HIGHLIGHTS Sri Lanka vs Zimbabwe, T20I Tri-Series in Pakistan 2025, 5 T20- Result, Scorecard

Welcome back for the second innings. Pathum Nissanka and Kamil Mishara are in the middle to open the innings for Sri Lanka. It will be Richard Ngarava to begin with the ball for Zimbabwe. Here we go!

…THE RUN CHASE…

Now, with a target of 147, Sri Lanka will need a composed and steady batting display if they are to stay alive in the series. How quickly they can chase it down, or whether Zimbabwe will strike back with the ball, remains to be seen. Stay tuned, as we bring you the second essay shortly.

Maheesh Theekshana is up for a chat. He says that the surface is better than the other ones they have played on so far. Adds that it has a good bounce, and the ball was coming nicely onto the bat. Tells that they bowled well to keep them under 150, sticking to wicket-to-wicket bowling in the powerplay. Mentions that in the death overs, he tried to mix it up with one wide and one on the stumps. Closes by telling that 146 is a good total, and they should be able to get the job done.

For Sri Lanka, it was a true team effort from the bowlers, who consistently applied pressure and picked up crucial wickets. The spin duo of Maheesh Theekshana and Wanindu Hasaranga claimed a couple of wickets each while delivering tight, disciplined spells, and Dasun Shanaka chipped in with one. Dushmantha Chameera and Eshan Malinga went wicketless but bowled with accuracy, keeping the batters on edge.

A late flurry of boundaries in the final overs propelled Zimbabwe to 146/5 from their 20 overs. After electing to bat first, the Chevrons suffered early blows, losing Tadiwanashe Marumani and Myers inside the Powerplay, while Taylor struggled to make an impact. In the middle overs, Brian Bennett and Sikandar Raza contributed handy 30s but were unable to accelerate the innings. It was left to Ryan Burl, who remained unbeaten on 37 off 26 balls, to push the total past the 140-run mark with a brisk cameo.

Eshan Malinga to Ryan Burl, FOUR! A boundary to end the innings! Full-length delivery, pushed across the batter. Ryan Burl moves across and lifts it toward the deep extra cover region, and gets four runs. Zimbabwe finish on 146/5.

Eshan Malinga to Ryan Burl, Slower and shorter on off. Ryan Burl pulls this toward the gap at deep mid-wicket for a couple.

Eshan Malinga to Ryan Burl, FOUR! UP AND OVER! Low full toss, around off. Burl shimmies down and lifts it over the infield, toward wide of long-off for an all important boundary.

Eshan Malinga to Ryan Burl, Ouch! Low full toss, around off. Burl smacked this straight back towards Musekiwa at the other end, who could not get out of the way and took a hit on his thigh.

Eshan Malinga to Ryan Burl, Full-length delivery angling across outside off. Burl shuffles and tries to slog it, but misses.

Eshan Malinga to Tashinga Musekiwa, Fuller delivery angling in at the stumps. Musekiwa hacks this towards long-on and takes a single.

Eshan Malinga (3-0-22-0) to bowl the final over of the innings. Can Zimbabwe go past 150? Let's find out.

Dushmantha Chameera to Tashinga Musekiwa, Low full toss on the middle. Tashinga Musekiwa drives it to the man at extra cover and takes one.

Dushmantha Chameera to Ryan Burl, Wide yorker from Chameera. Burl squeezes it to deep point for one.

Dushmantha Chameera to Tashinga Musekiwa, Low full toss on off. Tashinga Musekiwa advances and drives it through extra cover for a single.

Dushmantha Chameera to Tashinga Musekiwa, Full and at the sticks. Tashinga Musekiwa backs away and bunts it back to the bowler. Three dots in a row.

Dushmantha Chameera to Tashinga Musekiwa, Yorker on off. Tashinga Musekiwa hangs back and jams it back to the bowler.

