PAK vs SL 1st T20I Live Commentary - Rawalpindi (09 October 2026)

2 runs, that is pushed away for a couple.

Flatter, shorter, on off. Farhan hangs back and stabs it down the pitch.

Dishes out the carrom ball, short on off. Sahibzada Farhan backs away and punches it to long off for a single. Pakistan need exactly 100 runs from 70 balls.

 FOUR! That's a poor delivery and it gets the treatment! Maheesh comes from around the stumps and darts in a short ball that slides down leg. Maaz Sadaqat uses the pace and just whips it over short fine leg for a boundary. One bounce and into the fence.

Full and pushed through, on off, Maaz drives it to long off for a single.

Short and wide outside off from over the stumps. Farhan throws his bat at it and punches it off the toe end to cover.

 SIX! GIGANTIC! Drops it into the wheelhouse, full on the stumps. Sahibzada Farhan picks the length early, drops down to one knee and handsomely slogs it over long on for a massive six.

 FOUR! Greeted with a crisp punch! Back of a length, outside off, Sahibzada Farhan hangs back, lets the ball arrive and punches it into the gap through cover and mid off for a cracking boundary. Farhan moves to 40.

Short of a good length, spilling down the leg side. Farhan tries to tickle it fine to the off side, but the ball appears to flick his thigh pad on the way through. Mendis springs to his left and gets a glove on it, cutting off the boundary, and the batters take a leg bye!

Short of a good length around middle and leg. Sadaqat works it to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Short and on off, Farhan chops it off the back foot to the off side.

Short of a length, around off. Farhan camps back and cuts it to deep point for a single.

Comes from around the stumps and bashes the length hard, does Dasun. Angles the ball into the batter and gets it to kick up a bit as well. That cramps Maaz for room as he looks to play at it. Gets an inside edge onto the left boot. He hobbles a bit, but looks fine to resume.

Short of a length at the off stump. Tucked away to the left of deep mid-wicket for a brace.

Spins away, full on off, Farhan looks to flick it to the leg side, but gets a slight leading edge and the ball rolls to the off side.

Similar delivery, full and turning away. Farhan gets a leading edge and the ball is sliced along the ground to cover.

Full and flat, on off, Farhan drives it down to long off for an easy single.

 Comes from around the wicket. It is a length ball around the off stump at 94.9 kph. Sadaqat leans into a drive and sends it to the right of Theekshana, who dives and gets a hand to it, but can only manage a half stop. The batters hurry through for a quick single.

Darts in a yorker on middle, Farhan shovels it out and flicks it to deep mid-wicket for a single.

OUT! CAUGHT BEHIND! Commentators curse, anyone? We had barely finished praising the way both openers had started, and Fakhar is on his way back. Full credit to Eshan, though, who hit the right areas to earn it. He bangs it on a short of a good length, outside the off stump. Fakhar Zaman hops on the toes and tries to play the square cut through point but the extra bounce does him in. The ball gets big on him, takes the outside edge and carries through to the keeper. Kusal Mendis ain't dropping those. Pakistan are 54/1, chasing 183 runs.

Hits the deck hard and gets the bounce off the deck, just outside off. Maaz Sadaqat rocks back and guides it to point.

SIX! Maaz Sadaqat has arrived with that biggie. Pitches it up, on off, angling just a shade away from the batter. Maaz Sadaqat prods forward and offers a no-look flick to hit it uppishly over deep square leg for a massive six.

On a length, on off, Maaz Sadaqat dabs it to backward point.

SIX! BANG! Good-length delivery, around middle and off. Maaz Sadaqat strides out and swats it over deep mid-wicket for half a dozen.

FOUR! Despite losing a wicket, the guns are just stopping. Eshan Malinga bends his back and offers a good bouncer, over off. Maaz Sadaqat gets on his toes, arches backward and opens the face of his bat to cut it over short third for four more runs. You can just admire these kinds of shots and nothing else. 

FOUR! Pitched up and full, on off and middle. Sahibzada Farhan has spotted that both fielders down the ground are inside the inner circle, so he backs himself and swings hard, going over the top. The ball does not come off the sweet spot, finding the toe end of the bat, but there is enough power in the shot to carry it all the way to the boundary.

Short, around off, Sahibzada Farhan taps it to cover and gets a single.

FOUR! More runs for Pakistan! Slower delivery from Chameera, fuller in length, around off. Fakhar Zaman clears the front foot and waits for the proper timing to hit it over mid on for four runs. 

