Pakistan vs Sri Lanka, Tri-Series Final — Live Ball-by-Ball Coverage
Welcome to TaazaPulse's live blog for the Pakistan ODI Tri-Series final. Pakistan, captained by Shaheen Shah Afridi, face Sri Lanka at a packed Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Saturday, 31 October 2026 — a day-night 50-over final that began at 1:00 PM Pakistan time. This page carries the match ball by ball: every wicket, every milestone and every turning point, updated over by over from the official scorecards as it happens.
The state of play: Pakistan won the toss and chose to bowl first, backing their pace attack on a fresh wicket and the dew expected later in the evening. Sri Lanka — the form side of this tournament — have built their innings on a superb hand from Kamindu Mendis, who made 131. Sri Lanka are 283 for 4 after 44.1 overs, with Pavan Rathnayake unbeaten on 77 and Janith Liyanage with him on 3. Salman Agha and Shaheen Shah Afridi have two wickets each for Pakistan. The first session runs to 4:30 PM, the interval is 4:30–5:00 PM, and Pakistan's chase is scheduled for 5:00–8:30 PM under lights.
How this page works: the newest updates appear first in the live feed below, each stamped in Pakistan time or by the over in which it happened. Nothing is added here unless it has happened on the field and been recorded by the match scorecards — no ball is ever invented. The Urdu live page is here.
Live updates
4:33 PM PKT — 44.1 overs: Sri Lanka 283/4, Pavan 77 not out. Sri Lanka 283/4 after 44.1 overs, with Pavan Rathnayake unbeaten on 77 off 64 balls (eight fours) and Janith Liyanage 3 not out off 4; Haris Rauf is bowling. The hour since the last update belonged to Kamindu Mendis and then to Shaheen Shah Afridi: Kamindu completed his hundred and went on to 131 off 128 balls (twelve fours, two sixes) before Shaheen trapped him lbw, Sri Lanka 255/3 in 41.1 overs — the third-wicket stand with Rathnayake was worth 146. Dasun Shanaka then hit a quick 17 off 9 balls (two fours, one six) before Shaheen had him caught by Maaz Sadaqat, Sri Lanka 279/4 in 43.2 overs. With six overs left and six wickets in hand, Sri Lanka are pushing for a total well past 300; Pakistan's chase under lights follows the interval.
3:27 PM PKT — 32 overs: Kamindu three short of a hundred. Sri Lanka 176/2 after 32 overs. Kamindu Mendis is 97 not out off 104 balls (nine fours, one six) and Pavan Rathnayake is 25 not out off 27; their unbroken third-wicket stand is worth 67. Faheem Ashraf has just bowled the 32nd over, and with eighteen overs left and eight wickets in hand, Sri Lanka are set for the closing push — Kamindu's hundred, when it comes, will be the moment Pakistan most want to spoil.
3:13 PM PKT — Kamindu Mendis closes on a final hundred. Sri Lanka 161/2 after 29.4 overs. Kamindu Mendis is 89 not out off 95 balls (nine fours, one six) and Pavan Rathnayake is 20 not out off 22; their unbroken third-wicket stand is worth 52. Arafat Minhas is bowling the 30th over, Shaheen Afridi has just completed a tight over from the other end, and with eight wickets in hand and twenty overs left, Sri Lanka are positioned to attack the closing stretch. Pakistan need a wicket — ideally Kamindu's — before the platform turns into a launchpad.
21.3 overs — WICKET: Kusal Mendis falls to Salman Agha again. The Sri Lanka captain made 8 off 12 balls before Salman had him caught and bowled — the off-spinner's second wicket of the innings, Sri Lanka 109/2. Pavan Rathnayake joined Kamindu, and the pair have since rebuilt without further loss.
19.3 overs — Kamindu Mendis reaches fifty. A single off Salman Agha took Kamindu to his half-century off 62 balls, with Sri Lanka 95/1 at the time. It has been an innings of rare control: busy against spin, severe on anything short, and the anchor around which Sri Lanka's whole final is being built.
17–19 overs — Salman Agha breaks the opening stand. After the openers had added 86, Salman Agha trapped Avishka Fernando lbw to give Pakistan their first wicket. Fernando had been the aggressor early — 38 off 42 balls at the 16-over mark, with three fours and a six — but it was the introduction of spin that finally broke the stand.
16 overs — Sri Lanka 86/0: a commanding first phase. At the end of 16 overs Sri Lanka were 86 without loss, Avishka Fernando 38 off 42 and Kamindu Mendis 42 off 54, the pair having added 86 off 96 balls against the new ball. Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf all searched for a breakthrough in the powerplay and the overs that followed, and Salman Agha's first three overs cost 18 without success — the wickets, when they came, came in a bunch.
1:00 PM PKT — Toss: Pakistan bowl first. Shaheen Afridi won the toss and chose to field, saying the dew comes in late and Pakistan wanted to use the fresh wicket. Sri Lanka's captain Kusal Mendis said his side were prepared to bat first and that the pitch looked better than in the last couple of matches at this ground.
How Sri Lanka built their innings
Sri Lanka's openers treated the final like a continuation of their week. Fernando and Kamindu saw off the new ball with intent rather than caution — 86 runs in the first 16 overs, Fernando driving Naseem Shah for fours and launching him over square leg for six in a 15-run fifth over — and by the time Pakistan turned to spin, the innings had a base. Salman Agha's double strike (Fernando lbw, then Kusal Mendis caught and bowled for 8) dragged Pakistan back into the match at 109/2, but Kamindu never left. He passed fifty off 62 balls and has accelerated since, reaching 89 off 95 by the 30th over, with Rathnayake rotating strike calmly at the other end.