Dushmantha Chameera to Tashinga Musekiwa, Yorker length delivery, angled in, and goes through the legs of Tashinga Musekiwa, close to the leg stump, and through to the keeper.

Eshan Malinga to Ryan Burl, FOUR MORE! NICELY DONE! Full-length delivery outside off. Burl moves across and flicks this uppishly toward deep mid-wicket for back to back boundaries.

Eshan Malinga to Ryan Burl, FOUR! MUCH NEEDED! Short ball on top of the stumps. Burl shuffles and pulls this down towards fine leg for four runs.

Eshan Malinga to Ryan Burl, Yorker length delivery, outside off. Burl reaches out to squeeze this through point but does not connect.

Eshan Malinga to Ryan Burl, CLEVER BOWLING! Bowls the slower bumper, banged into the pitch. Burl was expecting it to go over the head, but it does not bounce as much, and goes past the left shoulder.

Eshan Malinga to Ryan Burl, Short of a good length, pushed across the batter. Ryan Burl swings across the line but does not connect.

Eshan Malinga to Ryan Burl, Slower length ball, around off. Ryan Burl drives it on the up through extra cover for a couple.

Maheesh Theekshana to Tashinga Musekiwa, Two dots to end the over. Fired in on the full, around off. Tashinga Musekiwa backs away, has a wild swing but misses.

Maheesh Theekshana to Tashinga Musekiwa, Flatter and quicker, outside off. Tashinga Musekiwa makes room to cut but fails to connect.

Maheesh Theekshana to Ryan Burl, On a length, outside off. Steered through the gap at point for a single.

Maheesh Theekshana to Tashinga Musekiwa, Flatter and quicker on the pad. Tashinga Musekiwa tucks it to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Maheesh Theekshana to Ryan Burl, Tossed up on a length, on the middle and leg. Burl works it through mid-wicket for a single.

Maheesh Theekshana to Tashinga Musekiwa, Flatter and quicker on off. Tashinga Musekiwa slaps it to mid off for a single.

Maheesh Theekshana (3-0-19-2) is back into the attack.

Dasun Shanaka to Ryan Burl, Pitched full, outside off. Ryan Burl has a big swing across the line but fails to connect.

Dasun Shanaka to Ryan Burl, FOUR! AGRICULTURAL BUT EFFECTIVE! Slower and shorter, around off. Ryan Burl goes hard for the slap, gets the outside edge that flies over the man at short third for a lucky boundary.

Dasun Shanaka to Ryan Burl, SIX! SMOKED! Back of a length, around the leg. Ryan Burl picks the length early and pulls it flat, over the long leg boundary for half a dozen.

Dasun Shanaka to Ryan Burl, Full, on the middle and leg. Burl flicks it hard into the gap at deep mid-wicket and gets back for the second.

Dasun Shanaka to Tashinga Musekiwa, Back of a length on the hip. Tashinga Musekiwa tucks it to deep square leg for one.

Dasun Shanaka to Ryan Burl, Slower length ball on off. Ryan Burl knocks it down to long off for one.

Wanindu Hasaranga to Tashinga Musekiwa, Flatter googly, turning into the middle and leg. Tashinga Musekiwa hangs back and nudges it to square leg. Tidy spell from Wanindu Hasaranga, who ends with two wickets.

Wanindu Hasaranga to Tashinga Musekiwa, Tossed up full, on off. Tashinga Musekiwa pushes it to the left of the bowler, who gets a hand and ricochets to the short extra cover fielder.

Wanindu Hasaranga to Tashinga Musekiwa, Flatter leg break, keeps a shade low, around off. Tashinga Musekiwa knocks it into the off-side.

Tashinga Musekiwa comes in at number 7.

Wanindu Hasaranga to Sikandar Raza, OUT! TAKEN! Wanindu Hasaranga gets the Zimbabwe skipper and has the last laugh. Bowls it slower and wider outside the off-stump. Sikandar Raza advances and looks to go inside out over the covers, but gets the outside edge that flies to the man at backward point. Kusal Perera there, takes a simple catch. Zimbabwe are five down.

