First Twenty20 International: At the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium in Dambulla, Pakistan put up a strong show as they defeated Sri Lanka by a commanding six wickets in the first Twenty20 International of the three-match series.

The Men in Green now lead the series 1-0 after this victory. Because of his significant all-around performance, veteran all-rounder Shadab Khan was chosen Player of the Match.

Prior to the game, Sri Lanka was dismissed for a meager 128 runs in 19.2 overs. With two fours and one six, Janith Liyanage scored a valiant 40 runs off 31 balls. Wanindu Hasaranga, an all-rounder who bowls spin, scored 18 from 12 deliveries, including three fours.

Salman Mirza (3/18 in four overs), Mohammad Wasim Jr. (2/7 in 2.2 overs), Shadab Khan (2/25 in four overs), and Abrar Ahmed (3/25 in four overs) were among Pakistan’s wicket-takers.

Sahibzada Farhan, the opener, hammered a spectacular half-century while chasing 129 runs. He scored 51 runs off 36 deliveries, including two sixes and four boundaries. Pakistan won the match by six wickets because to Saim Ayub’s 24 from 18 deliveries, which included three fours and one six.

Dushmantha Chameera (1/34 in four overs), Wanindu Hasaranga (1/17 in four overs), Dhananjaya de Silva (1/4 in two overs), and Maheesh Theekshana (1/31 in four overs) for Sri Lanka.

Salman Ali Agha, the captain of Pakistan, said after the victory, “Due to the weather earlier in the day, I wasn’t anticipating dew. After the first 5–6 overs of the second innings, there was a lot of dew. Given how the ball was holding up in the early innings, I anticipated that 150 would be a difficult total. However, after seeing dew in the second inning, I believed that 170-odd was required. We are aware of our responsibilities during the World Cup. We are aware of our roles. We need to become better at fielding, which is what I want the squad to do. Playing full tosses has been a weakness, therefore I need to improve on it.”

“It is always difficult to play at the international level when you are recovering from an injury,” Shadab Khan stated after taking home the Player of the Match title. You have nothing to start with. Extremely pleased with today’s outcome. I benefited from playing in Big Bash. I gained self-assurance in my batting and bowling. I made an effort to accomplish basic tasks. I was benefiting from the surface. You must evaluate the circumstances. I attempted to bowl a little fuller since the ball was holding a little. You always want to perform at your best as a player, especially in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup. Our group performed really well. Wasim and Mirza set the tone for us. For us spinners, it made things simpler.