Pakistan vs Sri Lanka 1st ODI 2026: Pakistan Win by 37 Runs as Salman Agha Hits 107
Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by 37 runs in the opening match of the Pakistan ODI Tri-Series 2026 at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Sunday, 18 October. Salman Agha’s 107 off 90 balls carried Pakistan to 305, and the fast bowlers took nine wickets between them to bowl Sri Lanka out for 268 in 48.1 overs. Salman was named player of the match, and Pakistan picked up their first 2 points of the series.
PK Portals is an independent information site and is not linked to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Sri Lanka Cricket or any broadcaster. Scores are taken from the official match scorecard.
Pakistan vs Sri Lanka 1st ODI: match summary
| Result | Pakistan won by 37 runs |
| Pakistan | 305 all out (49.5 overs) |
| Sri Lanka | 268 all out (48.1 overs), chasing 306 |
| Toss | Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to field |
| Player of the match | Salman Agha, 107 (90 balls) |
| Best bowling (Pakistan) | Shaheen Shah Afridi 3/55 |
| Best bowling (Sri Lanka) | Eshan Malinga 4/46 |
| Venue | Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium (day/night) |
| Points | Pakistan 2, Sri Lanka 0 |
How Pakistan made 305
Sri Lanka chose to bowl first, and left-arm quick Dilshan Madushanka removed both openers inside six overs. Saim Ayub went for 7 and Fakhar Zaman for 16, leaving Pakistan at 32/2.
Babar Azam and debutant wicketkeeper Saad Baig rebuilt with a 74-run stand. Babar fell five short of a fifty for 45 off 57 balls, caught off Eshan Malinga, and Baig followed soon after for 39 off 40. At 118/4 in the 22nd over, Pakistan needed someone to bat through the middle overs.
Salman Agha did exactly that. He added 97 with Hasan Nawaz (37 off 49) and 64 with Arafat Minhas (18 off 15), reached his fifty off 48 balls and his hundred off 82. He was out for 107 with 10 fours and a six, his fourth ODI century.
Sri Lanka fought back at the death. Pakistan slipped from 279/6 to 293/9, with Malinga taking Faheem Ashraf and Naseem Shah off successive balls. Captain Shaheen Shah Afridi’s 13 not out off 12 balls took the total past 300.
How Sri Lanka’s chase fell short
Pakistan’s quicks had Sri Lanka in trouble early. Naseem Shah removed Avishka Fernando, Faheem Ashraf got captain Kusal Mendis, and Shaheen dismissed Kamindu Mendis (44) and Sahan Arachchige. Sri Lanka were 91/4 in the 20th over.
Pavan Rathnayake (79 off 74, six fours and two sixes) and Janith Liyanage (60 off 74) then added 119 for the fifth wicket and put Sri Lanka ahead of the asking rate under lights and dew. Faheem broke the stand when Rathnayake was caught by Salman at 210/5.
The game turned when Haris Rauf had Liyanage caught at 253/6 in the 44th over. Shaheen removed Dasun Shanaka (28 off 18) in the next over, and Sri Lanka lost their last five wickets for just 15 runs. Rauf bowled Asitha Fernando to finish the match with 11 balls left.
