Rawalpindi: Sri Lanka beat Pakistan by eight wickets in the third and final T20 International at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Tuesday, but Pakistan secured the three-match series 2-1 after winning the first two games.
After opting to field, Sri Lanka chased down Pakistan’s 168 for eight in just 17.1 overs, finishing on 172 for two.
Captain Kusal Mendis led the chase with an unbeaten 87 off 48 balls, hitting nine fours and four sixes. He was named Player of the Match.
Kamindu Mendis supported him with an unbeaten 40 off 27 balls as the pair added 98 runs for the third wicket to take Sri Lanka comfortably over the line.
Sri Lanka lost Lahiru Udara for one in the second over before Sineth Jayawardena and Kusal Mendis rebuilt the innings. Jayawardena made 38 off 26 balls before falling to Arafat Minhas, leaving Sri Lanka 74 for two.
Earlier, Pakistan struggled after being sent in to bat, slipping to 86 for five and then 102 for six.
Captain Sahibzada Farhan provided the backbone of the innings with 76 off 47 balls, including seven fours and three sixes. It was his third consecutive half-century in the series.
Arafat Minhas added an unbeaten 34 off 20 balls, with two fours and two sixes, helping Pakistan reach 168 for eight.
Dasun Shanaka was Sri Lanka’s leading bowler with three wickets for 21 runs in four overs, while Eshan Malinga and Nuwan Thushara took two wickets each.
Despite the defeat in the final match, Pakistan had already secured the series after winning the opening two T20Is. Farhan had scored 89 in the first match, while Maaz Sadaqat and Imran Randhawa were among the key performers in Pakistan’s second successive win.
