PAK vs SL 1st ODI Match Result: Salman Ali Agha’s 107 Powers Pakistan to 37-Run Win in Tri-Series Opener
Pakistan launched their home ODI tri-series in style, beating Sri Lanka by 37 runs in the 1st ODI at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Sunday, October 18, 2026. After Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to bowl first, the hosts piled up 305 all out in 49.5 overs — powered by a magnificent 107 off 90 balls from Salman Ali Agha — before bowling the visitors out for 268 in 48.1 overs to take an early lead in the tri-series points table.
It was a classic one-day contest: Pakistan wobbled early at 118 for 4, Agha’s rescue act dragged them past 300, and Sri Lanka’s chase briefly flickered through a 119-run stand between Pavan Rathnayake and Janith Liyanage before Pakistan’s pace attack closed the door.
Pakistan vs Sri Lanka 1st ODI scorecard summary
| Team | Score | Overs | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pakistan | 305 all out | 49.5 | Won by 37 runs |
| Sri Lanka | 268 all out | 48.1 | — |
- Venue: Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi
- Toss: Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to bowl
- Player of the Match: Salman Ali Agha (107 off 90)
- Tri-series points: Pakistan 2, Sri Lanka 0
Salman Ali Agha’s match-winning century rescues Pakistan
Asked to bat first, Pakistan were in early trouble. Dilshan Madushanka removed both openers inside the powerplay — Saim Ayub for 7 and Fakhar Zaman for 16 — and when Eshan Malinga dismissed Babar Azam and debutant Saad Baig in consecutive overs, Pakistan had slumped to 118 for 4.
That is when Salman Ali Agha took control of the PAK vs SL 1st ODI. Walking in at a crisis moment, the right-hander played one of the finest ODI innings of his career: 107 off just 90 deliveries, decorated with ten fours and one six. He reached his half-century off 48 balls and completed his hundred in 82 deliveries — his fourth century in one-day internationals.
Agha built the innings through two decisive partnerships: a 97-run fifth-wicket stand with Hasan Nawaz (37 off 49) and a 64-run stand with Arafat Minhas (18 off 15). Even as wickets kept falling at the other end, he kept the scoreboard moving, and Pakistan were eventually bowled out for 305 off the penultimate ball of the innings.
Babar Azam and debutant Saad Baig steady the early wobble
Before Agha’s heroics, Babar Azam had done the repair job with a composed 45 off 57 balls, including six boundaries, sharing a 74-run third-wicket partnership with the debutant Saad Baig. The young wicketkeeper-batter impressed on debut with 39 off 40 balls, striking three fours and two sixes, before both set batters fell to Malinga. Captain Shaheen Shah Afridi added an unbeaten 13 off 12 balls at the death to push Pakistan past 300.
| Batter | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salman Ali Agha | 107 | 90 | 10 | 1 |
| Babar Azam | 45 | 57 | 6 | — |
| Saad Baig | 39 | 40 | 3 | 2 |
| Hasan Nawaz | 37 | 49 | — | — |
| Arafat Minhas | 18 | 15 | — | — |
For Sri Lanka, Eshan Malinga was the pick of the bowlers with 4 for 46, Asitha Fernando claimed three wickets, and Dilshan Madushanka took two — but none of them could stop Agha once he found his rhythm.
Sri Lanka’s run chase: Rathnayake and Liyanage fight back, then fade
Chasing 306, Sri Lanka’s innings followed a familiar pattern. They slipped to 91 for 4 in the 20th over, with Kamindu Mendis’s solid 44 the only resistance among the top order as Pakistan’s new-ball bowlers kept striking.
Then came the fightback. Pavan Rathnayake and Janith Liyanage put together a superb 119-run partnership for the fifth wicket that briefly dragged Sri Lanka back into the contest. Rathnayake struck a fluent 79 off 74 balls, while Liyanage compiled a composed 60 off 74. For a while, the required rate stayed within reach and Pakistan looked rattled.
