Pakistan Take Sri Lanka's Last 5 Wickets for 15 Runs in Rawalpindi, Shaheen Shah Afridi 3 for 55
Sri Lanka were 253 for 5 needing 53 from 39 balls against Pakistan on 18 October 2026, then lost 5 wickets for 15 runs. See each wicket and Shaheen's 3 for 55.
Sri Lanka were 253 for 5 in the 44th over, needing 53 from 39 balls to beat Pakistan in Rawalpindi on 18 October 2026. Pakistan's bowlers then took the last 5 wickets for 15 runs in 27 balls, and Sri Lanka were all out for 268 in 48.1 overs, 37 runs short. Shaheen Shah Afridi finished with 3 for 55, and Haris Rauf took the first and last of the five.
We read the full scorecard and the fall of wickets on 19 October 2026 and counted the balls and runs between each wicket. The whole match, including Pakistan's 305, is in the report on Pakistan's 37 run win over Sri Lanka. This page is about the finish.
Sri Lanka lost 5 wickets for 15 runs between the 44th and 49th overs
The collapse started with the fourth ball of the 44th over and ended with the first ball of the 49th. In those 27 balls Sri Lanka scored 15 runs and lost Janith Liyanage, Dasun Shanaka, Sachindu Colombage, Eshan Malinga and Asitha Fernando. Four bowlers and two fielders shared the five.
| Over | Batter out | How | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 43.4 | Janith Liyanage, 60 off 74 | Caught Babar Azam, bowled Haris Rauf | 253 for 6 |
| 44.2 | Dasun Shanaka, 28 off 18 | Caught Babar Azam, bowled Shaheen Shah Afridi | 256 for 7 |
| 45.4 | Sachindu Colombage, 1 | Caught Saad Baig, bowled Naseem Shah | 260 for 8 |
| 45.5 | Eshan Malinga, 2 | Run out, Babar Azam and Saad Baig | 260 for 9 |
| 48.1 | Asitha Fernando, 7 | Bowled Haris Rauf | 268 all out |
Babar Azam was in three of the five: two catches and the run out with debutant keeper Saad Baig, whose first ODI is covered in the page on Saad Baig's debut. Dilshan Madushanka was left 1 not out.
Shaheen Shah Afridi took 3 for 55 in two spells that each took two wickets
Shaheen's first spell did the early work. Kamindu Mendis, who had made 44 off 50, was caught by Faheem Ashraf in the 18th over at 83, and Sahan Arachchige was caught behind by Saad Baig for 3 in the 20th at 91. At 91 for 4, Sri Lanka needed 215 from 30.3 overs, which is 7.05 an over.
His third wicket was Shanaka, caught by Babar in the 45th over, the second of the five late wickets. Shaheen bowled his full 10 overs for 55, as did Naseem Shah for 43 with 2 wickets. Haris Rauf's 9.1 overs went for 48 with 2 wickets, and Faheem Ashraf's 8 overs for 49 with 2. Only Arafat Minhas, 9 overs for 56, went without.
The 119 run stand between Rathnayake and Liyanage is why it got close
From 91 for 4 in the 20th over, Pavan Rathnayake and Janith Liyanage added 119 in 107 balls. Rathnayake made 79 off 74 with 6 fours and 2 sixes, and it was Faheem Ashraf who broke the stand in the 38th over, with Salman Agha taking the catch at 210. Sri Lanka needed 96 from 76 balls at that point, which is 7.58 an over.
Shanaka's 28 off 18 kept it alive. By the time Liyanage fell at 253, the ask was 53 from 38 balls, which is 8.37 an over. Sri Lanka had six wickets to find it with. They found 15 runs.
- 91 for 4 after 19.3 overs: 215 needed from 183 balls.
- 210 for 5 after 37.2 overs: 96 needed from 76 balls.
- 253 for 6 after 43.4 overs: 53 needed from 38 balls.
- 260 for 9 after 45.5 overs: 46 needed from 25 balls.
- 268 all out after 48.1 overs: 37 short.
Pakistan's own collapse was 5 for 26, and it nearly cost them
Pakistan had been 279 for 5 after 45 overs and were bowled out for 305 in 49.5, losing their last 5 wickets for 26 runs to Eshan Malinga and Asitha Fernando. A total of 320 or 330 was there. The 37 run margin shows how close the two collapses came to cancelling each other out.
Salman Agha's 107 off 90, told in the page on Salman Agha's hundred, was the difference between a defendable score and a losing one. The target of 306 was the figure that made 53 from 39 balls feel hard rather than routine.
| Collapse | From | To | Wickets | Runs | Balls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pakistan, overs 45 to 49.5 | 279 for 5 | 305 all out | 5 | 26 | 29 |
| Sri Lanka, overs 43.4 to 48.1 | 253 for 5 | 268 all out | 5 | 15 | 27 |
Pakistan conceded 17 wides and still kept Sri Lanka under 5.6 an over
Pakistan bowled 17 wides and 3 leg byes, 20 extras in all, and Sri Lanka's run rate for the innings was 5.56 an over. Pakistan's had been 6.12. The wides are the one number Mike Hesson's side will want to cut before England on 20 October, since England's batting is deeper than Sri Lanka's and extras are runs a chasing side does not have to earn.
Pakistan play England at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Tuesday 20 October at 1 pm PKT, previewed in the page on the Pakistan v England ODI on 20 October, and lead the table with 2 points. The playing conditions, including the 10 over limit per bowler that shaped the overs above, are in the page on ODI rules for the tri-series. The PCB and the ICC carry the official records.
Common questions
How did Sri Lanka lose to Pakistan on 18 October 2026?
They were 253 for 5 needing 53 from 39 balls and lost their last 5 wickets for 15 runs in 27 balls. They were all out for 268, 37 short of 306.
Who took the last five Sri Lanka wickets?
Haris Rauf took two, Liyanage and Asitha Fernando. Shaheen Shah Afridi had Shanaka caught, Naseem Shah had Colombage caught, and Eshan Malinga was run out by Babar Azam and Saad Baig.
What were Shaheen Shah Afridi's figures?
3 for 55 from 10 overs. He dismissed Kamindu Mendis, Sahan Arachchige and Dasun Shanaka.
Who scored most for Sri Lanka?
Pavan Rathnayake, 79 off 74 balls, and Janith Liyanage, 60 off 74. Their fifth wicket stand of 119 took Sri Lanka from 91 for 4 to 210.
How many extras did Pakistan give away?
20, made up of 17 wides and 3 leg byes. Sri Lanka gave away 17.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
We read the full scorecard of the first match of the Pakistan ODI Tri-Series on 19 October 2026, including the fall of wickets for both innings, the bowling figures and the fielding credits. The runs, balls and required rates at each stage, the length of each collapse and the size of the fifth wicket stand are our arithmetic from the fall of wickets. The PCB website returned a bot check on 19 October 2026, so we could not read the board's report. No other publisher's report was used.
About the author
Tax, Bills and Technology Writer
Ali Akhtar is a young and curious voice here at Pakistan Era. He is currently pursuing his A-Levels and has a growing interest in Pakistan’s changing industrial landscape and educational trends. Ali likes to write in a way that helps him explain and explore the world around him. His writing reflects the perspective of the new generation navigating the evolving trends of Pakistan where technology, youth innovation, and shifting opportunities are reshaping the country’s future.
