Fakhar Zaman's 127 Powers Pakistan to Tri-Series Title

Key takeaways

Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by three wickets in the ODI tri-series final at Lahore on 31 October, chasing 326 with nine balls to spare. Fakhar Zaman scored 127, and the win gave Pakistan its first tri-series title since 2008.

Flat conceptual illustration of a cricket bat, stumps and ball under stadium floodlights in green and gold, with no players shown — Illustration: WHAT TODAY?

Pakistan lifted the ODI tri-series trophy at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Saturday 31 October, completing a chase that looked lost in the first four overs and finished with a captain’s six. Sri Lanka had set a demanding target of 326, but Pakistan reached 331 for seven with nine balls remaining, winning the final by three wickets in front of its home crowd.

The early part of the chase went badly wrong for the hosts. Maaz Sadaqat fell for five and Babar Azam was out without scoring, leaving Pakistan on 14 for two. That was the moment the final turned. Fakhar Zaman, who had scored only 31 runs in his previous four innings in the series, steadied the innings and then took control of it.

Fakhar made 127 from 99 balls, with 11 fours and six sixes. It was his 12th century in one-day internationals, and during the innings he passed 4,000 runs in the format. He shared a 149-run partnership for the third wicket with Saad Baig, who made 74 from 75 balls.

Fakhar was dismissed in the 34th over by Dilshan Madushanka, with 106 runs still needed. The chase could have stalled there, but Arafat Minhas kept the momentum going with a rapid 61 from 31 balls. He and Hasan Nawaz, who finished 37 not out, added 94 runs for the sixth wicket. Late wickets briefly tightened the finish, with Pakistan slipping to 324 for seven, before captain Shaheen Shah Afridi hit the winning six in the penultimate over.

Sri Lanka’s total had been built around Kamindu Mendis, who scored 131 from 128 balls for his first one-day century. He shared a 146-run partnership with Pavan Rathnayake, who made 77, after Pakistan chose to field first. Avishka Fernando added 38 at the top of the order. Sri Lanka finished on 325 for eight from their 50 overs.

Why it matters

The result matters for more than the trophy. It was Pakistan’s first tri-series title since 2008, when it beat India in the final in Bangladesh, and its first tri-series title at home after losing home finals in 1994, 2004 and 2025. The chase of 326 also equals the highest successful chase in a one-day tournament final, matching India’s pursuit of the same target against England in the 2002 NatWest final.

For Fakhar, the innings answered a run of low scores at exactly the moment his team needed a big one. It was also his second century in a one-day tournament final, after his hundred against India in the 2017 Champions Trophy final, making him only the second Pakistan batter, after Saeed Anwar, to score two centuries in one-day finals. Arafat Minhas, named player of the series after taking nine wickets and scoring 149 runs across the tournament, underlined the younger players’ contribution to the win.

What’s next

Pakistan will take confidence from a final won through both experience and youth: a senior opener returning to form, a young batter holding his nerve in a big chase, and a captain finishing the job. Sri Lanka, meanwhile, will look back on a strong batting performance that still was not enough, after a century from Mendis and a total above 320 went unrewarded.