Pakistan Beat Sri Lanka by 37 Runs in ODI Tri-Series Opener as Salman Agha's Century Seals Rawalpindi Win

 RAWALPINDI: Salman Ali Agha’s superb 107 off 90 balls powered Pakistan to a 37-run victory over Sri Lanka in the opening match of the ODI tri-series at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Sunday, as the hosts defended a target of 306 with a disciplined bowling display led by captain Shaheen Shah Afridi.

Set 306 to win, Sri Lanka were bowled out for 268 in 48.1 overs despite a defiant middle-order fightback, giving Pakistan a winning start to the seven-match tri-nation tournament also featuring England, Dunya News, A-Sports and 24 News HD reported.

Main News Report

After Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to field, Pakistan were dismissed for 305 in 49.5 overs. Salman Ali Agha was the standout performer, striking 10 fours and one six in his fluent 107 to anchor the innings after the hosts lost both openers inside the first six overs.

• Pakistan: 305 all out in 49.5 overs (Salman Ali Agha 107 off 90, Babar Azam 45 off 57, Saad Baig 39 off 40 on ODI debut, Hasan Nawaz 37 off 49, Arafat Minhas 18 off 15, Fakhar Zaman 16, Saim Ayub 7; Eshan Malinga 4/46 in 9.5 overs, Asitha Fernando 3 wickets, Dilshan Madushanka 2 wickets)
• Sri Lanka: 268 all out in 48.1 overs (Pavan Rathnayake 79 off 74, Janith Liyanage 60 off 74, Kamindu Mendis 44, Dasun Shanaka 28 off 18, Kusal Mendis 18; Shaheen Shah Afridi 3/55 in 10 overs, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf and Faheem Ashraf two wickets each)
• Result: Pakistan won by 37 runs; Toss: Sri Lanka, who chose to field

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  Sri Lanka's chase faltered early as Pakistan's seamers struck with the new ball, leaving the visitors in deep trouble at 91 for 4 in the 20th over. A 119-run fifth-wicket stand between Pavan Rathnayake and Janith Liyanage dragged them back into the contest, but once Faheem Ashraf broke the partnership, Pakistan's fast bowlers sparked a decisive late collapse, with the last five wickets falling for 15 runs as Sri Lanka subsided from 253 for 5 to 268 all out.

  
  

  
  

   

  Background Context

  The match opened the 2026 ODI tri-series — a seven-match tournament comprising six league fixtures and a final, played across Rawalpindi and Lahore from October 18 to 31, with England as the third side, according to Dunya News.

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  Pakistan fielded a new-look side under captain Shaheen Shah Afridi, with wicketkeeper-batter Saad Baig handed his ODI debut and scoring a composed 39 off 40 balls. The match came a day after the Pakistan Cricket Board removed commentators Michael Atherton and Nasser Hussain from the series’ commentary panel following the controversy around an Imran Khan interview, as reported on this blog earlier today.

  Babar Azam’s 45 also carried him past 16,000 international runs — a landmark this blog covered during the match itself — making him only the fifth Pakistani batter to reach the mark.

  Reactions and Statements

  Pakistan’s bowlers drew the plaudits for holding their nerve at the death. Captain Shaheen Shah Afridi led from the front with three for 55 from his full 10 overs, while Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf and Faheem Ashraf claimed two wickets apiece as Pakistan kept taking wickets at crucial stages of the chase, per the match reports.

  For Sri Lanka, Eshan Malinga’s four for 46 was the pick of the bowling, and the fighting fifties of Rathnayake and Liyanage gave the visitors hope before the late collapse. In a separate announcement, the PCB said the Pakistan-England ODI on October 25 will be dedicated to breast cancer awareness as part of the series, Dunya News reported.

  Why This News Matters

  For Pakistan, the win is an ideal start to a home series that doubles as preparation against two quality sides before a busy international calendar. Salman Ali Agha’s century answers questions about the middle order’s reliability in the 50-over format, while the debut of Saad Baig and contributions from Hasan Nawaz and Arafat Minhas underline the depth emerging in the new-look squad.

  
  

  
  

  The result also extends Pakistan’s strong recent home record in Rawalpindi and gives the hosts early momentum in a tournament where every league result shapes the road to the October 31 final.

  Future Developments

  Pakistan next face England at the same venue on Tuesday, October 20, before the series moves through its league phase to the final. With England having arrived in Pakistan earlier this week and Sri Lanka now needing a quick response, the coming fixtures will decide which two sides contest the decider.

  Attention will also be on team news: whether Pakistan stick with the winning combination against England, and how Sri Lanka reshuffle after their late-order collapse in the opener.

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