Pakistan Defeat Sri Lanka by 82 Runs to Secure T20I Series
Sports Correspondent: Imran Sohail
Pakistan secured the three-match T20 International series against Sri Lanka with a commanding 82-run victory in the second match at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, taking an unbeatable 2-0 lead.
Maaz Sadaqat narrowly missed a maiden T20I century with an impressive 96, while captain Sahibzada Farhan contributed 73 to help Pakistan post a formidable total of 215 for three after being put in to bat.
In response, Sri Lanka managed 133 for seven in their allotted overs. Mohammad Imran led Pakistan’s bowling attack with an outstanding spell, taking three wickets for just 11 runs in four overs.
Farhan and Sadaqat Lead Pakistan’s Batting
Pakistan made a positive start as Farhan and Fakhar Zaman put together an opening partnership of 55 runs. Fakhar scored 22 off 17 deliveries before departing.
Sadaqat then joined Farhan at the crease, and the pair added 88 runs to strengthen Pakistan’s position. Farhan played an aggressive innings of 73 from 44 balls, hitting five sixes and four fours before being dismissed.
Sadaqat continued to attack the Sri Lankan bowlers and combined with Hasan Nawaz for a quick 72-run partnership.
The left-handed batter struck seven fours and six sixes during his 51-ball innings. He was dismissed on the final delivery of Pakistan’s innings, finishing just four runs short of a century.
Hasan Nawaz remained unbeaten on 19 from nine balls, helping Pakistan finish with a strong total of 215 for three.
Mohammad Imran Leads Pakistan’s Bowling Attack
Sri Lanka struggled to build momentum during their chase and lost six wickets for 74 runs, leaving them in a difficult position.
Chamindu Wickramasinghe and Maheesh Theekshana attempted to revive the innings with a 50-run partnership for the seventh wicket. However, their resistance was insufficient to bring Sri Lanka back into contention.
Theekshana remained unbeaten on 32, while Wickramasinghe contributed 29 runs.
Mohammad Imran was Pakistan’s leading bowler, finishing with three wickets for 11 runs. Salman Mirza claimed two wickets, while Saim Ayub and Shadab Khan picked up one wicket each.
Pakistan’s disciplined bowling performance ensured an emphatic victory and confirmed their series triumph with one match still to play.
Final T20I Scheduled for October 13
The third and final T20I between Pakistan and Sri Lanka is scheduled to take place at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Tuesday, October 13.
With the series already secured, Pakistan will aim to complete a clean sweep, while Sri Lanka will look to finish the tour with a victory.
