Pakistan secured a dominant 82-run victory over Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi, moving to a 2-0 lead in the T20I series. Batting first, the hosts set a formidable total of 215/3, driven by a powerful display of hitting from young sensation Maaz Sadaqat and captain Sahibzada Farhan. Having taken the odd call of batting first in the first game, Sri Lanka set themselves to chase in their quest to level the series. The timing didn’t immediately come for Sadaqat.
The Pakistani openers provided a rapid start, reaching 24/0 within three overs on a flat track. Despite an early drop catch by Sri Lanka, the momentum remained firmly with the home side. Fakhar Zaman’s exit brought a brief pause, but Farhan quickly regained control, hitting back-to-back 90-meter sixes off Maheesh Theekshana. Farhan contributed a 31-ball fifty, while Sadaqat accelerated to put the Sri Lankan bowling attack under immense pressure. He hit consecutive 90+ metre sixes off him, but Farhan did not let the off-spinner settle: next over. Keeping out their frontline seamer Dushmantha Chameera, they brought in three changes. Only for short third-man to spill it, sri Lanka had an early chance when Farhan top-edged a slower one.
Sadaqat, 21, specifically targeted Theekshana in the 16th over, smashing three sixes in four deliveries. By the time Farhan was dismissed by Dasun Shanaka, he had provided a solid 73-run foundation. Sadaqat continued his assault, finishing just four runs short of a century with 96 off 51 balls, an innings punctuated by seven sixes and six fours. Eshan Malinga eventually claimed his wicket on the final ball of the innings.
Sri Lanka’s pursuit was hampered early when Lahiru Udara, who scored 91 in the opener, fell to a sharp bouncer from Salman Mirza. Despite some aggressive strokes from Sineth Jayawardena, Sri Lanka struggled to maintain the required run rate. They reached 35/2 at the end of the powerplay and never truly threatened the target thereafter, hindered by tight middle-over bowling from Mohammad Imran.
Mohammad Imran proved pivotal, utilizing his natural angle to stifle the Sri Lankan lineup and finishing with impressive figures of 3/11 from his four overs. While a late 50-run stand between Chamindu Wickramasinghe (29) and Maheesh Theekshana (32) provided some resistance, it was insufficient to prevent the heavy defeat.
The disparity in firepower was evident throughout the match, as Pakistan cleared the ropes 12 times compared to just three from the touring side. Following a series of dropped catches and inconsistent bowling, Sri Lanka ended their innings at 133/7. Brief scores: Pakistan 215/3 (Maaz Sadaqat 96, Sahibzada Farhan 73; Dasun Shanaka 1-30, Eshan Malinga 1-41) defeated Sri Lanka 133/7 (Maheesh Theekshana 32, Chamindu Wickramasinghe 29; Mohammad Imran 3-11, Salman Mirza 2-28) by 82 runs.
