Saad Baig Makes His Pakistan ODI Debut With 39 Runs and Two Catches Against Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi
Wicketkeeper Saad Baig made his Pakistan ODI debut against Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi on 18 October 2026, scoring 39 off 40 and taking two catches. His full day.
Wicketkeeper Saad Baig made his ODI debut for Pakistan against Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi on Sunday 18 October 2026. He scored 39 off 40 balls at number four, with 3 fours and 2 sixes, took two catches behind the stumps and shared a run out with Babar Azam. Pakistan won the tri-series opener by 37 runs.
We read the full scorecard on 19 October 2026. It marks the match as his first one-day international. The PCB website was behind a bot check, so we could not read the board's own announcement of the cap, and we say below what that leaves unconfirmed. The full match is covered in the report on Pakistan's 37 run win in Rawalpindi.
Saad Baig made 39 off 40 balls from 32 for 2
He walked in during the sixth over with Pakistan 32 for 2, after Dilshan Madushanka had removed Saim Ayub and Fakhar Zaman. He batted at number four ahead of Salman Agha and Hasan Nawaz. His 39 came off 40 balls with 3 fours and 2 sixes, and he was out in the 22nd over, caught by Sachindu Colombage off Eshan Malinga, with the score on 118.
With Babar Azam he added 74 for the third wicket, from 32 in the sixth over to 106 in the 20th. Babar made 45 off 57 and went first. The two of them took Pakistan through the rest of the first powerplay and into the 20th over without losing another wicket, which gave Salman Agha a base for his 107.
| Saad Baig on debut | Figure |
|---|---|
| Batting position | Number four |
| Runs and balls | 39 off 40 |
| Fours and sixes | 3 and 2 |
| Third wicket stand with Babar Azam | 74 |
| Catches | 2 |
| Run outs | 1, with Babar Azam |
| Dismissal | Caught Colombage, bowled Eshan Malinga, 118 for 4 |
He took two catches and a run out in Sri Lanka's chase
Behind the stumps he caught Sahan Arachchige off Shaheen Shah Afridi for 3 in the 20th over, which left Sri Lanka 91 for 4. In the 46th over he caught Sachindu Colombage off Naseem Shah for 1 at 260 for 8. One ball later Eshan Malinga was run out by Babar Azam and Saad Baig for 2, at 260 for 9.
Those two wickets in two balls were part of the finish in which Pakistan took Sri Lanka's last 5 wickets for 15 runs, which is set out in the piece on how Pakistan closed out the Sri Lanka chase. Pakistan conceded 17 wides and 3 leg byes in the innings, and no byes were recorded against the keeper.
Pakistan picked Saad Baig over Muhammad Ghazi Ghori as the keeper
Pakistan named two wicketkeepers in the 16 man ODI squad for the tri-series, Saad Baig and Muhammad Ghazi Ghori, both for the ODIs only. We listed both in the page on the tri-series squads. Saad Baig got the first game, and his 39 and the three dismissals make a change for the England match on 20 October hard to argue for.
Pakistan's XI was Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub, Babar Azam, Saad Baig, Salman Agha, Hasan Nawaz, Arafat Minhas, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Shah Afridi as captain, Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf. That is the order they batted. Mike Hesson is the head coach.
The debut came in a match Pakistan won by 37 runs
Pakistan made 305 all out in 49.5 overs and bowled Sri Lanka out for 268 in 48.1. Salman Agha was player of the match for his 107 off 90 balls, and his innings is in the page on Salman Agha's hundred. Shaheen Shah Afridi took 3 for 55.
- Sri Lanka won the toss and fielded at 1 pm PKT.
- Pakistan 32 for 2 in the sixth over, Saad Baig in.
- Stand of 74 with Babar Azam to 106 for 3.
- Saad Baig out for 39 at 118 for 4 in the 22nd over.
- Pakistan all out 305 in 49.5 overs.
- Two catches and a run out as Sri Lanka fell from 253 for 5 to 268 all out.
The win puts Pakistan top of the table with 2 points, as we show in the page on the tri-series points table. Pakistan play England at the same ground on Tuesday 20 October at 1 pm PKT.
What is confirmed about the debut and what is not
The scorecard confirms the debut, the batting and the dismissals. We could not confirm his cap number, his age, or whether the PCB presented the cap before the toss, because the PCB website returned a bot check on 19 October 2026 and we do not take those details from other publishers. The ICC match pages may carry the cap presentation later.
We also do not know whether he will keep wicket in all four of Pakistan's league matches. Ghazi Ghori is the other keeper in the squad. For the rules of the series, including the three powerplays that shaped his innings, see the page on ODI rules for the tri-series.
Common questions
Did Saad Baig make his ODI debut on 18 October 2026?
Yes. The scorecard of the Pakistan v Sri Lanka match in Rawalpindi marks it as his first ODI. He kept wicket and batted at number four.
How many runs did Saad Baig score on debut?
39 off 40 balls, with 3 fours and 2 sixes. He was caught by Sachindu Colombage off Eshan Malinga with Pakistan on 118 for 4.
How many dismissals did he have behind the stumps?
Two catches, Sahan Arachchige off Shaheen Shah Afridi and Sachindu Colombage off Naseem Shah, plus a run out of Eshan Malinga shared with Babar Azam.
Who is Pakistan's other wicketkeeper in the tri-series squad?
Muhammad Ghazi Ghori. Both keepers are in the ODI squad only, not the T20I squad that played Sri Lanka earlier in October.
What is his cap number?
We could not confirm it. The PCB website was behind a bot check when we checked on 19 October 2026, and we do not take cap numbers from other publishers.
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 debut marker, the fall of wickets and the fielding credits. The partnership of 74 is our arithmetic from the fall of wickets. The squad detail comes from our own page on the tri-series squads, which was built from the PCB release of 5 October 2026. Not verified: his cap number, age and the cap presentation, because the PCB website returned a bot check on 19 October 2026.
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