Pakistan won the tri-series final in Lahore by three wickets, chasing 326 against Sri Lanka at Gaddafi Stadium. Fakhar Zaman's 127 off 99 balls anchored the chase, while Arafat Minhas added 61 off 31. Kamindu Mendis's career-best 131 was not enough for Sri Lanka.
Match Summary: Pakistan Beat Sri Lanka by Three Wickets
Pakistan needed 326 to win and got there in the penultimate over. The target equated to a required rate of roughly 6.52 an over across 50 overs.
Shaheen Afridi hit the winning runs over the ropes after Minhas and Faheem Ashraf fell with two still needed. The result decided a tournament that carried more weight than a standard three-match bilateral series.
| Team | Score | Top Performer |
|---|
| Sri Lanka | 325/8 | Kamindu Mendis 131 |
| Pakistan | 326/7 (chased) | Fakhar Zaman 127 (99) |
Sri Lanka's Innings: Strong Platform, Weak Finish
Kamindu Mendis breaks through in white-ball cricket
Kamindu Mendis scored 131, more than doubling his previous career-best in ODIs. It was his first hundred in the format, seven years after his debut. Avishka Fernando shared an opening stand of 87 with him, and Pavan Rathnayake then added 146 for the next wicket inside 20 overs.
Rathnayake made 77, which took his tri-series tally to 427 runs at an average of 106.75. That included two hundreds against England.
The final nine overs shifted the contest
Sri Lanka were 255 for 2 after 41 overs and looked set for a much larger total. They then lost six wickets for 70 runs in the last nine overs, a scoring rate of about 7.78 an over. That compared with 6.22 an over across the first 41.
| Phase | Score | Run Rate |
|---|
| Overs 1-41 | 255/2 | 6.22 |
| Overs 42-50 | 70 runs, 6 wickets | 7.78 |
| Final total | 325/8 | 6.50 |
Shaheen Afridi dismissed Kamindu and Dasun Shanaka by going full, while Haris Rauf took two late wickets with short balls. Sri Lanka captain Kusal Mendis said his side needed another 30 runs.
Pakistan's Chase: Fakhar Zaman Anchors the Innings
Recovering from 14 for 2
Babar Azam fell for a duck to a thick edge, and Maaz Sadaqat was out soon after. That left Pakistan at 14 for 2. Babar has now gone nine innings without a half-century.
Fakhar Zaman and Saad Baig rebuilt the innings at a similar scoring rate. Baig made 74, his first international half-century, and fell to a return catch off Maheesh Theekshana. Theekshana had earlier dropped Fakhar on 69 and 106.
Left-arm bowlers slow the scoring
Dilshan Madushanka bowled Fakhar with 106 still required. Dunith Wellalage then dismissed Salman Agha. Boundaries dried up for more than 10 overs, which kept the contest even.
Pakistan needed 46 from 30 balls, a required rate of 9.20 an over. A 15-run over off Shanaka then shifted the balance.
Arafat Minhas and Hasan Nawaz Close It Out
Arafat Minhas, 21, hit four sixes in his 61 off 31 balls, a strike rate of about 196. He and Hasan Nawaz, 24, added 94 to put Pakistan in control. Minhas had also taken a six-wicket haul against England earlier in the series, although his left-arm spin was expensive in the final.
| Batter | Runs | Balls | Strike Rate |
|---|
| Fakhar Zaman | 127 | 99 | 128.28 |
| Saad Baig | 74 | - | - |
| Arafat Minhas | 61 | 31 | 196.77 |
Key Takeaways and Context
Pakistan chased a total above 320 with a middle order that included two players aged 24 or younger. Four days earlier, the same batting group had been bowled out for 110 by Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka's late collapse, losing six wickets in nine overs, was the main reason the target stayed within reach.
Fakhar had been Pakistan's match-winner in the 2017 Champions Trophy final, and his 127 off 99 balls added another significant innings in a title decider.