Sri Lanka Win Third T20I by Eight Wickets, but Pakistan Take Series 2-1

Sri Lanka beat Pakistan by eight wickets in the third and final T20I at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Tuesday, October 13, but Pakistan had already sealed the three-match series 2-1. Sri Lanka chased down 169 in 17.1 overs, finishing with 17 balls to spare.

Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to field. Pakistan made 168 for 8, with captain Sahibzada Farhan top-scoring with 76 off 47 balls, including seven fours and three sixes. Arafat added 34, but no other batter could build a partnership. Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka was the pick of the bowlers with 3/21 in four overs. Eshan Malinga and Nuwan Thushara took two wickets each, and Vijayakanth Viyaskanth took 1/23.

The chase was dominated by Kusal Mendis, who returned to form with an unbeaten 87 off 48 balls. Jayawardena made 38 at the top of the order before Mendis took charge. Mendis then added an unbeaten 98 for the third wicket with Kamindu Mendis, who made 40 not out. Imran took 1/31 for Pakistan, but the home attack could not stop the chase. Kusal Mendis finished the match in style by crunching a boundary through the covers.

Kusal Mendis was named Player of the Match and credited Sri Lanka's improvement across all departments. Farhan was named Player of the Series after scoring three consecutive half-centuries.

The win was Sri Lanka's only one of the series, and it avoided a 3-0 whitewash. They had lost the first two matches in Rawalpindi. Pakistan had won the opening T20I by four wickets, chasing 183, with Farhan scoring 89 and Maaz Sadaqat hitting a quick 50 off 29 balls. Debutants Mohammad Imran and Razaullah also played in that match, and Naseem Shah took 3/36.

Pakistan sealed the series with a win in the second match, which means the third T20I was a dead rubber for the home side. Sri Lanka made the most of it, with their batters scoring freely against a Pakistan attack that had been successful in the earlier two games.