Sahibzada Farhan's 89 on Captaincy Debut Powers Pakistan Past Sri Lanka in First T20I


New captain, same winning feeling. Pakistan opened their home T20I series against Sri Lanka with a commanding four-wicket victory at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Friday, October 9 — and the star of the night was the man wearing the captain's armband for the first time. Sahibzada Farhan's blistering 89 steered Pakistan past Sri Lanka's 183, giving the hosts a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.


Farhan, appointed Pakistan's full-time T20I captain last month, could hardly have asked for a better debut. Walking out to chase 183, he played with the confidence of a man who had been leading for years, smashing 10 fours and four sixes in a 53-ball masterclass that earned him the Player of the Match award. He brought up his half-century off just 33 balls and fell only when the job was nearly done, caught in the deep with Pakistan needing three runs.


Sri Lanka had their moments. Winning the toss and batting first, they recovered from a poor start to post 182 for 8. Captain Kusal Mendis fell for one and the tourists slipped to 18 for 2, but opener Lahiru Udara dragged them back into the contest with a superb 91 off 55 balls — the highest T20I score by a Sri Lankan against Pakistan, improving on Kusal Perera's 84 in Dubai in 2013. Udara added 60 for the third wicket with Kamindu Mendis (23) and 57 for the fifth with Dasun Shanaka, and Sri Lanka took 66 runs off their final six overs.


Pakistan's bowling attack kept dragging Sri Lanka back despite conceding 29 extras. Fast bowler Naseem Shah was the pick with 3 for 36, while debutant Mohammad Imran announced himself with an impressive 2 for 21.


The chase began at full throttle. Farhan and Fakhar Zaman put on 54 in the opening five overs, with Zaman scoring a quick 21 off 13 before falling to Eshan Malinga. Enter Maaz Sadaqat at number three — and the left-hander played the innings of his young career. Sadaqat smashed a maiden T20I half-century, 50 off just 29 balls with four fours and three sixes, and his 92-run partnership with Farhan in only 53 balls broke Sri Lankan resistance.


There was a late wobble. Hasan Nawaz fell for one, Saim Ayub managed eight, and Farhan departed in the 18th over after Maheesh Theekshana (2 for 36) trapped Sadaqat lbw in the 14th. Pakistan slipped to 156 for 4, and for a brief moment the crowd held its breath. But the lower order held firm, and the winning runs came with seven balls to spare — 187 for 6 in 18.5 overs.


The win matters beyond the scoreboard. Pakistan's T20I setup has craved a settled leader, and Farhan's first night in charge delivered exactly the tone-setter the team needed: aggressive intent from the powerplay, a big captain's knock, and a young talent in Sadaqat stepping up alongside him. The second match of the series follows at the same venue, and Sri Lanka will know that Pakistan's new era has started with a statement.


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