Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Tri-Series Final: Fakhar Zaman 127 Powers Pakistan to 3-Wicket Title Win

Photo: ARY News / AFP

Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by three wickets to win the ODI tri-series final at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, on Saturday, 31 October 2026, chasing down a target of 326 with nine balls to spare after Fakhar Zaman smashed 127.

Pakistan finished on 331 for 7 in 48.3 overs. Captain Shaheen Shah Afridi hit the winning six in the penultimate over, and the home crowd celebrated a trophy won the hard way, after the hosts had slipped to 14 for 2 at the start of the chase.

Main News Report

ARY News reported that Fakhar Zaman led the recovery with 127 from 99 balls, hitting 11 fours and six sixes, after Pakistan had lost Maaz Sadaqat for five and Babar Azam for a duck in successive overs from Dilshan Madushanka. Geo News confirmed the three wicket win, with Pakistan reaching the target in 48.3 overs.

Fakhar and 19 year old wicketkeeper Saad Baig rebuilt the innings with a 149 run stand for the third wicket. Baig made 74 off 75 balls, with 11 boundaries, before Maheesh Theekshana caught him off his own bowling in the 27th over. Fakhar went on to his 12th ODI century in a 57 run stand with Salman Ali Agha, who made 17.

Madushanka bowled Fakhar in the 34th over, and Pakistan were 230 for 5 when Agha fell two overs later. Hasan Nawaz and Arafat Minhas then swung the game back with a 94 run stand. Minhas smashed 61 off 31 balls, with four sixes and three fours, before Asitha Fernando removed him and Faheem Ashraf in the 48th over.

That left Pakistan on 324 for 7 with the game still open. Afridi walked in and ended it in style, launching Madushanka for six over square leg on the third ball of the penultimate over. He finished on 6 not out from three balls, with Hasan Nawaz unbeaten on 37. Madushanka finished with 3 for 63, Fernando took 2 for 72, and Theekshana and Dunith Wellalage took one wicket each.

Sri Lanka had earlier posted 325 for 8 in 50 overs after Pakistan won the toss and chose to bowl. Kamindu Mendis hit a maiden ODI century, 131 off 128 balls, and Pavan Rathnayake made 77 in a 146 run third wicket stand. Kamindu and Avishka Fernando, who made 38, had already put on 87 for the first wicket inside 18 overs. Afridi dismissed Kamindu and Dasun Shanaka, who made 17, in the space of two overs, and finished with 2 for 50. Salman Ali Agha took 2 for 44, Haris Rauf 2 for 60 and Naseem Shah 2 for 80.

Background Context

This final was a rematch with a recent sting in it. Sri Lanka had beaten Pakistan by eight wickets in the league stage of this same tri-series on 27 October, bowling the hosts out for just 110, as we reported in Sri Lanka thrash Pakistan by 8 wickets to reach tri-series final after 110 all out. Saturday was payback, and it came in front of a home crowd at Gaddafi Stadium.

Pakistan also went into the final with a forced change. Shadab Khan was out on medical grounds, with Faheem Ashraf coming into the side, while Sri Lanka brought Maheesh Theekshana in for Eshan Malinga. Pakistan won the toss and sent Sri Lanka in to bat on a slow paced pitch, a call that looked risky when Sri Lanka reached 325.

Fakhar's century also mattered for him personally. Reports note he had managed only 16, 0, 10 and 5 in his four earlier innings of the series, and his 127 took him past 4,000 ODI runs. A big final innings, after a lean run, is exactly the kind of knock that settles selection debates.

Reactions and Statements

The win set off celebrations at Gaddafi Stadium, where the home crowd had watched the chase right down to the penultimate over. Reports from the ground described a thrilling finish, with the winning six from the captain sending fans into cheers after a chase that had swung both ways.

The player of the match honour went to Fakhar Zaman for his 127, his 12th ODI century, and the reports agree on why: without his innings, after the early loss of two wickets, Pakistan would have had no platform for the chase at all. Saad Baig's 74 also drew praise, with the 19 year old wicketkeeper standing up in a final at the start of his career.

For Sri Lanka, Kamindu Mendis leaves with his own landmark, a maiden ODI century in a final, even though his side ended up on the losing side. His 131, and Rathnayake's 77, had given Sri Lanka what looked like a winning total until Pakistan's batters chased it down.

Why This News Matters

A 326 chase in a final is rare, and it is the kind of win that lifts a whole team. Pakistan had to recover from 14 for 2, rebuild through a young wicketkeeper, survive a late wobble at 324 for 7, and still finish the job with nine balls left. That is the stuff that builds belief ahead of the 2027 Cricket World Cup, which the reports point to as the next big target.

For fans, the numbers tell the story plainly:

• Sri Lanka: 325 for 8 in 50 overs (Kamindu Mendis 131, Pavan Rathnayake 77)
• Pakistan: 331 for 7 in 48.3 overs (Fakhar Zaman 127, Saad Baig 74, Arafat Minhas 61)
• Result: Pakistan won by 3 wickets, with 9 balls remaining, at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
• Winning moment: Shaheen Shah Afridi six off Dilshan Madushanka, third ball of the 49th over
• Best bowling: Dilshan Madushanka 3 for 63; Shaheen Shah Afridi 2 for 50; Salman Ali Agha 2 for 44

The win also settles the tri-series on home soil in Pakistan's favour, after Sri Lanka had won the league meeting between the sides. Readers who followed that earlier game can see how far the rematch swung in our report on Sri Lanka's 8 wicket league win, while the series form of the other teams is covered in England's 55 run win over Sri Lanka in Lahore and in Haris Rauf's fine for a code breach in the Lahore ODI win over England.

Future Developments

Pakistan now carry this trophy into their next assignments, with the 2027 Cricket World Cup the clear horizon. The form of Fakhar Zaman, the emergence of Saad Baig at 19, and the finishing power of Minhas and Hasan Nawaz give the selectors plenty to work with, and plenty to argue about, before the next squad is picked.

Sri Lanka, meanwhile, will take heart from Kamindu Mendis and Rathnayake, who both look like long term batting answers, even though their 325 was not enough on the night. The two sides meet again soon enough in world cricket, and the next meeting will carry the memory of this chase.

Sources

ARY News: Fakhar hits ton as Pakistan sink Sri Lanka in tri-series final
Geo News: Ton-up Fakhar, fifties from Minhas, Baig guide Pakistan to tri-series glory
ESPNcricinfo: Pakistan vs Sri Lanka, Final at Lahore, live scorecard
NDTV Sports: Pakistan vs Sri Lanka highlights, ODI tri-series final

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