Pakistan take early lead with six-wicket win over Sri Lanka in 1st T20I

Pakistan opened their T20I series against Sri Lanka with a convincing six-wicket victory in the first match at Dambulla on Tuesday night, chasing down a modest target with 20 balls to spare.

Set 129 to win, Pakistan reached the target in 16.4 overs, finishing on 129 for four. Opener Sahibzada Farhan anchored the chase with a fluent 51 off 36 balls, hitting four fours and two sixes. He was well supported by Saim Ayub, who scored 24 off 18 deliveries, while Shadab Khan provided the finishing touch with an unbeaten 18 off 12 balls.

Earlier, Pakistan’s bowlers put in a disciplined performance to restrict Sri Lanka to 128 all out in 19.2 overs.

Janith Liyanage was the top scorer for the hosts with 40 off 31 balls, while Michael Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, and Dhananjaya de Silva failed to convert their starts.

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Salman Mirza starred with the ball for Pakistan, claiming three wickets for 18 runs, while Abrar Ahmed picked up three for 25. Shadab Khan also made an impact, taking two wickets for 25 runs.

Shadab was named player of the match for his all-round performance, finishing with figures of two for 25 and contributing valuable late runs with the bat.

With this win, Pakistan take a 1-0 lead in the three-match T20I series, with the second match scheduled to be played later this week.