Match Summary
Pakistan opened their account in the Pakistan ODI Tri-Series 2026 with a hard-fought 37-run victory over Sri Lanka in the first ODI at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Sunday. Salman Ali Agha’s brilliant 107 off 90 balls powered the hosts to 305 all out in 49.5 overs, before Pakistan’s pace attack held its nerve at the death to bowl Sri Lanka out for 268 in 48.1 overs.
Sri Lanka had won the toss and chosen to bowl first, a decision that looked justified early on. Pakistan handed an ODI debut to wicketkeeper-batter Saad Baig, who walked in at No. 4 in a line-up led by Shaheen Shah Afridi.
1st Innings: Pakistan 305 all out (49.5 overs)
Pakistan’s innings was a story of two collapses sandwiching a commanding century. Dilshan Madushanka gave Sri Lanka the perfect start, removing both openers inside the powerplay — Saim Ayub for 7 and Fakhar Zaman for 16 — leaving Pakistan wobbling at 32 for 2 in 5.5 overs.
Babar Azam (45 off 57) and debutant Saad Baig (39 off 40) then rebuilt with a measured 74-run third-wicket stand that carried Pakistan past 100. Babar’s knock also brought up his 16,000th run in international cricket. Just as the partnership looked set to blossom, Eshan Malinga struck twice in quick succession — Babar caught by Rathnayake and Baig caught by Colombage — and Pakistan were 118 for 4 in 21.5 overs.
Enter Salman Ali Agha. The Pakistan star took charge in a 97-run partnership with Hasan Nawaz (37 off 49), reaching his hundred off just 82 deliveries with a flurry of boundaries. His 107 off 90 balls, laced with 10 fours and a six, was the backbone of the innings and later earned him the Player of the Match award.
But Sri Lanka’s death bowling was outstanding. Eshan Malinga ripped through the lower order with pinpoint yorkers to finish with superb figures of 4 for 46 in 9.5 overs, while Asitha Fernando claimed 3 for 59. Pakistan lost their last five wickets for just 26 runs, with Salman falling at 291 in the 47th over. Shaheen Afridi’s unbeaten 13 off 12 pushed the total to 305.
2nd Innings: Sri Lanka 268 all out (48.1 overs)
Chasing 306, Sri Lanka made a steady start through Kamindu Mendis (44 off 50) before Naseem Shah struck in the sixth over, having Avishka Fernando (5) caught by Faheem Ashraf. Captain Kusal Mendis managed 18 before falling to Faheem, and then Shaheen Afridi tore into the middle order — dismissing Kamindu and Sahan Arachchige (3) in quick succession to leave Sri Lanka reeling at 91 for 4 in 19.3 overs.
What followed was the best passage of the chase. Pavan Rathnayake (79 off 74) and Janith Liyanage (60 off 74) counter-attacked brilliantly, adding 119 runs for the fifth wicket and dragging Sri Lanka back into the contest. Rathnayake’s aggressive knock included six fours and two sixes before Faheem Ashraf had him caught by Salman Agha at 210 for 5 in the 38th over.
Janith Liyanage and Dasun Shanaka (28 off 18) added a quick 43 to keep the chase alive at 253 for 5, but Pakistan’s pacers produced a devastating finish — five wickets for just 15 runs in 27 balls. Haris Rauf removed Liyanage, caught by Babar Azam, and Shaheen dismissed Shanaka to spark the collapse. Sri Lanka were bundled out for 268 in 48.1 overs, falling 37 runs short.
Shaheen led the attack with 3 for 55, while Naseem Shah (2 for 43), Haris Rauf (2 for 48) and Faheem Ashraf (2 for 49) shared the remaining wickets.
Key Performances
- Salman Ali Agha (107 off 90) — Player of the Match; the defining innings, a counter-attacking hundred under pressure.
- Eshan Malinga (4/46 in 9.5) — Sri Lanka’s best bowler; a death-overs masterclass that kept Pakistan under 310.
- Pavan Rathnayake (79 off 74) — kept the chase alive with a fearless 119-run stand with Liyanage.
