Maaz Sadaqat scored 96 and Imran Randhawa took three wickets as the hosts won the second T20I in Rawalpindi and took an unbeatable 2 to 0 lead.
Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by 82 runs in the second T20I at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Sunday and sealed the three match series with one game to spare, Dawn reported. Maaz Sadaqat scored 96 and Imran Randhawa took three wickets for 11 runs, giving the hosts an unbeatable 2 to 0 lead.
How Pakistan Beat Sri Lanka at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium
ESPNcricinfo’s scorecard showed that Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to field first. Ada Derana reported that Pakistan reached 46 without loss in the six over powerplay. According to Dawn, Pakistan finished on 215 for 3, their highest T20I total on home soil.
Fakhar Zaman made 22 before Maheesh Theekshana dismissed him in the seventh over. Sahibzada Farhan and Maaz Sadaqat then added 88 for the second wicket. Farhan made 73 off 44 balls, with four fours and five sixes, before Dasun Shanaka had him caught at deep third.
Maaz Sadaqat Misses a Maiden Century by Four Runs
Dawn said Sadaqat was dropped on 44 by Nuwan Thushara. He reached his fifty off 29 balls and then hit 22 runs from Theekshana’s last over. He scored 96 off 51 balls with six fours and seven sixes. He was caught at deep cover by Shanaka off the final delivery while trying to reach 100. Hasan Nawaz stayed unbeaten on 19 off nine balls, and Sadaqat was named Player of the Match.
Imran Randhawa Leads the Bowling Effort
Dawn reported that Salman Mirza, returning from injury, removed Lahiru Udara for five in the first over. Randhawa dismissed Sineth Jayawardena for 22. In the eighth over he removed captain Kusal Mendis for nine and Sahan Arachchige for a duck on successive balls, with wicketkeeper Khawaja Nafay taking both catches. Sri Lanka were 49 for 4. dawn
Randhawa finished with 3 for 11 from four overs. Saim Ayub removed Shanaka and Shadab Khan dismissed Kamindu Mendis for 23, which left Sri Lanka on 74 for 6. Chamindu Wickramasinghe and Theekshana shared 50 for the seventh wicket before Mirza dismissed Wickramasinghe for 29. Theekshana ended unbeaten on 32 off 26 balls as Sri Lanka closed on 133 for 7. dawn
What the Captains Said After Pakistan vs Sri Lanka
Dawn reported that Farhan, celebrating his first series win as captain, praised his side’s improved six hitting and attacking approach. Mendis admitted his batters needed to take more responsibility on a pitch that suited strokeplay.
When Is the Third T20I Between Pakistan and Sri Lanka?
The third and final match for October 13. Wisden said all three matches start at 6pm local time at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. Pakistan can still complete a 3 to 0 sweep.
Background to the Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Series
Pakistan won the opening match on Friday by four wickets, with Farhan scoring 89, according to Dawn. Sadaqat and Randhawa both made their T20I debuts in that game, so the second T20I was only their second appearance. Al Jazeera reported that Farhan replaced Salman Ali Agha as T20I captain before the series.
The Associated Press, in a version published by Arab News, reported that Sri Lanka made wholesale changes after a 3 to 0 T20 defeat in England. It also reported that Sri Lanka are the only team to whitewash Pakistan in a T20 series in Pakistan, which they did in 2019. Farhan described his squad before the series as “a mixture of youngsters and a few comebacks.” The AP added that England joins both teams for a one day tri series from October 18.