Wanindu Hasaranga to Sikandar Raza, SIX! BOOM! Tosses it full, turning into the middle and leg. Raza dances down the pitch and smokes it over the long on boundary for a massive hit.

Wanindu Hasaranga to Ryan Burl, Shortish googly, around off. Burl knocks it to long on for one.

Dushmantha Chameera to Sikandar Raza, Full delivery outside off. Raza drives it towards deep cover and gets a couple.

Dushmantha Chameera to Ryan Burl, LEG BYE! Slower and shorter on off. Ryan Burl is early into the pull and misses onto the pad. The ball rolls toward the backward point, and they sneak a leg bye. The backward point fielder has a shy at the bowler's end but fails to hit.

Dushmantha Chameera to Ryan Burl, Ouch! Slower back of a length delivery angling across just outside off. Burl tries to shuffle and flick, but misses. The ball hits his body and drops onto the pitch.

Dushmantha Chameera to Sikandar Raza, Slower bumper, on the middle. Raza swivel-pulls to fine leg for one.

Dushmantha Chameera to Sikandar Raza, FOUR! CRUNCHED! Short of a good length, at the top of the off-stump. Raza makes room and slaps it toward deep extra cover for a powerful boundary.

Dushmantha Chameera to Sikandar Raza, Slower and shorter, around off. Sikandar Raza looks to pull but gets the under-edge through to the keeper.

Wanindu Hasaranga to Ryan Burl, Quicker leg break, turning into the middle and leg stump line. Burl stays back, looking to whip across the line but misses and wears on the thigh pad. The ball rolls to short third but they do not run.

Wanindu Hasaranga to Ryan Burl, Full and spinning in from outside off. Burl lunges forward and flicks it to short mid wicket.

Wanindu Hasaranga to Ryan Burl, Flighted full, on the middle. Burl turns it to short mid-wicket.

Wanindu Hasaranga to Ryan Burl, Tossed up on a length, around off. Burl guides it toward short third.

Ryan Burl comes in at number 6.

Wanindu Hasaranga to Brian Bennett, OUT! HIT WICKET! An unfortunate dismissal for Brian Bennett, and Wanindu Hasaranga has the last laugh. Leg break delivery on the length that stays low at the stumps. Bennett creates room and tries to slap it away, but he ends up hitting his bat onto the stumps. The bails are knocked, and he is OUT HIT WICKET!

Wanindu Hasaranga to Brian Bennett, FOUR! HAMMERED! Tad short, outside off. Brian Bennett goes back and smashes it through extra cover for a powerful boundary.

Eshan Malinga to Brian Bennett, Short of a good length, on middle. Bennett dabs it past the man at backward point, and takes one.

Eshan Malinga to Sikandar Raza, Slower ball on the full, on off. Raza drives this to mid off for a single.

Eshan Malinga to Brian Bennett, Yorker, in the blockhole. Bennett makes room and squeezes it toward deep third for one.

Eshan Malinga to Sikandar Raza, Length ball angling in at the pads. Raza tucks this behind square and gets one.

Eshan Malinga to Sikandar Raza, WIDE! A bouncer angling in. Raza ducks under it, but the umpire calls it a wide as he feels that this was too high.

Eshan Malinga to Sikandar Raza, Full delivery wide outside off. Raza slashes this towards backward point but finds a fielder.

Eshan Malinga to Sikandar Raza, NO BALL! It was a wicket, but Eshan Malinga has overstepped, and Raza will get the free hit. Low full toss on the middle. Raza makes room, trying to clear the infield but hits it straight to Dasun Shanaka at mid off, who takes the catch. It won't count since this was a no-ball. Free hit coming up.

Eshan Malinga to Sikandar Raza, On a hard length, on middle. Sikandar Raza makes room and defends it back to the bowler.

