Salman Agha’s Century & Shaheen Afridi’s 3-Wicket Burst Power Pakistan to 37-Run Win Over Sri Lanka
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In a commanding display of middle-order batting resilience followed by disciplined pace bowling, Pakistan kicked off the multi-nation tri-series featuring England and Sri Lanka with an emphatic 37-run victory over the islanders at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. An exquisite, match-defining century of 107 runs by Salman Ali Agha anchored the host nation to a formidable first-innings total of 305 runs. Despite a threatening century stand in the middle overs from Sri Lanka's middle-order pairing, Pakistan captain Shaheen Shah Afridi spearheaded a fierce seam assault to trigger a decisive batting collapse, rolling the visitors over for 268 runs under the lights. The encounter also witnessed a monumental personal milestone for star batter Babar Azam, who formally crossed the prestigious 16,000-run threshold in international cricket.
Salman Ali Agha’s Ton Sets the Tone: Babar Joins 16,000-Run Club
Electing to build a commanding first-innings foundation in Rawalpindi, Pakistan's batting unit executed their game plan with precision:
Salman Agha's Flawless 107: Arriving at the crease during a tricky phase of the innings, Salman Ali Agha dismantled the Sri Lankan bowling changes, timing the ball through the gaps and launching calculated counter-attacks to craft an authoritative 107 that pushed the team total to 305.
Babar Azam Enters Elite History: En route to his fluent knock of 45 runs, marquee batter Babar Azam became only the fifth Pakistani cricketer to aggregate 16,000 runs across all formats in international cricket.
Joining Pakistani Batting Royalty: With this statistical milestone, Babar joins an elite group of Pakistani batting icons comprising Inzamam-ul-Haq, Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousuf, and Javed Miandad.
Shaheen Afridi Breaks the Spine: Crucial Double Strike Rips Sri Lanka's Top Order
Tasked with defending 305 under night conditions, Pakistan skipper Shaheen Shah Afridi produced early breakthroughs to derail the chase:
Top-Order Stutters: The visitors suffered immediate setbacks when frontline opener Avishka Fernando and skipper Kusal Mendis were sent back early to the dugout.
Afridi's Decisive Double Strike: In-form opener Kamindu Mendis showed solid defensive technique to anchor one end, but Shaheen produced an unplayable delivery to send him back for 44 just as he neared his half-century.
Immediate Double Blow: Striking again in his very next over, Shaheen removed middle-order batter Sahan Arachchige, refusing to let Sri Lanka consolidate and finishing his fiery ten-over spell with match-winning figures of 3 for 55.
Sri Lanka Batting Implosion: 6 Wickets Fall for 58 Runs After Century Stand
The match swung sharply when Sri Lanka's middle-order resistance was suddenly dismantled by Pakistan's pace battery:
The 119-Run Fightback: Sri Lanka mounted an impressive counter-attack courtesy of a resolute 119-run partnership between Pawan Ratnayake and Janith Liyanage, nudging the chase dangerously close to Pakistan's target.
Faheem Ashraf Delivers the Golden Arm: With the partnership threatening to snatch the game away, all-rounder Faheem Ashraf produced the breakthrough, dismissing the set batter to leave Sri Lanka reeling at 210 for 5.
Sensational Tail-End Collapse: The breakthrough triggered a catastrophic collapse as Sri Lanka lost their final six wickets for a meager 58 runs, folding out completely for 268 in the face of sustained reverse swing and pace.
Complete Seam Unit Performance: While Shaheen Afridi led the bowling chart with three wickets, seam partners Faheem Ashraf, Naseem Shah, and Haris Rauf picked up two wickets apiece to hand Pakistan maximum points in the tri-series opener.
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