Another slower one, fuller, on middle, Fakhar Zaman clips it to square leg for a single.

Back of a length, outside off. Sahibzada Farhan makes room and slices it over backward point for a brace. The double brings up the 50 for Pakistan in just 4.5 overs.

FOUR! Thumped away! On a nagging length, just outside off. Sahibzada Farhan stays on his back foot and punches it hard through cover for four runs.

Back of a good length around fourth stump, and it lands and nips back in sharply. Farhan goes to punch it straight, but the ball cuts in and takes a thick inside edge, rolling away to the right of deep backward square leg. They hurry back for two.

That was a sizzling delivery from Eshan! Generates steep bounce from a good length, on top of off. Sahibzada Farhan hops back to work it across but his bat comes late after the ball shoots behind to the keeper. Kusal Mendis leaps and makes a good grab over his head.

Back of a length, around off, Farhan punches it to deep point for a single.

Tighter around the off stump, on a length, Fakhar Zaman tries to tap it to the off side, but the ball nips in, takes the inside edge and rolls off the thigh pad to the off side.

Good variation from Malinga! Slower one at just 112.9 kph, full and outside off. Fakhar Zaman is completely deceived by the lack of pace. He swings hard to heave it over mid-wicket but misses to connect.

Slightly fuller than a length, outside off, Fakhar stays leg side and knocks it away to cover-point. Excellent over by Malinga. Just 3 runs from it.

Outswinger, on a length around off stump. Farhan looks to play the booming drive, but gets beaten on the outside edge.

IN THE AIR AND PUT DOWN! Shanaka is the guilty party. Full and on the leg stump, shaping away late. Farhan tries to clear the bowler’s head without moving his feet, but the bat twists in his hands and he slices it high towards mid off. Shanaka is backpedaling, with the ball swirling in the air, and he makes a real mess of it, failing to even get his fingertips to it. They scamper back for a couple. Farhan survives a scare.

FOUR! SHOT! Much fuller, just outside the off stump. Sahibzada Farhan leans on it and drives to beat the mid on fielder for four runs. 

A bit fuller and around off, Farhan carves it to mid off.

SIX! Handsomely played! Fuller and shaping away, on off. Sahibzada Farhan gets underneath the ball nicely and pumps it over long off for a cracking six.

Short in length, on off, Farhan waits back and pulls it to deep backward square leg for a single. 29 runs from the last 2 overs for Pakistan.

Full-length delivery, around leg. Fakhar Zaman fails to flick it away and wears on the front pad.

FOUR! Another streaky boundary, this time from Fakhar Zaman's willow. Good-length delivery, angling in, around off. Fakhar Zaman tries to heave it across, but induces the outside edge and it flies way over the short third region for four runs. 

Fuller, on middle, Fakhar Zaman flicks it to deep mid-wicket for a brace. 

FOUR! Easy pickings for Zaman! Much fuller, around the pads, trying to trap the batter, but Fakhar Zaman understands the assignment and flicks it swiftly through square leg for another boundary. 

FOUR! Now, through the off side! Hard-length delivery, slanting across, outside off, Fakhar Zaman cuts it to deep cover and gets another boundary. 

Oh my word... that is an exceptional save from Sahan Arachchige! Short of a length around leg, swinging across. Zaman tries to whip it away but closes the face way too early. He gets a leading edge that sails high towards the third man boundary. Arachchige sprints across to his right, leaps high into the air, pulls off a mid-air catch, and flicks it back into play just before landing beyond the ropes. He scrambles back in to tidy up and save the four some crucial runs for his team.

A beauty to start with! Pitching it fuller, on off, nipping it away from the batter. Sahibzada Farhan gets across and looks to work it to the leg side, but gets beaten on the outside edge. 

Just a shade behind the fuller length, on off, Farhan nudges it to mid-wicket.

Good length, outside off, Farhan pats it to cover for a single to get off the mark. Pakistan are underway as well!

Pitches it up, on leg, Fakhar Zaman misses his flick and wears on the pad, before it rolls toward short fine leg for a leg bye.

FOUR! Streaky! On a good length, outside off, shaping away. Sahibzada Farhan looks to lash it over cover, but gets an outside edge and it flies over short third for a boundary. 

A touch fuller, just outside off, nipping away. Sahibzada Farhan tries to work it across, but misses on the outside edge.