Dushmantha Chameera to Sikandar Raza, LEG BYE! Back of a length, angled into the leg pole. Sikandar Raza misses the tuck and is rapped on the pad. The ball rolls to the right of the backward point for a leg bye.

Dushmantha Chameera to Sikandar Raza, FOUR MORE! LOVELY! Overpitched on the middle. Raza backs away and drives it through the gap at extra cover and mid off for a glorious boundary.

Dushmantha Chameera to Sikandar Raza, Back of a length, angled in, just outside off. Sikandar Raza looks to pull and misses.

Dushmantha Chameera to Sikandar Raza, On a good length, on off. Sikandar Raza clears the front leg and hits it on the up, over the bowler and down to long off for two more.

Dushmantha Chameera to Sikandar Raza, FOUR! STAND AND DELIVER! Short of a good length, outside off. Raza makes room and carves it toward deep extra cover region for a cracking boundary.

Dushmantha Chameera to Sikandar Raza, Skiddy short of a good length, attacking the stumps. Sikandar Raza defends from the crease.

DRINKS BREAK! This game is finely balanced, with Zimbabwe at 68/3 at the halfway stage. Brian Bennett has settled in well, while Sikandar Raza looks composed at the crease. The pair will aim to bat deep and push the total beyond 170. Sri Lanka, meanwhile, have kept things tight with timely breakthroughs and will look to keep the pressure on with more regular wickets.

Eshan Malinga to Sikandar Raza, Back of a length, on off. Sikandar Raza rides the bounce and punches this into the gap at covers for a single.

Eshan Malinga to Sikandar Raza, Slower ball on a length, on off. Sikandar Raza gets on the front foot and blocks it back to the bowler.

Eshan Malinga to Sikandar Raza, Length ball outside off. Raza carves this towards the backward point but finds the fielder.

Eshan Malinga to Brian Bennett, On a length, around off. Brian Bennett dabs it toward the deep third for a single.

Eshan Malinga to Sikandar Raza, BYE! A bouncer angling in at the body. Raza tries to duck-pull it but misses. The keeper fumbles the ball, and the batters steal a bye.

Eshan Malinga to Sikandar Raza, FOUR! GLORIOUS! Full pitcher, just outside off. Sikandar Raza drills it hard through the extra cover region and finds the ropes in a flash.

Wanindu Hasaranga to Brian Bennett, Full delivery outside off. Bennett tries to sweep it away, but gets an inside edge that deflects onto his boots.

Wanindu Hasaranga to Sikandar Raza, Full on the leg stumps. Sikandar Raza sweeps it to deep square leg for one.

Wanindu Hasaranga to Sikandar Raza, FOUR! PUNISHED! Length ball turning away just outside off. Raza rocks back and pulls it towards deep mid-wicket for four runs.

Wanindu Hasaranga to Sikandar Raza, Floated full, just outside the leg stump. Sikandar Raza misses the sweep and gets rapped on the pad. The ball hits his leg and deflects onto his grill. The concussion protocol kicks in.

Wanindu Hasaranga to Sikandar Raza, Looped up on the middle. Sikandar Raza gets forward, turns it to short mid-wicket.

Wanindu Hasaranga to Sikandar Raza, Tossed up full, on off. Sikandar Raza prods and defends.

Dasun Shanaka to Sikandar Raza, Back of a length, on the hip. Sikandar Raza tucks this to deep square leg for a single.

Dasun Shanaka to Brian Bennett, Short of a good length, around off. Dabbed toward short third for one.

Dasun Shanaka to Sikandar Raza, Pitched full, on the middle and leg. Raza clips it to deep square leg for a single.

Sikandar Raza comes in at number 5.

Dasun Shanaka to Brendan Taylor, OUT! BOWLED'EM! Dasun Shanaka gets the big wicket of Taylor. Full-length delivery, just outside off. Taylor shuffles and tries to paddle it to fine leg but gets the inside edge, and he ends up playing the ball onto the stumps. Zimbabwe are three down.