But once that stand was broken, the chase unravelled quickly. Dasun Shanaka struck a quick 28, yet the lower order could not stay with him, and Sri Lanka were bowled out for 268 in 48.1 overs — 37 runs short of the target.
| Batter | Runs | Balls |
|---|---|---|
| Pavan Rathnayake | 79 | 74 |
| Janith Liyanage | 60 | 74 |
| Kamindu Mendis | 44 | — |
| Dasun Shanaka | 28 | — |
Captain Shaheen Shah Afridi led Pakistan’s bowling effort with 3 for 55, while Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf and Faheem Ashraf picked up two wickets apiece to share the spoils.
| Bowler | Figures |
|---|---|
| Eshan Malinga (SL) | 4/46 |
| Shaheen Shah Afridi (PAK) | 3/55 |
| Asitha Fernando (SL) | 3 wickets |
| Dilshan Madushanka (SL) | 2 wickets |
| Naseem Shah (PAK) | 2 wickets |
| Haris Rauf (PAK) | 2 wickets |
| Faheem Ashraf (PAK) | 2 wickets |
Player of the Match: Salman Ali Agha
There was only ever one candidate for the Player of the Match award. Salman Ali Agha’s 107 off 90 was the innings that decided the PAK vs SL 1st ODI — the difference between a sub-par total and a match-winning one. Coming in at 118 for 4, he absorbed the pressure, rebuilt with the lower middle order, and then accelerated to lift Pakistan beyond 300.
It was a significant hundred for the 32-year-old, marking his international comeback after a difficult period in which he had lost his T20I captaincy and his places in Pakistan’s T20I and Test sides. His viral century celebration also drew attention on social media — Agha later explained it was a personal gesture, saying: “My son watches a lot of TV, so that was for him.”
Key turning points in the tri-series opener
- Pakistan 118/4: Malinga’s double strike removed the set Babar Azam and debutant Saad Baig in consecutive overs — Sri Lanka were on top, and the game could have slipped away from the hosts.
- Agha’s counterattack: The 97-run stand between Salman Ali Agha and Hasan Nawaz wrested back momentum and turned a shaky 118/4 into a platform past 200.
- Madushanka’s early strikes: Removing both Pakistan openers in the powerplay gave Sri Lanka the perfect start after Kusal Mendis chose to bowl — but they could not sustain the pressure.
- The 119-run Rathnayake–Liyanage stand: Sri Lanka’s fifth-wicket partnership briefly made 306 look gettable before Pakistan’s pacers broke through and the tail folded.
- Shaheen’s closing burst: The Pakistan captain’s 3 for 55, backed by two wickets each for Naseem, Rauf and Faheem, ensured Sri Lanka never recovered once the big partnership ended.
What this result means for the ODI tri-series points table
Pakistan’s 37-run win gave them the first two points of the tri-series, with Sri Lanka still searching for their first win. Both teams were later fined for slow over-rates in the opener — Pakistan docked 10 percent and Sri Lanka five percent of their match fees after falling two overs and one over behind the required rate respectively, with both captains pleading guilty before ICC match referee Jeff Crowe.
Pakistan then strengthened their grip on the series with an 87-run win over England on October 20, moving to four points from two matches — with Arafat Minhas starring with 59 and 6 for 40. Sri Lanka, meanwhile, sit on zero points and now face a must-win situation in their remaining group games.
What’s next in the Pakistan ODI tri-series
Sri Lanka get their chance to bounce back on Thursday, October 22, when they face England at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium — read our SL vs ENG 3rd ODI prediction for the full preview. Pakistan return to action on Sunday, October 25, against England at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, before the group stage concludes with PAK vs SL (October 27) and SL vs ENG (October 29), both in Lahore, ahead of the final on October 31.
Our PAK vs SL match prediction had picked Pakistan to win the tri-series opener — and the hosts delivered, right on cue.