Rawalpindi (GNP): Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by 82 runs in the second T20 International at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, taking an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. A record crowd of 17,535 watched Sahibzada Farhan’s side post 215-3, their second-highest T20I total, before dismissing the visitors for 133-7. Maaz Sadaqat was named Player of the Match.
Asked to bat first, Pakistan began with a 55-run opening stand before Fakhar Zaman (22 off 17, four fours) fell to Maheesh Theekshana in the seventh over. Maaz Sadaqat then came in and joined Sahibzada Farhan in a second-wicket partnership of 88 off 49 balls.
Sahibzada, playing his 50th T20I, started his charge by hitting two successive sixes off Theekshana in the ninth over and reached his 12th half-century an over later. He was out in the 15th over for 73 off 44 balls, with four fours and five sixes, shortly after hitting Dasun Shanaka for a six and a four off consecutive deliveries. Sri Lanka had conceded just a single run in the 14th over, yet Pakistan still scored 125 runs in the last ten overs.
Maaz took 22 runs off Theekshana’s 16th over, including three sixes in the first four balls, the most productive over of the innings. He then put on 72 off 31 balls with Hasan Nawaz (19 not out off 9, one four, one six). Pakistan scored 37 off the last three overs, and Maaz moved into the nineties with three fours in the penultimate over. He began the final over on 92 off 46 but fell off its last ball to Eshan Malinga for 96 off 51, just short of a maiden T20I hundred. Malinga gave away only five runs in that over.
Salman Mirza, the left-arm pacer who came into the side in place of Razaullah, struck in the opening over, removing Lahiru Udara for five. Udara had top-scored with 91 in the first match. The on-field umpire ruled him not out, but Pakistan’s review overturned the decision.
Sri Lanka were 35-1 after 5.5 overs but slid to 74-6, losing five wickets for 39 runs in 36 balls. Sineth Jayawardena (22 off 21, four fours) and Kamindu Mendis (23 off 19, two fours, one six) got starts but failed to build on them. Muhammad Imran, playing only his second T20I, took two wickets in successive balls in the eighth over but missed out on a hat-trick. He bowled his four overs in one spell and finished with 3-11.
Chamindu Wickramsinghe (29 off 24, one four, one six) and Theekshana (32 not out off 26, four fours) added 50 for the seventh wicket to lift the total to 133-7. Salman Mirza ended with 2-28 from three overs, while Shadab Khan and Saim Ayub each took a wicket.
Pakistan won the opening match on Friday by four wickets. The third and final T20I will be played at the same venue on Tuesday, 13 October.
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Pakistan won by 82 runs at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
- Pakistan 215-3 in 20 overs: Maaz Sadaqat 96, Sahibzada Farhan 73, Fakhar Zaman 22, Hasan Nawaz 19 not out; Dasun Shanaka 1-30
- Sri Lanka 133-7 in 20 overs: Maheesh Theekshana 32 not out, Chamindu Wickramsinghe 29, Kamindu Mendis 23, Sineth Jayawardena 22; Muhammad Imran 3-11, Mohammad Salman Mirza 2-28
- Player of the match: Maaz Sadaqat (Pakistan)
Sohail Majeed is a Special Correspondent at The Diplomatic Insight. He has twelve plus years of experience in journalism & reporting. He covers International Affairs, Diplomacy, UN, Sports, Climate Change, Economy, Technology, and Health.
