Sri Lanka Chase Down 430 to Beat England by 2 Wickets in Rawalpindi Thriller
Sri Lanka beat England by 2 wickets in the 3rd match of the Pakistan ODI Tri-Series 2026 at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. They chased down a target of 430 and finished on 430/8 in 49.5 overs. It is the second-highest successful run chase in ODI history.
England batted first after Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to bowl. They piled up 429/4 in 50 overs, their highest-ever ODI total. Harry Brook smashed 202 off 116 balls, his maiden ODI double century. He hit 21 fours and 10 sixes at a strike rate of 174.14.
Tom Banton made 50 off 51 balls. Ben Duckett scored 29 and Joe Root added 69 off 66 balls. Root and Brook put on 159 runs for the third wicket. Will Jacks then finished unbeaten on 66 off just 30 balls. He and Brook added 185 runs in 77 balls for the fourth wicket.
Sri Lanka's bowlers had a tough day. Dunith Wellalage took 2/56 in his 10 overs. Asitha Fernando took 1/68 and Janith Liyanage took 1/32. Dilshan Madushanka and Eshan Malinga went for 89 and 91 runs.
Sri Lanka answered with a remarkable chase. Pavan Rathnayake scored 130 off 106 balls and was named Player of the Match. Sri Lankan captain Kusal Mendis said Avishka, Pavan, Dasun and Janith all batted well. He also said the team had faith in itself throughout the chase.
The match produced several records. Here are the key numbers from the game.
| Record | Detail |
|---|---|
| Highest successful chases in ODIs | 435 by South Africa vs Australia (Johannesburg, 2006), then 430 by Sri Lanka vs England (Rawalpindi, 2026) |
| Highest match aggregate in an ODI | 872 (Australia vs South Africa, 2006), then 859 in this game |
| Highest score in a losing cause in ODIs | 202 by Harry Brook, ahead of 194* by Charles Coventry |
Brook was gracious after the loss. He said Sri Lanka outplayed England and that his knock meant nothing in defeat. He also said England must go back to basics with the ball.
England now turn their attention to their next match against Pakistan in Lahore. They will need a quick reset to stay in the race for a place in the final.