Pakistan meet Sri Lanka in Lahore on Tuesday in the ODI tri-series with the hosts already through to the final. The match still carries weight: it decides whether Sri Lanka join them, or whether England keep a narrow route open after both Asian sides produced dramatic wins against the visitors.
Both teams arrive on a high after fate-defying victories over England. Sri Lanka’s Thursday display in Rawalpindi included a successful chase of more than 400, among the standout batting nights in their recent white-ball history. Pakistan, for their part, twice dragged themselves back from the brink against England—first through Arafat Minhas helping force a collapse, then through Shadab Khan’s lower-order heroics, including a record-breaking unbeaten century in a one-wicket win.
Why this Lahore game still matters
Pakistan have secured qualification and could rest key players to look at the bench. Sri Lanka will want to build on the Rawalpindi chase. England’s remaining hopes of reaching the final rest on Pakistan beating Sri Lanka; a home win would also give Pakistan a fifth consecutive ODI victory, something they have not managed since the tail end of 2024.
Form heading into the fixture underlines the contrast in recent rhythm: Pakistan’s last five completed matches read WWWWL; Sri Lanka’s read WLWLL. In the tournament opener, Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by 37 runs after the visitors looked set in the chase until a late bowling rally swung the points.
Babar, the seamers, and a high-scoring stage
Babar Azam has looked quieter than usual, with 89 runs in the series so far, while teammates have posted big cameos and hundreds. He has historically favoured Sri Lanka—four of his 20 ODI centuries have come against them, more only against West Indies (five). At Gaddafi Stadium his early ODIs brought two fifties and two centuries, but in five matches since he has passed 20 only once, with a top score of 40. With a final place locked in, Pakistan will hope he finds some of that earlier fluency.
Sri Lanka’s win over England was historic, yet they still conceded 400-plus. Seamers took the heaviest punishment; Eshan Malinga went for 0 for 91 in that game after taking 4 for 46 in the opener against Pakistan. Lahore itself carries Sri Lankan lore from 1996, and the visitors will hope that memory, and the Rawalpindi chase, travel with them.
Timeline: what has happened so far
- Tournament opener: Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by 37 runs after a late bowling rally.
- Pakistan v England: Pakistan twice escaped defeat, including Shadab Khan’s unbeaten century in a one-wicket win and Arafat Minhas’s role in an England collapse.
- Thursday, Rawalpindi: Sri Lanka completed a chase of more than 400 against England.
- Late 2024: Pakistan last put together a five-match ODI winning streak before this series.
- Tuesday, Lahore: Pakistan face Sri Lanka with the hosts already in the final and England’s hopes hanging on the result.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Pakistan pehle hi ODI tri-series final mein pahunch chuka hai. Mangal ko Lahore mein Sri Lanka se match hai. Agar Pakistan jeet gaya to England ki final ki umeed bohot kam ho jayegi. Sri Lanka ne England ke khilaf 400 se zyada runs chase kiye the—match high-scoring ho sakta hai.
