पाकिस्तान vs श्रीलंका, फाइनल Commentary, Live Updates

1 run.

In the air...SAFE! Another slower one, full and just outside off. Kusal Mendis tries to reach out and loft it over covers but gets a top edge. It goes high in the air and lands over Salman Agha, who runs backwards from mid off. Two taken.

Fuller and on middle, Kamil Mishara drives it to the left of mid off for a run.

Change of pace, hard length and outside off, angles away and keeps low too. Kamil Mishara swings all over it and misses.

SIX! Top shot! A slower one, full and on middle, in the slot as well. Kamil Mishara gets right under it and hits through the line. Tonks it over the long on fence for a biggie.

Back of a length and on off, Kusal Mendis runs it down to deep third for a single.

A mix-up but no harm done! On a length and on off, Kamil Mishara pats it towards covers and sets off for the run but is sent back. Saim Ayub collects the ball and has a shy at the batter's end but misses, with Mishara having to put a dive.

Fullish and on leg, Kamil Mishara tucks it to mid-wicket.

SIX! BOOM! He connects well this time. Pitched up and on middle and off. Kamil Mishara clears his front leg away and drags his slog over the deep mid-wicket fence for a biggie.

Swing and a miss! Much fuller and on off, nips away a bit. Kamil Mishara tries to go big down the ground but tries to hit it a bit too hard and fails to connect.

On a length and on off, Kusal Mendis guides it through point for a single.

BEAUTY! Good-length delivery, on the fifth stump line, angling across the batter. Kusal Mendis tries to push it away but gets beaten on the outside edge.

On a length and on leg, Kusal Mendis clips it through square leg for a run and gets off the mark.

Hard length and on off, angling in, Kusal Mendis blocks it out.

Kusal Mendis comes in at number 3.

OUT! BOWLED'EM! A perfect response from Shaheen Afridi, and he sends the in-form Pathum Nissanka back to the hut. Afridi cleverly rolls his fingers to take pace off, serves this full and on off and middle. Nissanka's eyes light up and he goes for the big slog across the line. However, he does not pick the slower one at all and goes through his shot decades early. He misses and the ball goes through to shatter the stumps behind. Nissanka falls for 11 off 7, and Sri Lanka are 20/1.

SIX! BANG! He has hit that right from the middle of the bat. Back of a length and on middle, not high enough to trouble the batter. Pathum Nissanka picks up the length early, swivels and pulls it powerfully over the deep square leg fence for the first biggie of the final.

Good-length delivery, on middle and off. Not that short to pull, but Pathum Nissanka goes for it anyway. Gets an inside edge onto his pads as the ball goes towards short third. Mishara is halfway down the pitch, but is sent back.

Full and angling into leg, Kamil Mishara knocks it towards mid on for a single.

FOUR! Put away! Short of a length and around off, sits up nicely for the batter. Pathum Nissanka gets on top of it and swats it to the deep mid-wicket fence for a boundary.

Nicely bowled! Salman Mirza nails the yorker now, on middle. Pathum Nissanka just about gets his bat down in time to dig it out as the ball just bounces over the stumps. That was close.

Lands this on a good length and on off, angles away. Pathum Nissanka waits for it, opens the face of his bat and steers it away but finds the short third fielder. A bit to the left or right and it would have been a boundary.

Pitched up and on middle, angling in, Kamil Mishara drills it towards mid on for a quick single.

Full again and on off, shapes away a bit, Kamil Mishara pushes it to short cover.

Salman Mirza begins with a fuller delivery, on off, Kamil Mishara drives it firmly but straight to mid off.

Salman Mirza will operate from the other end.

Bangs this into the pitch, on middle, angling in, Kamil Mishara gets hurried and miscues his pull shot off the gloves through square leg for one. 8 runs off the first over then!

FOUR! Excellent shot! A slower one again but way too full and on off. Kamil Mishara picks it up early, gets his hands through the drive and crunches it past cover for the first boundary of the final.

Takes pace off, hits the length hard and on off, Kamil Mishara gets deceived by the lack of pace and only manages to pat it down the pitch.

WIDE! Another pitched-up delivery down the leg side, Kamil Mishara fails to glance it away. Called a wide.

