Pakistan VS Sri Lanka Match ball by ball Commentary

Looking to end on a high - Right then, Pakistan have sealed the series win, and there's just one more match left before the attention turns to the ODI tri-series. The third and final T20I will once again be played in Rawalpindi on Tuesday, October 13, and will begin at 1 pm GMT. For Pakistan its is a chance to clean sweep the series and instill tons of confidence into this young team. Whereas for Sri Lanka, it is an opportunity to tweak a few things and get a more complete performance out of the group. Do join us on the 13th for the final game, and you can tune in much sooner for the build-up as well. For now, it's goodbye. Cheers!

The victorious skipper of Pakistan - Farhan opens by recalling his initial match-day assessment, sharing that at the start, he believed a total of 200 was well within reach. He admitted to a brief moment of nerves following the early loss of their first wicket, but once the team regained its momentum, he felt confident they would set the ground's highest scoring record. While talking about Maaz's extraordinary performance, the skipper jokes that he had previously told Maaz if his connecting shots ever matched his own, he would simply outperform everyone on the field. Farhan lauded Maaz's incredible current form, expressing hope that it continues to elevate in the upcoming fixtures. Regarding the team's rapid scoring rate, Farhan emphasized their aggressive collective mindset, which empowers every batter to play their shots freely and consistently find the boundary. He concluded by expressing his strong desire to cap off the series by securing a win in the final match

The captain of Sri Lanka - Kusal Mendis reflects on the game, saying that the batters need to take responsibility, including himself, and citing that the pitch was very good to bat on. He then feels that the pacers did well in the Powerplay, after which they dropped a few catches, and that cost them. Overall, he feels that the bowlers did a decent job, but they need to rectify their mistakes in the middle overs. Mendis also mentions that they have actually been pretty good in the field in the last few series, but in these two games, the fielding has been below par, but he is certain that they will bounce back.

Player of the Match - For his match-winning 96 off 51 balls, Maaz Sadaqat has been given the accolade. Maaz Sadaqat opens by thanking the Almighty for his strong current form, expressing great confidence in his recent performances. Detailing his approach at the crease, Maaz shares that he focuses on watching each delivery closely before deciding on his shot selection rather than playing on instinct alone. He then highlights his strong on-field communication with skipper Sahibzada Farhan, noting that they constantly discuss pitch conditions and ball movement mid-over. He adds that Farhan's guidance from the other end plays a crucial role in helping him perform even better.

The Presentation ceremony...

The T20I squad is taking shape - After a spirited performance in the Asian Games, where Pakistan earned the Silver Medal, this series win now gives this rather inexperienced side the confidence to kick on. Maaz Sadaqat has been a revelation with the bat and his 96 was the difference between a score of 190 and the eventual total of 215. Sahibzada Farhan himself has been brilliant and notched up another half-century, setting the foundation right up top. With the ball, Salman Mirza gave Pakistan the early wicket but then it was a burst from Mohammad Imran, where he picked up 3 wickets, was the one that really sealed the fate for Sri Lanka. After that, it was about match management, and Pakistan ended up winning by a huge margin of 82 runs.

Back to the drawing board - The batting woes were evident in Sri Lanka's last game, but because of Lahiru Udara's sensational knock, they managed to put a big total on the board. However, today Udara got out early, and Lanka's batting woes were still on display. Maheesh Theekshana ended up being their top scorer with an unbeaten 32, and there were a few starts for the likes of Sineth Jayawardena, Kamindu Mendis and Chamindu Wickramasinghe, but nothing substantial. Earlier in the game, Sri Lanka opted to bowl first and were decent to start off with, but after getting rid of Fakhar Zaman, they failed to pile on the pressure. They were blown away by Sahibzada Farhan and Maaz Sadaqat and ended up conceding 20 runs too many.

Pakistan cruise along - A much more one-sided game than the last one, and Pakistan have sealed this three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka 2-0, with a game in hand. The hosts were brilliant with both bat and ball today and have deserved the win. There's a big smile on Sahibzada Farhan's face and his start as Pakistan's T20I captain has been a positive one.