- Janith Liyanage (60 off 74) — the calm anchor of Sri Lanka’s fightback.
- Shaheen Shah Afridi (3/55) — broke the back of the chase with key middle-over strikes and returned to finish it.
- Babar Azam (45) — brought up 16,000 international runs; Saad Baig (39) — a composed ODI debut.
What It Means
The win gives Pakistan an ideal start in the seven-match tri-series, which also features England and runs until October 31. In this double round-robin format, the top two teams advance to the final at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore — so every early point matters.
Pakistan next face England at the same Rawalpindi venue on Tuesday, October 20 — England arrived in Pakistan after winning their recent ODI series, so that will be a sterner test. Sri Lanka, without the injured Pathum Nissanka and the unavailable Wanindu Hasaranga, must regroup quickly against England on October 22. Having won the preceding T20I series 2-1, Pakistan will take confidence from this result, but the collapse of 5 for 26 at the end of their own innings is a warning the team cannot ignore.
Full Scorecard
Pakistan Innings — 305 all out (49.5 overs, RR 6.12)
| Batter | Dismissal | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fakhar Zaman | c Colombage b Madushanka | 16 | 19 | 2 | 1 | 84.21 |
| Saim Ayub | c Liyanage b Madushanka | 7 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 87.50 |
| Babar Azam | c Rathnayake b Malinga | 45 | 57 | 6 | 0 | 78.94 |
| Saad Baig (wk) | c Colombage b Malinga | 39 | 40 | 3 | 2 | 97.50 |
| Salman Agha | c Shanaka b AM Fernando | 107 | 90 | 10 | 1 | 118.88 |
| Hasan Nawaz | c Rathnayake b AM Fernando | 37 | 49 | 2 | 2 | 75.51 |
| Arafat Minhas | c K Mendis b AM Fernando | 18 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 120.00 |
| Faheem Ashraf | c K Mendis b Malinga | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 |
| Shaheen Shah Afridi (c) | not out | 13 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 108.33 |
| Naseem Shah | lbw b Malinga | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Haris Rauf | run out (Arachchige/Malinga) | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
Extras: (lb 4, nb 2, w 11) 17 | Total: 305 (49.5 ov)
Fall of wickets: 1-23 (Saim Ayub, 3.4 ov), 2-32 (Fakhar Zaman, 5.5 ov), 3-106 (Babar Azam, 19.4 ov), 4-118 (Saad Baig, 21.5 ov), 5-215 (Hasan Nawaz, 37.2 ov), 6-279 (Arafat Minhas, 44.6 ov), 7-291 (Salman Agha, 46.5 ov), 8-293 (Faheem Ashraf, 47.2 ov), 9-293 (Naseem Shah, 47.3 ov), 10-305 (Haris Rauf, 49.5 ov)
Sri Lanka Bowling
| Bowler | O | M | R | W | Econ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asitha Fernando | 10 | 1 | 59 | 3 | 5.90 |
| Dilshan Madushanka | 10 | 0 | 67 | 2 | 6.70 |
| Dasun Shanaka | 7 | 0 | 41 | 0 | 5.85 |
| Eshan Malinga | 9.5 | 1 | 46 | 4 | 4.67 |
| Sachindu Colombage | 10 | 0 | 61 | 0 | 6.10 |
| Kamindu Mendis | 2 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 9.50 |
| Sahan Arachchige | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 8.00 |
Sri Lanka Innings — 268 all out (48.1 overs, RR 5.56)
| Batter | Dismissal | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kamindu Mendis | c Faheem Ashraf b Shaheen Shah Afridi | 44 | 50 | 4 | 0 | 88.00 |
| Avishka Fernando | c Faheem Ashraf b Naseem Shah | 5 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 55.55 |
| Kusal Mendis (c, wk) | c Saim Ayub b Faheem Ashraf | 18 | 34 | 2 | 0 | 52.94 |
| Pavan Rathnayake | c Salman Agha b Faheem Ashraf | 79 | 74 | 6 | 2 | 106.75 |
| Sahan Arachchige | c Saad Baig b Shaheen Shah Afridi | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 60.00 |
| Janith Liyanage | c Babar Azam b Haris Rauf | 60 | 74 | 5 | 0 | 81.08 |
