Farhan’s Blazing 80 and Nawaz’s Spell Power Pakistan to Seven-Wicket Win Over Sri Lanka in Tri-Nation T20I

Nov 2025 : A commanding unbeaten half-century from Sahibzada Farhan, backed by a disciplined bowling performance led by Mohammad Nawaz, carried Pakistan to a comprehensive seven-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the Tri-nation T20I series on Saturday. The triumph marked Pakistan’s second successive win and propelled them to the top of the points table.

Chasing a modest target of 129, Pakistan cruised home in just 15.3 overs, riding on Farhan’s blistering 80* off 45 deliveries — an innings studded with six boundaries and five massive sixes. His knock not only anchored the chase but also made him the first Pakistani batter to smash 100 or more sixes in T20Is within a calendar year, further solidifying his growing stature as one of Pakistan’s most explosive top-order hitters.

Earlier in the day, Pakistan’s bowlers had set up the victory by restricting Sri Lanka to 128/7 at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. Mohammad Nawaz was the standout performer with an excellent spell of 3/16, striking at crucial moments to derail Sri Lanka’s innings.

Pakistan’s Chase: A Dominant Display

Openers Farhan and Saim Ayub gave Pakistan a flying start, racing to 47 runs within the first five overs. Saim, who struck four boundaries in his 20 off 18 balls, reached a personal milestone by becoming only the ninth Pakistani cricketer to cross 1,000 runs in T20Is. His innings ended when he was stumped by Kusal Mendis off the bowling of Sri Lankan captain Dasun Shanaka.

Farhan then paired with former skipper Babar Azam to stitch together a valuable 69-run stand for the second wicket. Babar played a subdued knock of 16 from 22 balls, including a lone six, while Farhan continued to accelerate, bringing up his sixth T20I half-century off 33 deliveries.

Sri Lanka briefly clawed back when pacer Dushmantha Chameera dismissed Babar and Haseebullah on consecutive balls. But Farhan held his nerve, maintaining a steady scoring rate and eventually sealing victory with a boundary in the 16th over — a fitting end to a commanding personal performance.

Sri Lanka’s Struggle After Bright Start

Put in to bat, Sri Lanka began aggressively with Kamil Mishara hammering two fours and two sixes before falling in the fourth over. However, the innings faltered when Kusal Mendis was run out by a sharp throw from Mohammad Wasim Jr, leaving Sri Lanka wobbling early.

At the halfway stage, Sri Lanka were 65/3 and soon slipped further to 78/5 as Nawaz tore through their middle order. The left-arm spinner dismissed Kusal Perera (25) and Dasun Shanaka off successive deliveries before returning to remove Kamindu Mendis in the 14th over. His timely breakthroughs left Sri Lanka heavily dependent on their lower order.

Janith Liyanage fought a lone battle, top scoring with an unbeaten 41 from 38 balls, including three fours and a six. His 35-run partnership with Wanindu Hasaranga (11) added some stability but was not enough to steer Sri Lanka to a competitive total as they managed just 128/7.

Besides Nawaz’s heroics, Faheem Ashraf, Salman Mirza and Abrar Ahmed chipped in with a wicket each.

Pakistan will next face Zimbabwe on Sunday at the same venue, where a win will confirm their place in the tournament final.

Brief scores: Sri Lanka 128/7 in 20 overs (Janith Liyanage 41 not out, Kusal Perera 25, Kamil Mishara 22; Mohammad Nawaz 3-16) lost to Pakistan 131/3 in 15.3 overs (Sahibzada Farhan 80 not out, Saim Ayub 20; Dushmantha Chameera 2-29) by seven wickets.

Team Maverick.