Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Final 2026: Tri-Series Date, Time and Venue

The Pakistan vs Sri Lanka final 2026 is confirmed. Pakistan will face Sri Lanka in the final of the Pakistan ODI Tri-Series on Saturday, October 31, at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. The line-up was decided on October 29, when England beat Sri Lanka by 55 runs in the last league match. England's win was not enough to move them off the bottom of the table, and Sri Lanka held on to second place behind Pakistan.

The final will be a day-night match and will start at 1:00 pm Pakistan time (8:00 am GMT). Here is everything you need to know: how the last league game went, the final points table, how both teams reached the final, the key players and the full match details.

England Beat Sri Lanka by 55 Runs in Lahore

England came into the last league match knowing they could not reach the final, but they still played with real purpose. Batting first, they scored a huge 386/5 in their 50 overs, one of the biggest totals of the whole series.

Ben Duckett was the star once again. The left-handed opener scored 167 off 132 balls with 24 fours. It was his second century in four days, after his 105 against Pakistan on October 25. Duckett and Tom Banton put on 163 for the first wicket, and that partnership gave England the perfect platform. Banton was bowled by Dasun Shanaka for 74 off 75 balls, with 8 fours and 2 sixes.

Captain Harry Brook kept the scoring rate high with 44 off 34 balls. Will Jacks added 30 off 21 balls, and Jordan Cox hit a fast 43 off just 27 balls near the end of the innings. Sam Curran finished unbeaten on 21 off 12 balls, and England scored at a run rate of 7.72 across the full 50 overs.

For Sri Lanka, fast bowler Asitha Fernando was the most successful bowler with 2 wickets for 63 runs in his 10 overs. Dilshan Madushanka and Dasun Shanaka took one wicket each. Eshan Malinga also took a wicket, the big one of Duckett, but it was a tough day for him as he gave away 101 runs in his 10 overs.

Pavan Rathnayake Hits 118 but Sri Lanka Fall Short

Chasing 387 to win, Sri Lanka lost Kamindu Mendis for 4 in the fourth over. After that, they fought back very well. Avishka Fernando scored 48 off 50 balls, and captain Kusal Mendis played an attacking innings of 89 off 71 balls with 8 fours and 5 sixes.

The best innings of the chase came from Pavan Rathnayake. He scored 118 off 77 balls with 15 fours and a six, and he kept Sri Lanka in the game for a long time. Janith Liyanage (27 off 17 balls) and Sahan Arachchige (30 off 24 balls) also played useful cameos. At 315/6 in the 43rd over, Sri Lanka still had a chance.

Then left-arm spinner Liam Dawson took control. He was the best bowler of the match, taking 4 wickets for 49 runs in his 10 overs. He removed Avishka Fernando, Rathnayake, Shanaka and the last man Asitha Fernando. Sonny Baker took 2 wickets, while Sam Curran, Henry Crocombe and Joe Root took one each. Sri Lanka lost their last four wickets for just 16 runs and were bowled out for 331 in 45.1 overs.

Tri-Series 2026 Final Points Table

Each team played the other two teams twice in the league stage. Pakistan finished at the top with three wins, Sri Lanka finished second with two wins, and England finished third with only one win.

Team	Played	Won	Lost	Points	Net Run Rate
Pakistan	4	3	1	6	-0.114
Sri Lanka	4	2	2	4	+0.654
England	4	1	3	2	-0.274

One interesting point is the net run rate. Sri Lanka have the best net run rate of the three teams, mostly because of their very quick win over Pakistan on October 27. Pakistan have a negative net run rate, but they still topped the table because they won more matches.

Pakistan's Road to the Final

Pakistan started the series in great form in Rawalpindi. In the first match on October 18, they scored 305 and bowled Sri Lanka out for 268 to win by 37 runs. Two days later, they made 302/9 against England and then bowled England out for 215 in 38.4 overs, winning by a big margin of 87 runs.

The series then moved to Lahore. On October 25, Pakistan met England again and produced one of the most exciting finishes of the year. Chasing 242, Pakistan were 154/9 and looked beaten. Shadab Khan and Haris Rauf then added an unbeaten 89 runs for the last wicket. Shadab finished on 113 not out off 96 balls, and Pakistan won by 1 wicket with 17 balls to spare. That win sent Pakistan into the final.

The last league match on October 27 was a very different story. Pakistan were bowled out for only 110 against Sri Lanka, and Sri Lanka chased the target in just 18.1 overs to win by 8 wickets. With their place in the final already confirmed, Pakistan may treat this as a warning rather than a disaster, but it was still a heavy defeat at the same ground where the final will be played.

