Rawalpindi, Nov 29 (UNI) Pakistan secured a convincing six-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the tri-series final at Rawalpindi, powered by incisive bowling performances from Shaheen Afridi and Mohammad Nawaz.
After being put in to bat on a dry, cracked pitch, Sri Lanka made a bright start, reaching 81/1 in 10 overs, with Pathum Nissanka falling early to Afridi’s clever slower ball.
Mishara followed up with a fiery 59 off 37 balls, his second consecutive fifty in the tournament, supported by Kusal Mendis. However, Sri Lanka then suffered a dramatic collapse, losing nine wickets for just 33 runs.
Nawaz and Afridi led the charge, taking three wickets each, while Abrar Ahmed and Salman Mirza also struck, leaving Sri Lanka all out for 114 in 19.1 overs.
Pakistan’s chase was largely untroubled. Openers Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub put together a 46-run partnership before Farhan fell.
Babar Azam and Ayub added 29 runs for the second wicket, with Ayub soon dismissed by Wanindu Hasaranga. The experienced Babar Azam, in partnership with Salman Agha and later Fakhar Zaman, guided Pakistan past the target with eight balls to spare, finishing at 118/4 in 18.4 overs.
Brief Scores: Sri Lanka 114 all out in 19.1 overs (Mishara 59; Nawaz 3-17, Afridi 3-18) lost to Pakistan 118/4 in 18.4 overs (Babar 37*, Ayub 36; Pawan Rathnayake 2-11) by 6 wickets.
With this win, Pakistan not only lifted the tri-series trophy but also demonstrated depth in both batting and bowling, reinforcing their credentials ahead of upcoming international fixtures.
