Pakistan extended their dominance in the ongoing series against Sri Lanka, securing a convincing 82-run win in the second T20I at Rawalpindi. The victory gives the hosts a commanding 2-0 lead, largely driven by the explosive batting partnership of young sensation Maaz Sadaqat and captain Sahibzada Farhan. The pair combined for 12 sixes, proving far more effective than the Sri Lankan lineup, which managed only three in their total of 133/7. Only for short third-man to spill it, sri Lanka had an early chance when Farhan top-edged a slower one.
Opting to chase, Sri Lanka struggled from the start despite making three changes to their side. Pakistan’s openers, Farhan and Fakhar Zaman, capitalized on a flat pitch to reach 24/0 in just three overs. Although Zaman fell to Maheesh Theekshana after the Powerplay, Farhan continued to dictate terms, striking consecutive 90-meter sixes off the spinner. By the time Farhan completed his 31-ball half-century, Sadaqat had found his rhythm, punishing Malinga with a massive six over deep point. On a flat track with the odd variable bounce, Pakistan raced to 24/0 in three overs, with Farhan and Fakhar Zaman breaking free quickly. He hit consecutive 90+ metre sixes off him, but Farhan did not let the off-spinner settle: next over. Keeping out their frontline seamer Dushmantha Chameera, they brought in three changes. Not letting any of their frontline bowlers settle on a length, the duo kept taking their chances.
Sadaqat was particularly brutal against Theekshana in the 16th over, hitting three sixes off four deliveries. This onslaught resulted in the most expensive bowling figures of Theekshana’s T20I career. While Farhan was eventually dismissed after scoring 73, Sadaqat continued his charge, finishing with 96 off 51 balls, including seven sixes and six boundaries, before falling to Eshan Malinga on the final ball of the innings. The 21-year-old then went after Theekshana’s assortment of slot balls.
Sri Lanka’s run chase faltered almost immediately. Lahiru Udara, the top scorer from the first game, was dismissed by a sharp bouncer from Salman Mirza. Despite a brief flurry of boundaries from newcomer Sineth Jayawardena, he was caught out at the end of the Powerplay, leaving Sri Lanka reeling at 35/2. The visitors’ middle order found little respite against the disciplined bowling of Mohammad Imran. Erratic bowling and an inconsistent batting approach meant they were never really in the game, but sloppy catching. The timing didn’t immediately come for Sadaqat.
Mohammad Imran played a pivotal role in strangling the Sri Lankan chase, utilizing his angles and pace variations to finish with impressive figures of 3/11 from his four overs. Sri Lanka’s only period of resistance came late in the innings, with a 50-run partnership between Chamindu Wickramasinghe and Theekshana, but the mounting required run rate rendered the effort insufficient to challenge Pakistan’s massive total.
In the final scorecard, Pakistan reached 215/3 in their 20 overs, with contributions from Sadaqat (96) and Farhan (73) leading the way against bowling efforts from Dasun Shanaka (1/30) and Eshan Malinga (1/41). Sri Lanka responded with 133/7 in 20 overs, led by Theekshana (32) and Wickramasinghe (29), while Mohammad Imran (3/11) and Salman Mirza (2/28) starred with the ball to seal the comprehensive victory.