| Dasun Shanaka | c Babar Azam b Shaheen Shah Afridi | 28 | 18 | 3 | 1 | 155.55 |
| Sachindu Colombage | c Saad Baig b Naseem Shah | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 25.00 |
| Eshan Malinga | run out (Babar Azam/Saad Baig) | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 33.33 |
| Asitha Fernando | b Haris Rauf | 7 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 70.00 |
| Dilshan Madushanka | not out | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 20.00 |
Extras: (lb 3, w 17) 20 | Total: 268 (48.1 ov)
Fall of wickets: 1-30 (Avishka Fernando, 5.3 ov), 2-66 (Kusal Mendis, 13.5 ov), 3-83 (Kamindu Mendis, 17.5 ov), 4-91 (Sahan Arachchige, 19.3 ov), 5-210 (Pavan Rathnayake, 37.2 ov), 6-253 (Janith Liyanage, 43.4 ov), 7-256 (Dasun Shanaka, 44.2 ov), 8-260 (Sachindu Colombage, 45.4 ov), 9-260 (Eshan Malinga, 45.5 ov), 10-268 (Asitha Fernando, 48.1 ov)
Pakistan Bowling
| Bowler | O | M | R | W | Econ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shaheen Shah Afridi | 10 | 0 | 55 | 3 | 5.50 |
| Naseem Shah | 10 | 0 | 43 | 2 | 4.30 |
| Haris Rauf | 9.1 | 0 | 48 | 2 | 5.23 |
| Faheem Ashraf | 8 | 0 | 49 | 2 | 6.12 |
| Arafat Minhas | 9 | 0 | 56 | 0 | 6.22 |
| Saim Ayub | 2 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 7.00 |
Toss: Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to field. Player of the Match: Salman Ali Agha (Pakistan). Umpires: Asif Yaqoob and Wayne Knights. ODI debut: Saad Baig (Pakistan). Result: Pakistan won by 37 runs.
FAQs
Who won the Pakistan vs Sri Lanka 1st ODI 2026?
Pakistan won by 37 runs at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on October 18, 2026, in the opening match of the ODI tri-series.
What were the scores in Pakistan vs Sri Lanka 1st ODI?
Pakistan scored 305 all out in 49.5 overs, and Sri Lanka were bowled out for 268 in 48.1 overs, chasing a target of 306.
Who was the Player of the Match in Pakistan vs Sri Lanka 1st ODI?
Salman Ali Agha, for his match-defining 107 off 90 balls with 10 fours and a six.
Who won the toss in the Pakistan vs Sri Lanka 1st ODI?
Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to bowl first. Captain Kusal Mendis felt batting would be easier under lights, while Shaheen Afridi said Pakistan would have batted first anyway.
Who made their ODI debut in this match?
Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Saad Baig made his ODI debut at No. 4 and scored a composed 39 off 40 balls.
What is next in the Pakistan ODI Tri-Series 2026?
Pakistan face England in Rawalpindi on October 20, followed by Sri Lanka vs England on October 22. The first three matches are in Rawalpindi before the series moves to Lahore, with the final on October 31.
Conclusion
It was the perfect tournament opener for Pakistan — a century from their in-form batter, a calm debut from Saad Baig, and a pace attack that refused to lose its nerve when Sri Lanka’s middle order threatened to steal it. But the tri-series is only just beginning. Sri Lanka showed real fight through Rathnayake and Liyanage, and with England arriving next, Pakistan will need to fix their own late-innings wobbles before Tuesday’s clash. For full match details and live coverage of every game, keep following Sportmaax.
Source: Player of the Match
Green Benn is a dedicated sports writer specializing in cricket, including IPL and international formats. Known for clear, engaging, and informative content, Green simplifies complex match analysis and player statistics for all readers. Passionate about sports storytelling, Green delivers reliable, SEO-friendly articles that keep fans updated and informed
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