Farhan, Nawaz power Pakistan to dominant win over Sri Lanka

It was Sahibzada Farhan’s show with the bat as his blazing 80 not out off 45 balls helped Pakistan outclass Sri Lanka by seven wickets in the third match of the three-nation tri-series at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Saturday.

Chasing a modest 129-run target, the hosts chased the target in 15.3 overs as Farhan spearheaded their pursuit with an unbeaten 80 studded with five sixes and six fours.

He received notable support from fellow opener Saim Ayub and star batter Babar Azam, who contributed with 20 and 16, respectively.

For Sri Lanka, Dushmantha Chameera bagged two wickets, while skipper Dasun Shanaka could take one.

First Innings

Batting first after winning the toss, Sri Lanka scored 128 for the loss of seven wickets in 20 overs, with Janith Liyanage remaining 41 not out.

They started with a 31-run opening partnership in 3.2 overs, but began losing wickets at regular intervals after opener Kamil Mishara was dismissed for 22 .

Sri Lanka then suffered another setback two overs later when Kusal Mendis (3) was run out by Mohammad Wasim Jr.

Following the back-to-back wickets, Kusal Perera joined opener Pathum Nissanka (17) for a cautious 22-run partnership. However, Nissanka was dismissed by Abrar Ahmed with the scoreboard reading 60.

Nissanka's dismissal sparked a middle-order collapse, as Nawaz picked up three wickets in quick succession, while Salman Mirza, Faheem Ashraf, and Abrar Ahmed took a scalp each.