Sri Lanka's Road to the Final

Sri Lanka's campaign has been full of ups and downs. They lost their first match to Pakistan by 37 runs in Rawalpindi. Then, on October 22, they produced an amazing chase against England. England scored 429/4, but Sri Lanka reached 430/8 with just one ball left to win by 2 wickets.

Their 8-wicket win over Pakistan in Lahore on October 27 showed how dangerous their bowlers can be. The 55-run defeat to England on October 29 did not hurt them, because England could not catch them on points. Sri Lanka go into the final with confidence, a strong batting line-up and the best net run rate in the series.

Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Head-to-Head in This Series

Pakistan and Sri Lanka met twice in the league stage, and each team won once.

Date	Venue	Result
October 18, 2026	Rawalpindi	Pakistan 305 beat Sri Lanka 268 by 37 runs
October 27, 2026	Lahore	Sri Lanka 114/2 beat Pakistan 110 by 8 wickets

This makes the final a true decider. Pakistan won the first meeting with a strong all-round display, while Sri Lanka won the second meeting very easily. The most recent result, at the same venue as the final, will give Sri Lanka extra belief. Pakistan, on the other hand, will have the home crowd behind them in Lahore.

Key Players to Watch in the Final

Arafat Minhas (Pakistan): The left-arm spinner is the leading wicket-taker of the series with 9 wickets in 4 innings at an average of 16.11. He has been Pakistan's most reliable bowler in the middle overs.

Shaheen Shah Afridi (Pakistan): Shaheen has taken 8 wickets in the series, including 4 for 46 against England in Lahore. Early wickets from him with the new ball could decide the final.

Shadab Khan (Pakistan): His unbeaten 113 against England was the innings of the series for Pakistan. He has shown that he can stay calm under pressure and win a match on his own.

Pavan Rathnayake (Sri Lanka): He is the top run-scorer of the tournament with 350 runs in 4 innings at an average of 116.66. His 118 against England showed that he is in excellent form.

Dilshan Madushanka (Sri Lanka): The left-arm fast bowler has 8 wickets in the series. Pakistan's batting struggled badly on October 27, and Madushanka will look to test them early with the new ball.

Kusal Mendis (Sri Lanka): The Sri Lanka captain and wicketkeeper scored 89 against England and can change a match quickly in the middle overs.

What Pakistan Need to Do to Win

The biggest worry for Pakistan is their top order. In the win over England, the team was in trouble before Shadab's rescue, and in the defeat to Sri Lanka the whole team was out for 110. In a final, Pakistan cannot depend on the lower order every time. The openers and middle order need to build a solid start and give the finishers a platform.

With the ball, Pakistan have done very well. Their bowlers bowled out Sri Lanka for 268 in Rawalpindi and England for 241 in Lahore. If Shaheen strikes early and Arafat Minhas controls the middle overs again, Pakistan have the attack to stop Sri Lanka's strong batting.

What Sri Lanka Need to Do to Win

Sri Lanka's batting has been the strength of their campaign. Chasing 430 against England and scoring 331 while chasing 387 shows how deep their line-up is. Rathnayake and Kusal Mendis will be the key, and if they bat for a long time, Sri Lanka can post or chase a big score.

Their bowling has been less consistent. They conceded 386 to England in their last game, so they will need a much more disciplined performance. Their bowlers dismissed Pakistan for just 110 on October 27, and they will try to repeat that performance in the final.

Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Final 2026: Match Details

Detail	Information
Match	Pakistan vs Sri Lanka, Final
Series	Pakistan ODI Tri-Series 2026
Date	Saturday, October 31, 2026
Venue	Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
Start time	1:00 pm PKT (8:00 am GMT)
Match type	Day-night ODI (50 overs)

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the Pakistan vs Sri Lanka final 2026?

The final will be played on Saturday, October 31, 2026, starting at 1:00 pm Pakistan time.

Where will the Tri-Series final be played?

The final will be played at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, Pakistan.

Why did England not qualify for the final?

England won only one of their four league matches and finished third with 2 points, while Sri Lanka finished second with 4 points.

Who is the top run-scorer and top wicket-taker of the series?

Pavan Rathnayake of Sri Lanka is the top run-scorer with 350 runs. Arafat Minhas of Pakistan is the top wicket-taker with 9 wickets.

The final in Lahore looks wide open. Pakistan have home support and the best record in the league stage, while Sri Lanka have the momentum from their big win at the same ground. CricketLive24 will publish a full match preview before the final and a complete match report after the last ball.