The shape of the innings will be familiar to Pakistan: it is the same Sri Lanka batting order that chased 430 against England in Rawalpindi last week and then bowled Pakistan out for 110 on this ground on Tuesday. Depth is their strength — Dasun Shanaka, Janith Liyanage and Sahan Arachchige are still to come — so the last twenty overs, on a true surface and against an attack that must bowl its fifth-bowler overs somewhere, hold real danger for the hosts.
Salman Agha, Pakistan's unlikely strike bowler
Pakistan's pace trio — Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf — probed without reward, and it was the part-time off-spin of Salman Agha that changed the innings. His first six overs cost 34 and brought both wickets: Fernando, set and scoring freely, beaten by one that skidded on and trapped lbw, and captain Kusal Mendis, caught and bowled for 8 off 12. In a week in which Salman insisted Pakistan would have to bring their A-game to win this final, he has personally delivered its two biggest moments so far. Kamindu, though, has played him as well as anyone — the duel between the two through the middle overs is the match in miniature.
Why this final matters: the 110 all-out rematch
Four days ago, on this same ground, Sri Lanka bowled Pakistan out for 110 in 25.3 overs and chased it down in 18.1 overs for an eight-wicket win — Kamindu Mendis, the same man batting now, finished that chase unbeaten on 62. Pakistan still topped the league with six points, Sri Lanka followed with four, and England went home; but the psychological scoreboard of this final reads Sri Lanka 1, Pakistan 0. Pakistan's route here ran through two wins over England, including the one-wicket classic built on Shadab Khan's unbeaten 113 — the match that also brought Haris Rauf's ICC fine for the 46th-over flashpoint. Sri Lanka's ran through that 430 chase against England and Thursday's dead rubber, in which Ben Duckett's 167 carried England to 386 and a consolation win. For Babar Azam, who has slipped to ninth in the ICC ODI rankings, and for Shaheen's young side, a trophy at home tonight is the fastest answer to a difficult week. Readers following the weekend's other final can find our Hong Kong Sixes live blog here.
Playing XIs
Pakistan: Fakhar Zaman, Maaz Sadaqat, Babar Azam, Saad Baig (wk), Salman Agha, Hasan Nawaz, Arafat Minhas, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi (capt), Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah. Faheem Ashraf came in for Shadab Khan — the hero of the England win missing the final.
Sri Lanka: Kamindu Mendis, Avishka Fernando, Kusal Mendis (capt/wk), Pavan Rathnayake, Dasun Shanaka, Janith Liyanage, Sahan Arachchige, Maheesh Theekshana, Dunith Wellalage, Asitha Fernando, Dilshan Madushanka. Theekshana came in for Eshan Malinga, strengthening the spin hand for a surface that has already rewarded Salman Agha.
Scorecard sources: ESPNcricinfo live scorecard and Sportradar live feed for this match; team news and toss quotes as reported by the live coverage. This page is updated over by over — refresh for the latest.
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where is the Pakistan vs Sri Lanka tri-series final?
The final of the Pakistan ODI Tri-Series is on Saturday, 31 October 2026 at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore. It is a day-night 50-over match that started at 1:00 PM Pakistan time: the first session runs 1:00–4:30 PM, the interval is 4:30–5:00 PM, and the second innings is scheduled for 5:00–8:30 PM.
Who won the toss in the Pakistan vs Sri Lanka final?
Pakistan's captain Shaheen Afridi won the toss and chose to bowl first, saying Pakistan wanted to use the fresh wicket and that the dew comes in late at Lahore. Sri Lanka's captain Kusal Mendis said his team were prepared to bat first and that the pitch looked better than in the previous matches at the ground.
Why is this final a rematch of the 110 all-out match?
In the league meeting on Tuesday, 27 October, Sri Lanka bowled Pakistan out for 110 in 25.3 overs at Lahore and chased the target in 18.1 overs to win by eight wickets, with Kamindu Mendis unbeaten on 62. Pakistan still finished top of the league with six points, Sri Lanka second with four, and England were eliminated — but Sri Lanka hold the psychological edge in this final.
Who is in the Pakistan playing XI for the final?
Pakistan: Fakhar Zaman, Maaz Sadaqat, Babar Azam, Saad Baig (wicketkeeper), Salman Agha, Hasan Nawaz, Arafat Minhas, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi (captain), Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah. Faheem Ashraf replaced Shadab Khan, the unbeaten centurion from the one-wicket win over England.
Who is in the Sri Lanka playing XI for the final?
Sri Lanka: Kamindu Mendis, Avishka Fernando, Kusal Mendis (captain and wicketkeeper), Pavan Rathnayake, Dasun Shanaka, Janith Liyanage, Sahan Arachchige, Maheesh Theekshana, Dunith Wellalage, Asitha Fernando and Dilshan Madushanka. Theekshana came in for Eshan Malinga.
Where can I follow the Pakistan vs Sri Lanka final ball by ball?
Right here: this TaazaPulse live page is updated over by over from the match scorecards — every wicket, milestone and the full chase — and an Urdu live version runs alongside it. The final result and a full report will replace the live feed on this page the moment the match ends.