Touch fuller and on middle, angling in sharply. Kamil Mishara looks to work it across the line but misses and gets hit on the pads as the ball rolls towards point. Mishara sets off for the run but is sent back. The fielder misses his shy at the batter's end. The Lankans think about the overthrow but decide against it in the end.

Short of a length and on middle and off, Kamil Mishara stays back and punches it but straight to short cover.

WIDE! Errs in line and serves this full but way down the leg side, Kamil Mishara lets it go. Wided.

Pathum Nissanka and Sri Lanka are up and running in the final! Shaheen Afridi starts with a back-of-a-length delivery around off. Nissanka hops up to ride the bounce and guides it towards third man for a single.

We are done with the national anthems. It's time to get the final underway. Not a packed house just yet, but the crowd is building nicely. Salman Agha leads his men out on the park. They are followed by the two Lankan openers, Kamil Mishara and Pathum Nissanka. Shaheen Afridi will start the attack for the home side. Shaheen to Nissanka with a wide slip in place. Here we go!

Before we begin, the two teams and match officials will observe a moment of silence as a mark of respect for the lives lost in the devastating floods and landslides in Sri Lanka. It is now time for the national anthems. It will be Sri Lanka's first, followed by that of Pakistan.

PITCH REPORT - Ramiz Raja points out that this is a drastically different-looking surface from what we have seen so far. Adds that there is hardly any grass. Pommie Mbangwa adds that there are a whole lot of cracks running across the surface. Shares that the scores while batting first on this pitch in this series have been 195, 162 and 128, which tells a story. His message to both teams is to put the past out of their minds and focus only on the conditions in front of them. He expects the surface to be a bit sticky early on, with a slight sheen on the top, but it should get better to bat on as the game progresses.

Dasun Shanaka, the skipper of Sri Lanka, says that the cold is not a problem as they are used to these conditions. Adds that this is a different game and they need to get the basics right. Mentions that anything over 160 would be a good total. Says that he always enjoys his time in Pakistan and is also thankful to the army for providing them with excellent security. Informs that they are unchanged.

Pakistan's captain Salman Agha says that they have chosen to bowl first, and although this is not a typical Rawalpindi surface, it looks like a 170 to 180 wicket. Expects the dew to play its part later in the evening. Believes that they need to play good cricket and make sure they execute their plans. Adds that the belief is strong that if they do that, they are good enough to beat any side in the world. States that they are treating this as just another game, something that helps ease the pressure in situations like these. Further says that for them, it is all about starting well with both bat and ball, because whenever they manage that, they usually go on to win their matches. Informs that Shaheen Afridi is back, and Mohammad Wasim misses out.

Sri Lanka (Unchanged Playing XI) - Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Kusal Mendis (WK), Kusal Perera, Janith Liyanage, Dasun Shanaka (C), Pavan Rathnayake, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dushmantha Chameera, Maheesh Theekshana, Eshan Malinga.

Pakistan (Playing XI) - Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Babar Azam, Salman Agha (C), Fakhar Zaman, Usman Khan (WK), Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi (In place of Mohammad Wasim), Salman Mirza, Abrar Ahmed.

TOSS - The coin lands in favour of Salman Agha, and Pakistan have elected to BOWL first.

A special word as well for the Sri Lanka cricket team, who have chosen to donate all the money earned from this Tri-Nation Series to support the victims of the devastating floods and landslides back home. It’s a gesture that goes well beyond the game, showing heart, unity, and responsibility in a time of need. Cricket may be the contest tonight, but compassion is the real winner here.

Interesting stat to note - Fakhar Zaman has a terrific record in T20I finals, averaging 41 at a strike rate close to 152. That said, there’s a contrasting memory against Sri Lanka, as in the only T20I final he has played against them, during the 2022 Asia Cup, he was dismissed for a golden duck. Cricket does love a storyline! 

Sri Lanka, meanwhile, will draw confidence from their last league meeting where they had to bring Pakistan down and held their nerve in a tense finish, with Dushmantha Chameera delivering a sensational four-wicket haul. He’s had good support from Kamil Mishara and Kusal Mendis, who have been among the runs throughout the series. Add to that the class of Pathum Nissanka, the power of Dasun Shanaka, and the all-round brilliance of Wanindu Hasaranga, and the visitors will feel they have what it takes to outplay the hosts once again. Toss and team news coming up shortly.