Dasun Shanaka to Brendan Taylor, Skiddy length ball, just outside off. Taylor dabs it to the man at backward point.

Dasun Shanaka to Brian Bennett, Back of a length, on middle. Bennett pulls it off the bottom of the bat toward deep mid-wicket for a single.

Dasun Shanaka (2-0-18-0) is back into the attack.

Wanindu Hasaranga to Brendan Taylor, FOUR! INTO THE GAP! Flighted full, on the middle and leg. Taylor slog-sweeps it aerially and into the gap at deep mid-wicket and deep square leg for a much needed boundary.

Wanindu Hasaranga to Brian Bennett, Flatter googly, on the middle and leg. Bennett knocks it down to long on for one.

Wanindu Hasaranga to Brendan Taylor, Tossed up wrong'un, on a length, on the middle and leg. Taylor nudges it through the gap at square leg for a single.

Wanindu Hasaranga to Brendan Taylor, Floated googly, on the full, turning into the middle and leg stump line. Brendan Taylor sits low for the sweep but misses and wears it on the pad. Appeal from the bowler and up goes the finger. Taylor takes the review. The ball tracking shows wickets missing, and the decision is changed to NOT OUT. Taylor survives.

Wanindu Hasaranga to Brian Bennett, Flatter leg break, on off. Brian Bennett reverses it toward short third for a single.

Wanindu Hasaranga to Brendan Taylor, LEG BYE! Googly on the full at the pads. Taylor clips this towards short fine leg and takes a leg bye.

Dushmantha Chameera to Brian Bennett, Full delivery just outside off. Bennett drives this towards cover but finds a fielder. Zimbabwe are 44/2 at the end of the Powerplay.

Dushmantha Chameera to Brian Bennett, Ouch! Short of a good-length delivery shaping in on top of the stumps. Bennett waits back and tries to defend, but misses. The ball hits his right elbow and rolls past his stump to the keeper. He looks to be in pain. The physio comes to check on him. Out comes the magic spray, and he is good to go after getting some taping.

Dushmantha Chameera to Brian Bennett, Pitched full, on off. Brian Bennett drives it to the man at mid off.

Dushmantha Chameera to Brendan Taylor, Fuller than a good length, on off. Taylor pushes it off the inner half toward mid on for one.

Dushmantha Chameera to Brendan Taylor, FOUR! LOVELY SHOT! Fuller than a good length, on off. Taylor gets forward and times it past the bowler, down the ground for a glorious boundary.

Dushmantha Chameera to Brendan Taylor, WIDE! Goes full and slanting down the leg. Brendan Taylor plays and misses. Wide given.

Dushmantha Chameera to Brendan Taylor, Full-length delivery, angled into the middle and leg stump line. Taylor looks to flick this across the line, but misses and gets pinned in front. Appeal from the bowler and up goes the finger. Brendan Taylor has a word with Bennett and sends it upstairs. The ball tracking shows it as missing the leg pole, and the decision is reversed to NOT OUT. Taylor stays on.

Dushmantha Chameera comes into the attack.

Maheesh Theekshana to Brendan Taylor, Tossed up on a length, on the middle. Taylor works this through mid-wicket and takes one. Zimbabwe are 38/2 at the end of five overs.

Maheesh Theekshana to Brendan Taylor, Flatter, around off. Brendan Taylor knocks it to the man at short extra cover.

Maheesh Theekshana to Brian Bennett, Flighted full, drifting into the leg pole. Bennett works it to deep square leg for a single.

Maheesh Theekshana to Brian Bennett, FOUR! NICELY DONE! Fuller and quicker, at the stumps. Bennett walks across the stumps, and sweeps it off the toe end, past the short fine leg fielder and runs away for a cheeky boundary.

Maheesh Theekshana to Brendan Taylor, Tossed up full, on the middle and leg. Taylor works it through the gap at mid-wicket for a single.

