Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by 82 runs in the second Twenty20 International (T20I) at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series on Sunday. Maaz Sadaqat struck 96 off 51 balls, including six fours and seven sixes, while captain Sahibzada Farhan scored 73 off 44 balls as Pakistan posted 215 for three in their 20 overs. Mohammad Imran then took three wickets for 11 runs in four overs to help restrict Sri Lanka to 133 for seven. Salman Mirza claimed two wickets for 28 runs, while Saim Ayub and Shadab Khan took one each. Sri Lanka, who elected to field after winning the toss, made a poor start to their chase. Lahiru Udara fell for five in the first over, caught behind off Salman Mirza, before Mohammad Imran removed Sineth Jayawardena for 22 in the final over of the powerplay. Sri Lanka reached 35 for two after six overs and continued to lose wickets at regular intervals. Mohammad Imran struck twice in the eighth over, dismissing captain Kusal Mendis for nine and Sahan Arachchige for a duck, leaving the visitors struggling at 50 for four. Dasun Shanaka fell for nine to Saim Ayub, while Kamindu Mendis scored 23 before Shadab Khan dismissed him in the 12th over. Sri Lanka were then 74 for six, with the required run rate climbing sharply. Chamindu Wickramasinghe and Maheesh Theekshana offered some resistance with a seventh-wicket stand of 50 runs. Wickramasinghe made 29 off 24 balls before falling to Mirza in the 19th over. Theekshana remained unbeaten on 32 off 26 balls, but Sri Lanka finished well short of their target at 133 for seven. Earlier, Pakistan lost Fakhar Zaman for 22 in the seventh over, but Farhan and Sadaqat steadied the innings with an 88-run partnership for the second wicket. Farhan reached his half-century off 31 balls and continued to attack before falling for 73 in the 15th over. Sadaqat then accelerated, bringing up his fifty off 30 balls before adding further runs with Hasan Nawaz. Hasan remained unbeaten on 19 off nine balls as Pakistan scored 72 runs in the final five overs. Sadaqat fell on the last ball of the innings, having struck seven sixes and six fours in a commanding display. Sri Lanka’s fielding also proved costly, with missed chances allowing Pakistan’s leading batters to build a formidable total. Sadaqat was named Player of the Match for his outstanding innings. After the match, Sadaqat said he had tried to make the most of his form and backed himself to hit boundaries. He also recalled telling Hasan Nawaz that he would hit a particular delivery for six. Sri Lanka captain Kusal Mendis said the batters, including himself, needed to take responsibility. He said the team had played on a good batting pitch but had failed to score enough runs and had dropped catches in the field. He added that Sri Lanka needed to improve during the middle overs. Pakistan captain Farhan said the team had improved its six-hitting and scoring rates in T20Is during 2026. He expressed confidence that the side could continue to score more than 200 runs and said the players would maintain the same intensity in the final match. Pakistan will face Sri Lanka in the third and final T20I on Tuesday, with the series already secured at 2-0. PLAYING XISri Lanka: Lahiru Udara, Sineth Jayawardena, Kusal Mendis (capt, wk), Kamindu Mendis, Sahan Arachchige, Dasun Shanaka, Chamindu Wickramasinghe, Maheesh Theekshana, Eshan Malinga, Binura Fernando, Nuwan Thushara Pakistan: Sahibzada Farhan (capt), Fakhar Zaman, Maaz Sadaqat, Hasan Nawaz, Saim Ayub, Khawaja Nafay (wk), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Imran, Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Abrar Ahmed<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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