Shaheen Shah Afridi’s Pakistan will face Kusal Mendis’ Sri Lanka in the ODI tri-series final at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Saturday, 31 October. The toss is set for 12.30pm Pakistan time, and the first ball is scheduled for 1pm.
Pakistan were the first side to book a place in this ODI tri-series final, after two wins against England and one against Sri Lanka. The hosts will be chasing their first ODI tri-series title at home.
How Pakistan reached the final
Salman Ali Agha tops Pakistan’s batting list with 158 runs in four innings, including a hundred against Sri Lanka in the tournament opener at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. In the bowling ranks, young all-rounder Arafat Minhas has taken nine wickets in four matches, among them a six-wicket haul in an 87-run victory over England, also in Rawalpindi. Captain Shaheen sits joint second on the series wicket chart with Sri Lanka’s Dilshan Madushanka, both on eight wickets from four games.
Speaking ahead of the final, Shaheen said the team had performed well but still needed to improve, “particularly scoring runs at the top and building partnerships.” He hoped fans would turn out in large numbers and said the side was “hopeful of maintaining our team combination and putting up a good performance in the final.”
Sri Lanka’s approach and the squads
Mendis called the final “a big game” and said Pakistan had played good cricket in recent matches. Sri Lanka, he added, were well prepared, had done several things right in their previous meeting with Pakistan, and would stick to basic plans. He also thanked Pakistani crowds for supporting Sri Lankan players.
Pakistan’s named group includes Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Maaz Sadaqat, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori, Haris Rauf, Hasan Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Razaullah, Saad Baig, Sahibzada Farhan and Shadab Khan. Sri Lanka’s list is led by Kusal Mendis and includes Sahan Arachchige, Dushmantha Chameera, Sachindu Colombage, Avishka Fernando, Asitha Fernando, Janith Liyanage, Dilshan Madushanka, Eshan Malinga, Kamindu Mendis, Kamil Mishara, Lahiru Udara, Pavan Rathnayake, Dasun Shanaka, Maheesh Theekshana and Dunith Wellalage.
Where to watch and what happens next
In Pakistan, PTV Sports will show the final live, while Tapmad and Tamasha will stream it; the PCB Live app will also carry the match across Pakistan, the United Kingdom, North America, the Caribbean, Africa and Europe. The commentary panel includes Mark Butcher, Urooj Mumtaz Khan, Aamir Sohail, Waqar Younis and Sri Lanka’s Roshan Abeysinghe. Attention now turns to Saturday’s contest at Gaddafi Stadium, where both captains have urged a strong, composed performance.
Timeline: what has happened so far
- 1994: Pakistan hosted its first ODI tri-series on home soil, featuring Australia and South Africa.
- 2004: A second home tri-series involved Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe.
- 2025: A third edition featured New Zealand and South Africa.
- Opening match (Rawalpindi): Salman Ali Agha scored a century against Sri Lanka.
- Later in the series (Rawalpindi): Pakistan beat England by 87 runs, with Arafat Minhas taking six wickets; Pakistan then became the first team to qualify for the final.
- 30–31 October 2026: Captains preview the final in Lahore; the decider is set for Saturday at Gaddafi Stadium.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Pakistan aur Sri Lanka ka ODI tri-series final kal Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore mein hai. Match dopahar 1 baje shuru hoga, toss 12:30 pe hoga. Pakistan ghar par pehli baar yeh title jeetna chahta hai. Aap PTV Sports ya streaming apps par dekh sakte hain.
