Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by 37 runs in the opening match of the ODI tri-series at Rawalpindi on 18 October 2026, with Salman Agha scoring 107 in his first game back in the side. Pakistan made 305 and Sri Lanka's reply ended on 268 after 48.1 overs, short of a target of 306. Agha was named Player of the Match.
Sri Lanka captain Kusal Mendis won his fourth successive toss and chose to field. Pakistan struggled early, losing four wickets by the 22nd over, and were 118 for 4 when Agha walked in. He rebuilt the innings through partnerships of 97 with Hasan Nawaz and 64 with Arafat Minhas, which gave the hosts a platform after the difficult start.
Agha made 107 off 90 balls, his fourth ODI hundred, with 10 fours and 1 six. He was caught by Shanaka off Asitha Fernando while trying to hit over long‑on. Babar Azam fell five runs short of a half‑century, caught off a short ball from Eshan Malinga. Pakistan then took 26 runs off the 44th and 45th overs to lift the total.
Sri Lanka fought back late, and Pakistan's innings closed on 305 in 49.5 overs. Malinga finished with 4-46 and removed Faheem Ashraf and Naseem Shah off successive balls, while Fernando took 3-59. The visitors' bowlers limited the damage at the end of the innings, but the total proved beyond Sri Lanka's batters in the chase.
In the chase, Shaheen Shah Afridi took 3-55 and Naseem Shah 2-43 for Pakistan. Haris Rauf bowled Fernando to end the match. Pakistan received a warning for their slow over rate, which meant an extra fielder had to stay inside the circle late in the chase. Afridi, the Pakistan captain, said: "We were looking to score beyond 300 and Agha batted well."
The match marked Agha's first international appearance since he was dropped from the Test squad during the tour of England and removed as T20I captain. He also scored 105* in the first ODI against Sri Lanka at Rawalpindi on 11 November 2025, a match Pakistan won by 6 runs. The result gave Pakistan 2 points in the tri-series, while Sri Lanka have none.
The tri-series features Pakistan, Sri Lanka and England, three former world champions, as noted by the ICC. It serves as preparation for next year's ICC Men's Cricket World Cup. Agha's hundred, his fourth in ODIs, was the centrepiece of Pakistan's win in the opening match. Pakistan's next fixture is against England at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on 20 October. The result leaves Sri Lanka without a point from their first match.
