Salman Ali Agha made 107 off 90 balls as Pakistan scored 305 and then bowled Sri Lanka out for 268 to win the tri-series opener in Rawalpindi by 37 runs on Sunday. Shaheen Shah Afridi took three wickets, and debutant Saad Baig made 39.
Rawalpindi, Pakistan: Pakistan lost both openers early and still finished with a total Sri Lanka could not chase. Salman Agha made the hundred, and a bowling attack led by Shaheen Shah Afridi did the rest.
Agha holds the innings together
Sri Lanka won the toss and bowled first, and Dilshan Madushanka made an immediate impression, removing Saim Ayub for 7 and Fakhar Zaman for 16. Agha rebuilt the innings, scoring 107 off 90 balls, and Babar Azam made 45 and Hasan Nawaz 37. Saad Baig, who was added to the one-day squad as a wicketkeeper-batter, scored 39 on his ODI debut. Eshan Malinga took four wickets and Asitha Fernando three, and Pakistan were bowled out for 305 in 49.5 overs.
Sri Lanka chase falls short
Sri Lanka made a shaky start but recovered through Pavan Rathnayake, who made 79, and Janith Liyanage, who added 60. Kamindu Mendis contributed 44. The innings faded when the tail was dismissed cheaply, and Sri Lanka were all out for 268 in 48.1 overs. Afridi took three wickets, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf and Faheem Ashraf two each.
The tri-series begins
Afridi leads Pakistan’s one-day side in the tri-series, which runs from 18 to 31 October, features England as the third team and ends with the final in Lahore.
Result: Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by 37 runs (ODI tri-series, Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Sunday 18 October 2026)
Pakistan: 305 (49.5 overs) – Salman Agha 107 (90), Babar Azam 45, Saad Baig 39; Eshan Malinga 4-46, Asitha Fernando 3-59
Sri Lanka: 268 all out (48.1 overs) – Pavan Rathnayake 79, Janith Liyanage 60, Kamindu Mendis 44; Shaheen Shah Afridi 3-55, Naseem Shah 2-43, Haris Rauf 2-48