Maheesh Theekshana to Brendan Taylor, Tossed up on a length, on middle. Taylor glances it to the man at short fine leg.

Dasun Shanaka to Brian Bennett, FOUR! TOP SHOT! Slower length ball, on off. Brian Bennett waits for it and punches it through the gap at covers for a cracking boundary.

Dasun Shanaka to Brian Bennett, On a good length, pace off, just outside off. Bennett knocks it to the man at extra cover.

Dasun Shanaka to Brendan Taylor, Fuller than a good length, on middle. Taylor pushes it down to mid on for a single.

Dasun Shanaka to Brian Bennett, Back of a length again, aronud off. Bennett pulls it to deep mid-wicket for a single now.

Dasun Shanaka to Brian Bennett, SIX! BANG! Back of a length, around off. Brian Bennett picks it early and crunches the pull toward the deep mid-wicket region. Kamil Mishara covers good ground near the ropes, takes the catch, and throws it back into play, but the replay shows that he touched the boundary cushion before releasing the ball, and it has been given as a maximum.

Dasun Shanaka to Brendan Taylor, LEG BYE! Huge appeal, but the umpire is unmoved! Good length delivery, on the middle and leg stump line. Taylor walks across the stumps, looking to tuck, but he misses, and it comes off the pad, rolls toward backward square leg for a leg bye.

Maheesh Theekshana to Brendan Taylor, Tossed up full, on off. Taylor comes forward and nudges it through the gap at mid-wicket for a single.

Brendan Taylor walks in at number 4.

Maheesh Theekshana to Dion Myers, OUT! TIMBER! Maheesh Theekshana picks up his second wicket! Flatter delivery, angled into the middle and spins away late to beat the outside edge of Myers and hit the top of the stumps. Dion Myers is outfoxed completely and has to make the long walk back into the pavilion. Zimbabwe are two down.

Maheesh Theekshana to Brian Bennett, Floated full, on off. Brian Bennett pushes it toward the man at long on for one more.

Maheesh Theekshana to Dion Myers, Fuller and quicker at the stumps, driven down to long on for a single.

Maheesh Theekshana to Dion Myers, FOUR! PUT AWAY! Tossed up on a length, outside off. Dion Myers slices the drive through the gap at point, and finds the ropes in a flash.

Maheesh Theekshana to Dion Myers, Tossed up full, attacking the stumps. Dion Myers makes room and bunts back to the bowler.

Dasun Shanaka to Brian Bennett, FOUR! TOP SHOT! Fuller than a good length, on off. Brian Bennett makes room, drives it on the up and beats the diving mid off fielder for a cracking boundary.

Dasun Shanaka to Dion Myers, On a length, on the leg. Dion Myers works it to deep square leg for a single.

Dasun Shanaka to Dion Myers, Good-length delivery on off. Dion Myers gets on the front foot and defends.

Dasun Shanaka to Brian Bennett, Fuller than a length, on off. Driven toward the man at mid off for a single.

Dasun Shanaka to Brian Bennett, Skiddy length ball, seams back into the leg pole. Brian Bennett plays all around it, hits the thigh pad and rolls to the keeper.

Dasun Shanaka to Brian Bennett, Short of a good length, on the middle and leg. Brian Bennett tucks it to the man at short mid-wicket.

Captain Dasun Shanaka will share the attack for Sri Lanka.

Maheesh Theekshana to Dion Myers, Flatter and quicker, drifting back into the middle. Dion Myers stays back and blocks from the crease.

Dion Myers comes in at number 3.

Maheesh Theekshana to Tadiwanashe Marumani, OUT! BOWLED'EM! Maheesh Theekshana draws first blood! Flatter and quicker delivery, angles in with the arm, attacking the stumps. Tadiwanashe Marumani prods to defend but plays the wrong line and leaves a big gap between the bat and the pad. The ball sneaks through the gate and crashes into the stumps. Zimbabwe are rocked early.

