Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by three wickets in the ODI tri-series final at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, on Saturday 31 October 2026, chasing 326 to finish 331 for 7 in 48.3 overs with nine balls to spare.
Sri Lanka, sent in after Pakistan won the toss, posted 325 for 8. Their innings was built on Kamindu Mendis’s maiden ODI century, 131 off 128 balls, and Pavan Rathnayake’s 77, with the pair sharing a 146-run third-wicket stand. Pakistan’s reply began badly, collapsing to 14 for 2 as Maaz Sadaqat fell for 5 and Babar Azam for a duck.
Fakhar Zaman then rebuilt the innings. Coming in after only 31 runs in his previous four innings and carrying a knee problem, he shared a 149-run third-wicket stand off 140 balls with 19-year-old Saad Baig, who made 74 off 75 balls for his maiden ODI fifty. Fakhar reached his century off 84 balls and finished with 127 off 99 balls, with 11 fours and six sixes. It was his 12th ODI hundred, his first in nearly three years since an unbeaten 126 against New Zealand at the 2023 World Cup, and he passed 4,000 ODI runs on 108.
Fakhar was bowled by Dilshan Madushanka in the 34th over with 106 still needed, after a 57-run stand with Salman Ali Agha. Arafat Minhas then struck 61 off 31 balls and, with Hasan Nawaz unbeaten on 37, added 94 for the sixth wicket to seal the win. Captain Shaheen Shah Afridi hit the winning six off Madushanka.
Why this win matters
The chase is the joint-highest successful chase in an ODI final, equalling India’s pursuit of 326 against England in the 2002 NatWest final at Lord’s. It is Pakistan’s first ODI tri-series title since the 2008 Kitply Cup final win over India in Bangladesh, and it makes amends for losing the 2025 home tri-series final to New Zealand.
For Fakhar, the innings also underlined his record in big finals. His hundred in the 2017 Champions Trophy final against India first made him a big-final player, and this was only his second century in an ODI final, equalling Saeed Anwar’s Pakistan mark of two centuries in ODI finals.
Frequently asked questions
What was the final score? Sri Lanka made 325 for 8, and Pakistan replied with 331 for 7 in 48.3 overs to win by three wickets.
Who was the top scorer? Kamindu Mendis top-scored in the match with 131, while Fakhar Zaman’s 127 was the highest score for Pakistan.
What record did the chase equal? Pakistan’s chase of 326 equalled the joint-highest successful chase in an ODI final, matching India’s 326 against England in the 2002 NatWest final at Lord’s.
Sources
- Reuters: Zaman hundred powers Pakistan to tri-series title over Sri Lanka
- ESPNcricinfo: Pakistan vs Sri Lanka final match report
- Times of India: Fakhar Zaman’s century powers Pakistan to ODI tri-series title
- Khaleej Times: Fakhar Zaman’s century foils Sri Lanka as Pakistan win tri-series
