Pakistan defeated Sri Lanka by six wickets on Sunday to seal a 3-0 clean sweep in the ODI series at Rawalpindi Stadium.
Chasing the target, Pakistan lost Haseebullah Khan early for zero with the total at eight. Fakhar Zaman and Babar Azam then stabilised the innings, taking the score to 82. Zaman scored a brisk 55 off 45 balls, reaching his half-century in just 37 deliveries before being dismissed.
Mohammad Rizwan and Hussain Talat guided Pakistan home with an unbeaten partnership. Rizwan top-scored with 61 not out, while Talat contributed an unbeaten 42. Jeffrey Vandersay was the standout bowler for Sri Lanka, claiming three wickets.
Earlier Pakistan bowled out Sri Lanka for 209 in 45.2 overs. Pakistan, having won the toss, opted to bowl first. Sri Lanka made steady progress early on, reaching 99 for 2 in 20 overs. However, regular wickets through the middle overs prevented them from building a substantial total.
Pathum Nissanka scored 24 off 27 balls, while Kamil Mishara added 29 from 30 deliveries. Captain Kusal Mendis contributed 34 off 54, and Sadeera Samarawickrama top-scored with a composed 48 off 65. Pavan Rathnayake provided late resistance with 32 off 37 balls, but the lower order collapsed quickly.
Pakistan’s bowlers dominated the innings. Haris Rauf led the attack with three wickets, while Mohammad Wasim Jr. and Faisal Akram claimed two apiece. Faheem Ashraf chipped in with one wicket, and sharp fielding resulted in a run-out handled jointly by substitute Saim Ayub and wicketkeeper Haseebullah Khan.
Pakistan made four changes for the match, including the return of captain Shaheen Shah Afridi after recovering from injury. Sri Lanka, meanwhile, were without skipper Charith Asalanka due to illness.