Maheesh Theekshana to Tadiwanashe Marumani, FOUR! LUCKY! Leading edge that lands safely! Tossed up full, on off. Tadiwanashe Marumani looks to work it across the line, gets the leading edge that flies past the left of the backward point fielder, and rolls away to the ropes for a first boundary of the game.

Maheesh Theekshana to Tadiwanashe Marumani, On a length, on off. Tadiwanashe Marumani stays back and defends from the crease.

Maheesh Theekshana to Brian Bennett, Zimbabwe are away! Flatter again, drifting into the middle and leg. Brian Bennett works it through the gap at mid-wicket for a single.

Maheesh Theekshana to Brian Bennett, Flatter delivery, sliding into the middle. Brian Bennett stays back and knocks it to the short extra cover fielder.

All set now. The teams and the umpires make their way out to the ground. Brian Bennett and Tadiwanashe Marumani stride out to open the innings for Zimbabwe. It will be Maheesh Theekshana with the ball for Sri Lanka. We are moments away from the live action.

Ryan Burl is up for a chat. He says he enjoyed the knock against Pakistan, appreciating the time spent in the middle and the chance to get a few runs away. He adds that today's game is crucial, and the team is treating it like a semi-final. He shares that they want to stick to their processes and put their best foot forward. Burl notes that every game brings its own challenges, and it’s all about learning and adapting. He mentions that his role is to bat in the middle order, but if the team has a strong power play, he may be pushed up the order.

PITCH REPORT - Urooj Mumtaz and Bazid Khan are pitchside with their assessment. Bazid notes that while the surface isn’t the easiest to bat on, it’s gradually returning to the typical Pindi character. He mentions the possibility of dew later in the evening and warns that this isn’t a pitch where batters can aim for 180 from the very first ball. Instead, they’ll need to take their time, assess conditions, and build their innings. Urooj agrees, emphasizing that reading the conditions early will be crucial. She suggests that teams should initially target something in the range of 150–160, and if they settle well, they could push the score beyond 180.

Sri Lanka skipper Dasun Shanaka says he would have chosen to bowl first anyway. He explains that they are going in with seven batters and that their game plan is clear. He adds that in a must-win match like this, they need to sharpen every aspect of their game. Shanaka acknowledges the mistakes they have made throughout the tournament and stresses the importance of learning quickly and executing better. He concludes by noting that they have made two changes with Pavan Rathnayake and Maheesh Theekshana coming in for Kamindu Mendis and Vijayakanth Viyaskanth.

Sikandar Raza, Zimbabwe’s skipper, wins the toss and elects to bat first. He says the pitch looks good, a typical Pindi wicket, and notes that dew later on could make the surface tacky and scoring more difficult. He adds that Zimbabwe have made one change with Dion Myers coming in for Tony Munyonga.

Sri Lanka (Playing XI) - Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis(WK), Kamil Mishara, Kusal Perera, Janith Liyanage, Dasun Shanaka(C), Pavan Rathnayake (ON T20I DEBUT - comes in for Kamindu Mendis), Wanindu Hasaranga, Dushmantha Chameera, Maheesh Theekshana (in for Vijayakanth Viyaskanth), Eshan Malinga.

Zimbabwe (Playing XI) - Brian Bennett, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Brendan Taylor(WK), Sikandar Raza(C), Ryan Burl, Dion Myers (in for Tony Munyonga), Tashinga Musekiwa, Brad Evans, Wellington Masakadza, Tinotenda Maposa, Richard Ngarava.

TOSS - Zimbabwe have won the toss and opted to BAT.

