Sri Lanka vs Pakistan 1st T20I Highlights: Pakistan Thrash Sri Lanka

A completely one-sided affair draws to a close, but these two quality teams promise a far tighter contest next time. The second T20I comes up on Friday, 9th January 2026 at 1.30 pm GMT. Join us ahead of time for the build-up. Until then, cheers!

The captain of Pakistan, Salman Agha, says he was not expecting the dew to settle in, given the cloudy weather, but it eventually did, and he feels the toss proved decisive. Tells that there was grip and turn in the first innings, and he felt that 140-150 would have been a challenging total. Adds that the surface got better in the second innings, and considering how it played, he feels 170 would have been a challenging total. Shares that the team knows what needs to be done heading into the World Cup and they want different players to play their roles, and he wants the team to improve the fielding. He jokes that it is becoming a habit for him to be dismissed on full tosses and that it has become a weakness, given that this is the third time (as per him) it has happened.

Dasun Shanaka, the captain of Sri Lanka, says that in T20 cricket, the toss plays a vital role and setting a target is never easy. He admits they did not get the start they wanted and lost wickets in clusters, an issue the team needs to address. He feels there was a phase where they recovered, but Janith Liyanage's dismissal at that point stalled the momentum. Mentions that they should have scored at least 150 on this surface. Shanaka adds that they need to hunt for more wickets and acknowledges there was a lack of buzz in the field, the kind of energy other teams bring and something they must show, especially at home. He explains that they had a clear bowling plan, using Nuwan Thushara with the new ball to pick up early wickets, but concedes it was simply an off day for the pacer. Dasun says that he is confident that the team will correct these areas going forward.

Plenty of good performers in this match, and Shadab Khan is chosen for the Player of the Match award, as his 2-wicket over is considered decisive by the adjudicators. Shadab Khan thanks the Almighty and says that returning to the international setup is always tough, as you start from zero. He adds that he is very happy. Feels that playing in the BBL helped him gain confidence. Tells that he focused on doing the simple things well. Mentions that the surface helped him and stresses that assessing the conditions is always crucial. Further says that he bowled a little fuller than a good length, with the ball holding up slightly. Shares that it is always a dream to play the World Cup and feels this is just one step as a team. Praises the pace bowlers for setting the tone upfront for him and the rest of the spinners to do their job in the middle phase.

Stay tuned for the presentation...

Pakistan ticked plenty of boxes in this outing. Salman Mirza's new ball burst in the Powerplay, Shadab Khan's reassuring return with the ball, Abrar Ahmed's steady rise as a wicket-taker, and the opening stand between Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub all stood out. They barely put a foot wrong, though a couple of dropped catches did sneak in. Something to fine-tune as they move ahead.

Sri Lanka will want to file this away as an off day at the office. The batting misfired badly and apart from a brief moment when Janith Liyanage and Wanindu Hasaranga joined forces, there was no momentum in their batting inning. The bowling also offered little resistance. The surface did have some bite, with uneven bounce on offer, but the Lankan attack lacked the discipline to cash in. Nuwan Thushara bore the brunt in the Powerplay as both Pakistan openers lined him up, feasting on his pace and those off-radar deliveries. With very little to defend, the spinners of Sri Lanka also failed to have any impact.

Easy peasy for Pakistan. A neat and clean outing where they were never stretched. A paltry target was on offer, and it was tucked away inside the Powerplay as they raced to 59 without fuss. A few wickets did fall, but the finish line was never out of sight. Sahibzada Farhan was once again impressive with the bat as he continues to make a name for himself in this format.

Usman Khan hits the winning runs! Flat and short, on middle. Usman goes deep in the crease and pulls it to the left of deep square leg and comes back for the second run. Pakistan win by 6 wickets, with 20 balls to spare and take the lead in the series.

Pushes the length up and this is on middle, Shadab pushes it to long on for a single.