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Final | PAK vs SL ODI Tri-Series 2026 | Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore | 31 October 2026
Salman Agha and Babar Azam must lift a Pakistan order that folded for 110 in Lahore, while Pavan Rathnayake and Kamindu Mendis give Sri Lanka the steadier base heading into Saturday’s decider at Gaddafi Stadium. Agha’s 107 won the opener by 37 runs in Rawalpindi, yet Sri Lanka’s chasers took the rematch by eight wickets with 191 balls left. Those two results frame the final, and the numbers separate the leading batters on both sides more sharply than reputations do.
Salman Agha produced the one hundred in either meeting, 107 off 90 balls in Rawalpindi at a strike rate of 118.88. It was his fourth ODI century, earned him Player of the Match, and set up a total of 305. Lahore told another story, with nine runs off 14 balls before Sahan Arachchige’s off-spin removed him.
Babar Azam made 45 and 29 against Sri Lanka, an average of 37, and Eshan Malinga dismissed him both times. His strike rates of 78.94 and 87.87 in those games are quicker than the 67.72 he managed across four ODIs earlier in 2026. He also became the fifth Pakistan batter to pass 16,000 international runs in the opener, and a 53.36 average across 144 ODIs says the class is still there.
The table below lines up six batters on average and strike rate across the round robin. The spread between them is wide, and it shows who has been scoring in bulk and who has been scoring in bursts.
Rathnayake and Shadab Khan both average above 100, though Shadab’s figure rests on two innings and one dismissal. Kamindu Mendis averages 106 against Pakistan alone, while Babar Azam sits on 37 at a strike rate of 82.22 and Salman Agha on 47.33 despite his century. Janith Liyanage’s average of 40.33 and strike rate of 78.57 mark him as the steadier, slower option in the Sri Lanka middle order behind Rathnayake.
| Batter | Team | Average | Strike Rate |
| Pavan Rathnayake | SL | 116.00 | 112.62 |
| Salman Agha | PAK | 47.33 | 96.59 |
| Kamindu Mendis | SL | 106.00 | 96.36 |
| Shadab Khan | PAK | 115.00 | 117.34 |
| Babar Azam | PAK | 37.00 | 82.22 |
| Janith Liyanage | SL | 40.33 | 78.57 |
Pavan Rathnayake has 232 runs from three innings, including 79 off 74 balls in the opener and an unbeaten 23 that closed the Lahore chase. His maiden ODI hundred, 121 off 115 balls against England in Colombo in January 2026, set the standard before this event began. He arrived with 218 runs from six ODIs at an average of 43.6.
Kamindu Mendis opened in both chases, making 44 off 50 when Sri Lanka fell 37 short and an unbeaten 62 off 60 when they won. The second score was his maiden fifty against Pakistan and left him with 106 runs and one dismissal across the pair. Janith Liyanage backed Rathnayake with 60 in Rawalpindi, adding 119 for the fifth wicket.
Pakistan batted first three times in the round robin, scoring 305, 302/9 and 110. The first two won; the last, a collapse in 25.3 overs with Fakhar Zaman gone in the fourth over, lost by eight wickets. Eight wickets fell for 91 runs, and Babar Azam’s 29 topped a card where no one else passed 17.
Chasing, they needed a last-wicket stand of 89 between Shadab Khan, unbeaten on 113, and Haris Rauf to beat England by one wicket after sliding to 154/9. Captain Shaheen Afridi admitted the top order has been collapsing for three or four matches. That admission is the sharpest warning in the Pakistan camp.
Gaddafi Stadium has averaged 253 in first innings across 85 ODIs, but the 2022-2026 figure climbs to 286, with chasing sides averaging 247.5. Teams batting first have won 58.3 percent of recent games here, against 52 percent all time. The recent window better matches current conditions, so the higher numbers are the ones to trust.
Sri Lanka showed the ceiling when they chased 430 against England on 22 October, the highest successful ODI chase at the ground. If scores run that high again, the PAK vs SL tri-series 2026 batters who start well will matter more than any bowling plan.
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Who has scored the most runs in the 2026 ODI tri-series?
Pavan Rathnayake of Sri Lanka has scored the most. He has 232 runs in three innings at an average of 116, with England’s Harry Brook next on 208.
Who scored a century in the first Pakistan versus Sri Lanka match?
Salman Agha hit 107 off 90 balls in Rawalpindi. It was his fourth ODI hundred, included ten fours and a six, and won him Player of the Match.
Is Babar Azam in form in this tri-series?
His form is steady rather than special. He made 45 against Sri Lanka and 29 in Lahore, top-scoring in the 110 all out, but both scores sit below the 53.36 he averages in his ODI career.
Who is Sri Lanka’s best batter against Pakistan this month?
Pavan Rathnayake has been the standout, with Kamindu Mendis second. Rathnayake made 79 and 23 not out, while Kamindu scored 106 runs in two innings against Pakistan.
Is Gaddafi Stadium good for batting?
Yes, it has favoured batters in recent years. The 2022-2026 first-innings average is 286, up from the all-time figure of 253, and Sri Lanka chased 430 there on 22 October.
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