Zimbabwe, on the other hand, are recovering from a hefty 69-run loss to Pakistan. Their bowlers conceded more than 190 despite tidy spells from Sikandar Raza and Wellington Masakadza. The chase never really got going, with Ryan Burl’s fighting 67 off 49 being the lone highlight as the Chevrons were bowled out for 126 in 19 overs. It’s a tough challenge ahead, but Zimbabwe will remember their earlier triumph over Sri Lanka and aim to repeat that performance. So, who are you backing in this crunch clash for both teams? The toss and team news are coming up shortly. Stay tuned!

Sri Lanka have been nowhere near their best so far. They are coming off a seven-wicket defeat to Pakistan, where their batting faltered once again. Setting a target of just 128, only Janith Liyanage stood out with an unbeaten 41, while the rest struggled to gain momentum. Their bowlers couldn’t apply pressure either, managing only three wickets as Pakistan chased the total with almost five overs to spare. The Lankans will need to rediscover their rhythm quickly to keep their tournament hopes alive. 

Hello and welcome to our coverage of the T20I Tri-Series featuring Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Zimbabwe. It’s time for Match 5, where Sri Lanka take on Zimbabwe at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. Sri Lanka are still searching for their first win after two outings and now find themselves in a must-win situation. Zimbabwe, meanwhile, have one win from their three games and will draw confidence from their commanding 67-run victory over Sri Lanka earlier in the series. 

…MATCHDAY…

Rawalpindi is serving up the perfect script for a high-stakes do-or-die thriller. The scenario is crystal clear. Pakistan has already punched their ticket to the finale, so they get to watch the chaos from the VIP seats. That leaves Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka to scrap for the last breath of oxygen in this tournament. Zimbabwe getting steamrolled by the hosts is the solitary reason the Islanders are even alive in the series right now. But we have to be real about the Islanders because they have looked rattled. Their first two matches were a total train wreck. Pakistan handed them a beating, but that was a love tap compared to the stinging blow against Zimbabwe. Crumbling for just 95 in a chase is the kind of performance that haunts a dressing room. But there’s barely any time, and they have to shake off the rust immediately or watch their campaign fade into the dark. They shuffled the deck against Pakistan by throwing Kamil Mishara into the fire up top, where he did provide a decent start. Janith Liyanage stepped in to plug the gaps in the middle and finally gave the lineup some spine. But getting starts means absolutely nothing if you don't finish the job. Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis have been ghosting through this series so far. If those two big guns actually start firing, it takes the heat off everyone else instantly. Nissanka has been carrying the batting unit on his back all year with 635 runs, but the gap between him and the rest of the pack is alarming. The bowling attack feels just as thin. Wanindu Hasaranga and Dushmantha Chameera show flashes of brilliance, but they cannot do it all alone. Maheesh Theekshana sat out the last round, but with the pitch slowing down, his bag of tricks might be the exact wildcard they need to survive. Zimbabwe will be kicking themselves over that last loss. It was a match defined by what-ifs and missed chances. A decent shift from the top order, and they could have definitely pushed Pakistan to the brink once more. Ryan Burl put on a determined show in the middle order with a gritty 67, but he was essentially fighting a lone war. The batting unit's supposed strength, the top four, just folded without much resistance. Worse yet, those wickets fell off some incredibly ordinary batting errors against Pakistan. On a pitch that is looking increasingly tiring, the lack of collective adaptation was the real killer. Zimbabwe's bowling unit completely failed to get the message. They desperately needed clever variations, but the spinners kept firing them in either too quickly or far too flat. Brad Evans, who has been their most dependable weapon this series, was also taken on an expensive tour of the park by the opposition. In fact, the whole bowling attack met the same fate. Zimbabwe needs to rewind the tape and remember exactly how they dismantled the Lankans just days ago. That blueprint will play a huge role in punching their ticket to the final. The Islanders, meanwhile, are sprinting to catch up. They do not just need a win to get their first two points, but they also need a massive statement to even get back into the conversation for the finale. This entire high-stakes battle ultimately comes down to one thing. Who will be sharp enough to adapt to these grinding conditions? It’s a massive game and is shaping up to be a sure-shot thriller.