Both sides have already beaten each other once in the league stage, which makes this final the perfect decider. Pakistan will once again bank on their aggressive batting, with Sahibzada Farhan leading the charge after being the highest run-getter of the series so far. Much will also rest on the shoulders of Babar Azam and Salman Agha to anchor the innings, while Mohammad Nawaz’s late-order hitting could prove vital. Despite having Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah in the squad, they have given more game time to Salman Mirza and Mohammad Wasim, who have lacked consistency, and it is the spin department, led superbly by Abrar Ahmed, that has arguably made the biggest impact in the tournament. After suffering their only loss of the series, Pakistan will be eager to respond in the best possible way and finish with the trophy in hand.

Hello and welcome, cricket fans, to the thrilling finale of the Tri-Nation Series 2025 as Pakistan take on Sri Lanka in a winner-takes-all encounter. After a hard-fought tournament, both sides have battled their way through to the last match, and now everything comes down to this one game. Stakes are sky-high, the pressure is immense, and every run, every ball, every over will count as both teams aim to lift the trophy.

... MATCH DAY ...

We have reached the climax of the T20I Tri-Series in Pakistan, 2025, where hosts Pakistan face their Asian rivals Sri Lanka in the final at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. Pakistan were the first side to seal their place in the final after winning three matches on the trot, although they enter the summit clash on the back of a defeat to Sri Lanka in their last round-robin fixture. Despite the loss, Pakistan would have been encouraged by their skipper, Salman Agha, finally finding some runs after a quiet campaign. Sahibzada Farhan has looked assured with a pair of half-centuries, and although Babar Azam and Agha have fifties to their name, the rest of the batting lineup is yet to produce a substantial score. The hosts will be particularly keen for Saim Ayub to convert his starts into something meaningful, as that has been the missing piece in his campaign so far. The decision to play Fakhar Zaman outside the top four has also raised eyebrows, as that has left him with limited opportunities. On the bowling front, Pakistan have been without Shaheen Afridi for most of the round robin stage due to a foot injury, and his availability for the final remains uncertain. Mohammad Nawaz has been the standout performer with both control and wicket-taking ability, while Abrar Ahmed has played his part effectively. Usman Tariq, who impressed with a four-wicket haul in his only appearance, missed the previous game but may come back into contention for the final. Among the pacers, Salman Mirza has kept things tight without much reward, and Mohammad Wasim is still searching for the impact Pakistan would expect from him. Sri Lanka, meanwhile, have taken a contrasting route to the final. Their campaign began with back-to-back defeats, including a shock loss to Zimbabwe, but Dasun Shanaka’s side responded superbly. They will enter the final full of belief after successfully defending 184 against Pakistan. That win was driven by Dushmantha Chameera, who delivered with the new ball and then again at the death. Sri Lanka’s early defeats stemmed from a misfiring batting unit, and while there has been improvement, they still haven’t fired collectively. There is no better stage than a final for that to change. Pathum Nissanka, who has long carried their batting in the format, has had a quiet tournament apart from his unbeaten 98. His opening partner, Kamil Mishara, found form just in time, scoring a crucial 76 in the previous game with a spot in the final on the line. For Sri Lanka to truly challenge Pakistan’s strong bowling attack, the senior trio of Kusal Mendis, Kusal Perera, and Dasun Shanaka will need to stand up. With the ball, Chameera has led the pace attack brilliantly, while Wanindu Hasaranga continues to be the standout in the spin department. However, Eshan Malinga was expensive at the death in the last outing and will be keen to put in a stronger performance in the final. Both sides arrive at the final with different stories but similar ambitions. Pakistan, dominant for most of the round robin stage, will look to deliver a complete performance in front of their home crowd. Sri Lanka, rejuvenated after a shaky start, will hope their momentum carries them to one more decisive display. Everything points towards a high-intensity contest in Rawalpindi as the two Asian rivals battle for the T20I Tri-Series crown. Who are you backing to come out on top?