Pakistan cruised to a six-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the tri-series final, powered by clinical bowling from Mohammad Nawaz and Shaheen Shah Afridi that ripped through Sri Lanka’s lower order. Sri Lanka collapsed from 84 for 1 to 114 all out, losing their last nine wickets for just 30 runs, handing Pakistan a low but decisive target.
Afridi and Nawaz led the charge with three-wicket hauls each, while Abrar Ahmed chipped in with two scalps. Nawaz set the tone, removing Kusal Mendis in spectacular fashion with an athletic catch from Babar Azam at the boundary. Abrar and Ayub then ran through the middle order, including Sri Lanka’s top-scorer Kamil Mishara (59), as wickets tumbled in rapid succession.
Chasing 115, Pakistan were never in trouble. Openers Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub put on 46 for the first wicket, and Babar Azam’s calm 37 not out guided his side home in the 19th over. His composed innings and sharp fielding, including key catches to dismiss Mendis, Rathnayake, and Mishara, underlined his importance to the team.
Despite the collapse, Mishara’s innings had briefly offered hope for Sri Lanka. His second consecutive fifty featured three towering sixes in the powerplay and showed his promise for the future. But it was Pakistan’s all-round dominance, led by Nawaz, Afridi, and Babar that sealed the series in emphatic fashion.
