Fakhar Zaman delivered a match-winning 127 off 99 balls to guide Pakistan to a thrilling three-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the final of the ODI tri-series on Saturday. Battling through a bruised knee and a difficult run of form, the opener anchored the chase at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium, where 31,265 spectators gathered to watch the host side reach their 331-run target with 1.3 overs to spare. Opener Fakhar Zaman overcame a bruised knee and a lean spell to score 127 to help Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by three wickets in the final of the one-day international cricket tri-series on Saturday. As the Sri Lankan bowlers found it hard to control the wet ball because of dew in Lahore, zaman’s entertaining innings and Arafat Minhas’s robust 61 off 31 balls took Pakistan to a winning 331-7 in 48.3 overs. Zaman came into the final with only 31 runs in his last four innings and spent most of the time in the dressing room after injuring his right knee while fielding.
The encounter began with Kamindu Mendis hitting his maiden ODI century to post 131, steering Sri Lanka to a competitive total of 325-8. Pakistan’s response stumbled early when they lost Maaz Sadaqat for 5 and Babar Azam for a duck. However, Zaman steadied the innings alongside 19-year-old Saad Baig, who contributed 74 runs off 75 balls, forming a crucial 149-run partnership that shifted the momentum. A sitter on the boundary, after reaching his century off 84 balls, theekshana dropped Zaman again.
Sri Lanka’s bowling attack, hampered by dew on the outfield, struggled to contain the Pakistani chase. Maheesh Theekshana, in his first match of the series, missed two key opportunities to dismiss Zaman while he was on 69 and 106. Dilshan Madushanka eventually bowled Zaman in the 34th over, finishing with figures of 3-63 and leaving Pakistan needing 106 runs from the remaining overs.
Despite the pressure, Arafat Minhas played a pivotal 61-run cameo from 31 balls, supported by Hasan Nawaz’s unbeaten 37. Late tension emerged when Asitha Fernando claimed two consecutive wickets, removing Minhas and Faheem Ashraf, but Pakistan held their nerve to secure the trophy. England, the third side in the competition, was eliminated earlier after failing to secure a win in three of their four matches.
