For the third time in a bilateral ODI series, Pakistan have whitewashed Sri Lanka.
Five Sri Lankan batters got off to decent starts, but none managed to reach fifty. With a small total on the board, their bowlers couldn’t create any real pressure either. Pakistan eased to victory and completed a clean sweep over the visitors.
In the third ODI, Shaheen Shah Afridi’s side sealed the three-match series 3–0 with a six-wicket win.
On Sunday in Rawalpindi, Pakistan’s disciplined bowling attack bowled Sri Lanka out for 211. Fifties from Fakhar Zaman and Mohammad Rizwan helped them chase down the target with 32 balls remaining.
Mohammad Wasim was Pakistan’s most successful bowler, taking 3 wickets for 47 runs in 10 overs, earning him the Player of the Match award. Haris Rauf and left-arm wrist-spinner Faisal Akram also picked up two wickets each with controlled spells.
Former captain Rizwan guided the chase with an unbeaten 61 off 92 balls.
Both teams made four changes from the previous match. After losing the toss and being sent in to bat, Sri Lanka made an excellent start—55 runs without losing a wicket in the first eight overs. But openers Pathum Nissanka (24 off 27) and Kamil Mishara (29 off 30) were dismissed soon after.
A 43-run third-wicket stand between Kusal Mendis and Sadeera Samarawickrama took Sri Lanka past 100, but once that partnership broke, wickets began to fall regularly. No other stand reached even thirty runs.
Kusal Mendis scored 34 off 54 deliveries. Kamindu Mendis and Janith Liyanage struggled to settle. Samarawickrama fell two runs short of a half-century, bowled for 48 off 65—the highest score of the innings.
Amid the regular fall of wickets, Pawan Rathnayake’s 32 off 37 balls pushed Sri Lanka to 211.
Pakistan lost Haseebullah Khan early in the chase. Playing his first match of the series, the left-handed wicketkeeper-batter couldn’t score in 12 balls—his second consecutive ODI duck.
Fakhar Zaman and Babar Azam steadied the innings with a 74-run partnership off 68 balls. Fakhar hit 55 off 45 with eight boundaries. Babar, who ended his 807-day international century drought in the previous match, scored 34 off 52 this time. Salman Ali Agha, coming in at No. 5, departed quickly.
All three were dismissed by leg-spinner Jeffrey Vandersay.
At 115 for 4, Pakistan were briefly under pressure. But Mohammad Rizwan and Hussain Talat (42* off 57) ensured there were no more hiccups, finishing the job with an unbeaten 100-run stand.
Match Summary
- Sri Lanka: 211 all out in 45.2 overs
Nissanka 24, Mishara 29, Kusal Mendis 34, Samarawickrama 48, Kamindu Mendis 10, Liyanage 4, Rathnayake 32, Theekshana 7, Vandersay 4, Madushan 7, Malinga 0*
Afridi 1/36, Faheem 1/43, Rauf 2/38, Wasim 3/47, Faisal 2/42 - Pakistan: 215/4 in 44.4 overs
Fakhar 55, Haseebullah 0, Babar 34, Rizwan 61*, Salman 6, Talat 42*
Madushan 0/56, Theekshana 1/37, Malinga 0/44, Liyanage 0/22, Vandersay 3/42, Kamindu Mendis 0/16
Result: Pakistan won by 6 wickets
Series: Pakistan win the 3-match series 3–0
Player of the Match: Mohammad Wasim
Player of the Series: Haris Rauf
