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Final | PAK vs SL ODI Tri-Series 2026 | Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore | 31 October 2026
Shaheen Afridi against Kamindu Mendis and Dilshan Madushanka against Fakhar Zaman are the two contests most likely to settle Saturday’s decider in Lahore. Afridi and Kamindu have won one meeting each, while Madushanka has removed Fakhar both times, and Sri Lanka’s eight-wicket win followed a 37-run Pakistan victory in the opener. Add Salman Agha’s problem with off-spin and Babar Azam’s repeated troubles against Eshan Malinga, and the final rests on four personal battles that can be traced to the earlier meetings.
Afridi dismissed Kamindu Mendis in the 18th over at Rawalpindi, one piece of a 3/55 spell across ten overs. Lahore reversed it at Gaddafi Stadium, with Kamindu unbeaten on 62 off 60 balls while Afridi finished with 1/29 in six overs. The contest stands at one apiece, and it matters because Kamindu opens the innings.
Before this event, Afridi had gone wicketless in 81 balls against Sri Lanka’s leading batters, conceding 78, and Kusal Mendis alone made 45 off 36 balls against him. The two meetings have lifted his career tally against Sri Lanka to 11 wickets in seven ODIs. Kamindu has 106 runs from two innings against Pakistan in this event, with one dismissal, so the edge in that duel is slim.
| Stat | Shaheen Shah Afridi | Kamindu Mendis |
| Role | Left-arm fast, captain | Opening batter |
| Match 1 | 3/55 in 10 overs | 44, caught |
| Match 5 | 1/29 in 6 overs | 62 not out |
| Head-to-head | One dismissal | Unbeaten in Lahore |
| Career ODI | 149 wickets, average 24.38 before the event | 743 runs, average 28.57 |
Dilshan Madushanka has removed Fakhar Zaman in both meetings, for 16 off 19 balls in Rawalpindi and five off 13 in Lahore. Fakhar’s record against him now reads 21 runs and two dismissals, which gives Sri Lanka an early psychological edge at the top of the order. Fakhar’s strike rate fell from 84.21 in Rawalpindi to 38.46 in Lahore, a sign of how the short rising deliveries unsettled him.
At Gaddafi Stadium, Madushanka took five for 34 from 8.3 overs, a career best that bettered his previous 5/80 against India at the 2023 World Cup. He also removed Saad Baig, Arafat Minhas, Haris Rauf and Afridi, and he now has nine wickets in three ODIs against Pakistan.
Agha scored 107 off 90 balls in the opener while Sachindu Colombage’s leg-spin went for 61 runs without a wicket in ten overs. In Lahore, Sahan Arachchige’s off-break dismissed him for nine, and Arachchige also took Shadab Khan for two on the way to figures of 2/24.
In November 2025, he survived Wanindu Hasaranga’s 3/54 and hit 105 not out off 87 balls, adding 138 for the fifth wicket with Hussain Talat. Hasaranga is not in this squad, so Arachchige and the left-armer Dunith Wellalage carry the spin load. Off-spin remains Agha’s weak point, and Sri Lanka’s planners will know it.
Eshan Malinga dismissed Babar Azam in both meetings, caught by Pavan Rathnayake for 45 in Rawalpindi and leg before for 29 in Lahore. Babar averages 37 against him across those two innings. Malinga took 4/46 in the opener, so the pairing has produced more than one-sided numbers.
Madushanka, by contrast, did not dismiss Babar or Agha in either game, so Sri Lanka’s two wicket-takers have divided the Pakistan order between them. Babar’s strike rates in the two innings, 78.94 and 87.87, show he has scored at a moderate pace even when he stayed in, which keeps the pressure on whoever bats around him.
No official XIs are out for Saturday. Naseem Shah is fit again after missing both England games, and Pakistan may weigh Faheem Ashraf or Abrar Ahmed for spin support after Shadab Khan’s century. Sahibzada Farhan replaced Saim Ayub during the tournament. The XI that lost in Lahore had Maaz Sadaqat opening alongside Fakhar, with Saad Baig keeping wicket.
Sri Lanka are expected to keep Arachchige after his tidy five-over spell in Lahore, with Maheesh Theekshana or Pathum Nissanka waiting if they change. Whoever plays, the PAK vs SL tri-series 2026 player duels will turn on whether Afridi can bounce back against Kamindu and whether Fakhar can solve Madushanka.
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Who is the best bowler in the Pakistan versus Sri Lanka matches?
Dilshan Madushanka leads with seven wickets across the two meetings. He took two in Rawalpindi and a career-best five in Lahore, while Shaheen Afridi managed four.
Who has dismissed Babar Azam most against Sri Lanka?
Eshan Malinga has dismissed him twice in this tournament. Babar fell caught for 45 in the first game and leg before for 29 in the second, with Malinga taking 4/46 in the opener.
What is Shaheen Afridi’s record against Sri Lanka in ODIs?
He has 11 wickets in seven ODIs. He added four wickets in the two meetings of this tournament, including 3/55 in Rawalpindi, after taking seven at an average of 37 in five earlier ODIs.
How did Sri Lanka beat Pakistan in Lahore?
Madushanka’s 5/34 bowled Pakistan out for 110, and Sri Lanka chased it down by eight wickets. Kamindu Mendis made 62 not out as the target fell in 18.1 overs with 191 balls to spare.
Who won the first meeting in Rawalpindi?
Pakistan won by 37 runs on 18 October. Salman Agha’s 107 lifted them to 305, and Sri Lanka finished on 268 despite a 119-run stand between Rathnayake and Liyanage.
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