Fakhar's 127 and Shaheen's late strikes help Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by three wickets in tri-series thriller

A scintillating 127 from Fakhar Zaman, a crucial 94-run partnership between Minhas and Nawaz, and late bursts from Shaheen Afridi helped Pakistan edge past Sri Lanka by three wickets in a thrilling tri-series encounter. Chasing 326, Pakistan finished at 326/7, though the victory was far tougher than the final result suggests. The side slipped to 14/2 with Maaz and Babar Azam back in the pavilion, and just two runs short of the target, Minhas and Faheem fell in quick succession. In the end, Shaheen Afridi cleared the boundary to seal the chase. A key fact the headlines overlooked is the manner in which Fakhar Zaman's innings was built. His 127 was underpinned by three lives—dropped at 6, 69, and 106. Maheesh Theekshana gave him a life twice. The fact has been reported but never factored into the attribution; the win was as much about Sri Lanka's fielding lapses as about Fakhar's skill. He eventually fell as Pakistan's fourth wicket, unable to see the chase through to the end. Supporting Fakhar was 20-year-old Saad Baig, who struck his maiden international fifty—74 runs—just hours before his 20th birthday. His knock rescued Pakistan from the early wobble triggered by Maaz and Babar Azam's departures. Babar's dismissal for a duck was a major talking point, especially with expectations of a signature chase-defining innings from him. The real turning point, however, was the 94-run partnership between Minhas and Nawaz. The stand simplified a difficult chase, though it did not entirely seal the game—a point the narrative overstates. The pair's understanding eased the passage to 326, but Minhas and Faheem falling in consecutive deliveries at two runs short brought the pressure right back, until Shaheen stepped up to hit the winning six. On the bowling front, Shaheen Afridi played two crucial roles: he removed Kamindu Mendis and Shanaka to keep Sri Lanka's total in check, and later hit the winning six. Haris Rauf chipped in with two late wickets, playing a big part in Pakistan's fightback. Yet the report offers no bowling figures—no economy rates, no over counts, no final spells—leaving readers unable to judge the true weight of the bowling turnaround. For Sri Lanka, Kamindu Mendis produced a superb 131—his best ODI score, more than double his previous career-best. Sri Lanka were comfortably placed at 255/2 after 41 overs on the back of his innings. Pawan Rathnayake contributed as well, with 427 runs at 106.75 in the series; his 77 in this match formed part of that run. However, that average rests on only four innings, making it statistically thin. How Sri Lanka collapsed remains the second big question of the match. From a strong 255/2 in 41 overs, Sri Lanka lost six wickets in the last nine overs to finish at 325/8. Pakistan's six wickets in the final nine overs is the single most telling stat in the game. Yet the report does not clarify why the collapse happened—which bowlers bowled which overs and which batsmen erred where. Kamindu's brilliant 131 ultimately went in vain as the side fell short. From an analytical standpoint, one glaring issue is the single-hero framing: the narrative presents Fakhar as the sole match-winner, ignoring Saad Baig's 74, the Minhas-Nawaz 94-run stand, and the combined bowling of Shaheen and Haris Rauf. Sri Lanka were not beaten by one man but by the collective understanding of the team. Kamindu's 131 has been dismissed as "in vain", even though it placed Sri Lanka in a commanding position. The match was part of a tri-series involving three teams, with England the third side—a fact the report never states clearly, leaving readers unable to grasp the series structure. Pakistan had been bowled out for 110 just four days earlier; what changed between then and this successful 326-run chase is left unexplained. The toss winner, who elected to bat, whether Sri Lanka finished at 325/8 or were bowled out, and the full scorecard are all missing. Nor is there any direct quote from a player or captain—pointing to a second-hand summary rather than an on-field report. Overall, this was a collective and at times fortunate Pakistan win. Fakhar's 127, Saad Baig's half-century, the Minhas-Nawaz stand, and the bowling of Shaheen and Rauf all combined to take Pakistan home. But in a chase that began at 14/2 and reached within two runs of the target with hearts in mouths, attributing the entire credit to one player reflects headline sensationalism, not the real story on the field.