Pakistan missed the chance to complete a clean sweep against Sri Lanka after suffering an eight-wicket defeat in the third and final T20 International at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Tuesday, although the Green Shirts clinched the three-match series 2-1. Captain Sahibzada Farhan produced a fighting knock of 76 runs, but Pakistan’s batting collapse and Sri Lanka’s dominant run chase denied the hosts a winning finish to the series.
Batting first after Sri Lankan captain Kusal Mendis won the toss and elected to field, Pakistan managed 168 for eight in their allotted 20 overs. Sri Lanka, however, chased down the 169-run target in the 18th over, losing just two wickets to register a convincing victory. Pakistan’s innings got off to a shaky start as Fakhar Zaman fell for 12, caught off Eshan Malinga. Malinga struck again in the same over, dismissing Maaz Sadaqat for a duck and putting Pakistan under immediate pressure. Hasan Nawaz managed just 17 runs before departing with the score at 67, while Khawaja Nafay was dismissed for three at 72. Muhammad Imran Randhawa then fell for six, leaving Pakistan struggling at 86 for five. With wickets tumbling at regular intervals, Farhan took responsibility and kept the innings alive. The Pakistan captain showed composure under pressure, refusing to let the innings collapse completely. Abdul Samad contributed 15 runs before becoming the sixth batter to depart, leaving Farhan searching for support in the closing overs. Arafat Minhas joined Farhan and helped turn the innings around with a crucial 66-run partnership for the seventh wicket. Farhan struck seven fours and three sixes in his 47-ball knock of 76, emerging as Pakistan’s top scorer. He was eventually caught while attempting another six off the penultimate delivery of the innings. Minhas provided the finishing touches with an unbeaten 34 off just 20 balls, helping Pakistan reach 168 for eight. Razaullah, who came in on the final delivery, was bowled while attempting an aggressive shot. Despite the late recovery, Pakistan’s total proved insufficient as Sri Lanka made light work of the chase. Sri Lanka’s bowlers kept Pakistan under pressure throughout the innings, preventing the hosts from building substantial partnerships during the middle overs. Dasun Shanaka led the attack with three wickets for 21 runs, while Eshan Malinga and Nuwan Thushara claimed two wickets apiece, conceding 38 runs each. Vijayakanth Viyaskanth also chipped in with one wicket. The early breakthroughs and regular dismissals restricted Pakistan’s scoring momentum before Farhan and Minhas mounted a late recovery. Pakistan made four changes to their playing XI for the final match, bringing in Arafat Minhas, Abdul Samad, Sufiyan Muqeem and Razaullah in place of Saim Ayub, Naseem Shah, Abrar Ahmed and Shadab Khan. At the toss, Farhan said the team was comfortable batting first and that the players remained confident heading into the match. Sri Lankan captain Kusal Mendis, meanwhile, said his side was determined to finish the series with a victory. He acknowledged that Sri Lanka had struggled during the powerplay in the previous two matches and said he wanted to take responsibility in the final encounter. Sri Lanka’s victory prevented Pakistan from completing a 3-0 clean sweep, but the hosts had already done enough to secure the series. Pakistan won the opening T20I by four wickets before producing a dominant performance in the second match, defeating Sri Lanka by 82 runs to take an unassailable 2-0 lead. The final result reduced the margin to 2-1, allowing Sri Lanka to end the tour on a winning note while Pakistan retained the series trophy. Pakistan Playing XI Sahibzada Farhan (captain), Fakhar Zaman, Maaz Sadaqat, Hasan Nawaz, Abdul Samad, Khawaja Nafay, Arafat Minhas, Muhammad Imran, Razaullah, Salman Mirza and Sufiyan Muqeem. Sri Lanka Playing XI Kusal Mendis (captain), Lahiru Udara, Sineth Jayawardene, Kamindu Mendis, Sahan Arachchige, Dasun Shanaka, Chamindu Wickramasinghe, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, Eshan Malinga, Binura Fernando and Nuwan Thushara.
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