakistan Playing XI
Sahibzada Farhan (captain), Fakhar Zaman, Maaz Sadaqat, Hasan Nawaz, Abdul Samad, Khawaja Nafay, Arafat Minhas, Mohammad Imran, Razaullah, Salman Mirza and Sufiyan Muqeem.
Sri Lanka Playing XI
Kusal Mendis (captain), Lahiru Udara, Sineth Jayawardene, Kamindu Mendis, Sahan Arachchige, Dasun Shanaka, Chamindu Wickramasinghe, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, Eshan Malinga, Binura Fernando and Nuwan Thushara.
Pakistan Secure Series Victory
Pakistan had already taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series before the final match. The hosts won the opening T20I by four wickets and secured an 82-run victory in the second game.
Sri Lanka’s win in the final match prevented Pakistan from completing a clean sweep, but the Green Shirts finished the series as 2-1 winners.
