Fakhar Zaman's 127 and Minhas' 61 Off 31 Power Pakistan to 326-Run Chase and ODI Tri-Series Title
Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by three wickets in the final of the ODI tri-series at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Saturday, October 31. They chased down 326 and finished on 331 for 7 in 48.3 overs, with nine balls to spare. Fakhar Zaman scored 127, and Arafat Minhas hit a quickfire 61 off 31 balls to seal the title.
Sri Lanka batted first for the first time in the tournament and made 325 for 8. Kamindu Mendis was the star. He scored his maiden ODI century, 131 off 128 balls, with 12 fours and two sixes. Pavan Rathnayake added 77 off 65 balls, and Avishka Fernando scored 38. Sri Lanka were on course for a much bigger total, but Pakistan fought back late. They took six wickets in the final nine overs. Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf and Salman Agha took two wickets each.
Pakistan's chase began badly. Maaz Sadaqat was out for 5 and Babar Azam fell for a duck, and Pakistan were 14 for 2 in the first four overs. Fakhar then took over. He shared a 149-run stand for the third wicket with young wicketkeeper Saad Baig, who made a maiden ODI fifty, 74 off 75 balls. Fakhar went on to a century off 84 balls. He survived three chances in the innings. Maheesh Theekshana dropped a return catch when Fakhar was on 69 and again on 106, and he also put down a sitter at the boundary.
Fakhar finally fell to Dilshan Madushanka for 127 off 99 balls, with 11 fours and six sixes, when Pakistan were 220 for 4. Agha went for 17, and Pakistan were 230 for 5. Sri Lanka had a way back into the game. Then Minhas and Hasan Nawaz turned it with a 94-run partnership for the sixth wicket. Minhas smashed three fours and four sixes. Nawaz stayed not out on 37 off 45 balls. A 15-run over off Dasun Shanaka, with 46 needed from 30 balls, swung the game. Captain Shaheen hit a six off Madushanka to win it.
The chase is the joint-highest successful chase in an ODI final. It equals India's chase of 326 against England in the 2002 NatWest Series final at Lord's. It was also Fakhar's 12th ODI century, and his first ODI hundred since the 2023 World Cup. It was his second century in an ODI tournament final, after the 2017 Champions Trophy final.
This is Pakistan's first win in an ODI tri-series since the Kitply Cup, when they beat India in the final in Dhaka. It came just four days after Sri Lanka had bowled them out for 110 in the league stage. England were knocked out of the tournament earlier. The win is a good boost for Pakistan ahead of next year's ICC Men's Cricket World Cup.