Top performers
| Player | Team | Performance |
|---|---|---|
| Salman Agha | Pakistan | 107 (90), 10 fours, 1 six |
| Pavan Rathnayake | Sri Lanka | 79 (74), 6 fours, 2 sixes |
| Janith Liyanage | Sri Lanka | 60 (74) |
| Babar Azam | Pakistan | 45 (57) |
| Eshan Malinga | Sri Lanka | 9.5-1-46-4 |
| Shaheen Shah Afridi | Pakistan | 10-0-55-3 |
| Asitha Fernando | Sri Lanka | 10-1-59-3 |
| Naseem Shah | Pakistan | 10-0-43-2 |
Pakistan vs Sri Lanka scorecard
Pakistan innings: 305 all out (49.5 overs)
| Batter | Dismissal | Runs (balls) |
|---|---|---|
| Fakhar Zaman | c Colombage b Madushanka | 16 (19) |
| Saim Ayub | c Liyanage b Madushanka | 7 (8) |
| Babar Azam | c Rathnayake b Malinga | 45 (57) |
| Saad Baig (wk) | c Colombage b Malinga | 39 (40) |
| Salman Agha | c Shanaka b Asitha Fernando | 107 (90) |
| Hasan Nawaz | c Rathnayake b Asitha Fernando | 37 (49) |
| Arafat Minhas | c Kamindu Mendis b Asitha Fernando | 18 (15) |
| Faheem Ashraf | c Kusal Mendis b Malinga | 6 (6) |
| Shaheen Shah Afridi (c) | not out | 13 (12) |
| Naseem Shah | lbw b Malinga | 0 (1) |
| Haris Rauf | run out | 0 (4) |
| Extras | lb 4, nb 2, w 11 | 17 |
| Sri Lanka bowling | O | M | R | W |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asitha Fernando | 10 | 1 | 59 | 3 |
| Dilshan Madushanka | 10 | 0 | 67 | 2 |
| Dasun Shanaka | 7 | 0 | 41 | 0 |
| Eshan Malinga | 9.5 | 1 | 46 | 4 |
| Sachindu Colombage | 10 | 0 | 61 | 0 |
| Kamindu Mendis | 2 | 0 | 19 | 0 |
| Sahan Arachchige | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
Sri Lanka innings: 268 all out (48.1 overs)
| Batter | Dismissal | Runs (balls) |
|---|---|---|
| Kamindu Mendis | c Faheem Ashraf b Shaheen Afridi | 44 (50) |
| Avishka Fernando | c Faheem Ashraf b Naseem Shah | 5 (9) |
| Kusal Mendis (c, wk) | c Saim Ayub b Faheem Ashraf | 18 (34) |
| Pavan Rathnayake | c Salman Agha b Faheem Ashraf | 79 (74) |
| Sahan Arachchige | c Saad Baig b Shaheen Afridi | 3 (5) |
| Janith Liyanage | c Babar Azam b Haris Rauf | 60 (74) |
| Dasun Shanaka | c Babar Azam b Shaheen Afridi | 28 (18) |
| Sachindu Colombage | c Saad Baig b Naseem Shah | 1 (4) |
| Eshan Malinga | run out | 2 (6) |
| Asitha Fernando | b Haris Rauf | 7 (10) |
| Dilshan Madushanka | not out | 1 (5) |
| Extras | lb 3, w 17 | 20 |
| Pakistan bowling | O | M | R | W |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shaheen Shah Afridi | 10 | 0 | 55 | 3 |
| Naseem Shah | 10 | 0 | 43 | 2 |
| Haris Rauf | 9.1 | 0 | 48 | 2 |
| Faheem Ashraf | 8 | 0 | 49 | 2 |
| Arafat Minhas | 9 | 0 | 56 | 0 |
| Saim Ayub | 2 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
Key moments and milestones
- Salman Agha scored his fourth ODI hundred on his return to the Pakistan side.
- Saad Baig made his ODI debut as wicketkeeper and scored 39 off 40 balls.
- Babar Azam went past 16,000 international runs across all formats during his 45.
- Eshan Malinga’s 4/46 is his best bowling in ODIs.
- Sri Lanka lost their last five wickets for 15 runs after Liyanage was out.
Read more on one of today’s talking points: Saim Ayub out for 7 vs Sri Lanka.
Highlights
Official videos from the Pakistan Cricket Board’s YouTube channel, including highlights of this match.
What’s next for Pakistan and Sri Lanka
Pakistan play England next on Tuesday, 20 October at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, starting at 1:00 pm PKT. Sri Lanka face England on Thursday, 22 October, also in Rawalpindi. Pakistan and Sri Lanka meet again on Tuesday, 27 October, at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, and the final is on Saturday, 31 October, in Lahore.
In Pakistan, the matches are on PTV Sports, with live streaming on Tamasha, Tapmad and the PCB Live App.
Frequently asked questions
Who won Pakistan vs Sri Lanka today?
Pakistan won by 37 runs. They made 305 and bowled Sri Lanka out for 268 in 48.1 overs.
Who was player of the match?
Salman Agha, for his 107 off 90 balls.
Who took the most wickets?
Eshan Malinga took 4/46 for Sri Lanka. For Pakistan, Shaheen Shah Afridi took 3/55.
When is Pakistan’s next match?
Pakistan play England on Tuesday, 20 October, at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium at 1:00 pm PKT.
