Sri Lanka delivered a clinical performance to secure the T20I series against Pakistan, extending their dominant run in the white-ball tour to four consecutive victories. Having already claimed the ODI series, the home side demonstrated their superior form by chasing down a formidable target of 176 with six wickets and 14 balls to spare.
Pakistan opted to bat first and enjoyed a high-octane start, particularly during the Powerplay. The opening pair went on a boundary-hitting spree, with Shawaal Zulfiqar notably smashing five boundaries in the third over alone. Pakistan reached 63/0 after just five overs, appearing set for a total approaching 200. However, the momentum shifted during the middle overs. Chamodi Praboda was instrumental in the recovery, dismissing Muneeba Ali at the halfway point and later removing the other set opener. Despite an unbeaten 30 from Eyman Fatima, Pakistan finished at 175/5, a total the team later acknowledged was at least 15 runs short given their explosive start.
The Sri Lankan chase faced an early setback when Imesha Dulani, the centurion from the previous match, was dismissed in the second over. Any hopes of a Pakistan comeback were quickly extinguished by Chamari Athapaththu and Sanjana Kavindi. Athapaththu took control of the Powerplay, racing to 40 runs off just 14 deliveries, including a blistering performance in the third and fourth overs. By the time Athapaththu fell, Sri Lanka had already posted 51 runs in just four overs.
Sanjana Kavindi maintained the pressure, dealing in boundaries and hammering Nashra Sandhu for back-to-back sixes near the halfway mark. Even after Kavindi was dismissed, Harshitha Samarawickrama ensured the momentum remained with the hosts, scoring 24 runs off just 11 balls. Despite the late dismissal of Vishmi Gunaratne, Sri Lanka reached their target comfortably in the 18th over to seal the series.
In the final scorecard, Pakistan finished with 175/5, led by Shawaal Zulfiqar’s 48 and Muneeba Ali’s 45, while Chamodi Praboda claimed 2-27. Sri Lanka responded with 178/4, anchored by Sanjana Kavindi’s 46 and Chamari Athapaththu’s 40, despite Umm-e-Hani’s efforts of 2-28.
