Pakistan is currently hosting a triangular One Day International series featuring and England.
The opening match took place on Sunday in Rawalpindi, where Pakistan secured a Lanka by 37 runs. Salman Ali Agha emerged as the standout player, earning the Player of the Match award for his impressive century.
Agha, who had been struggling with form recently, found his rhythm again against Sri Lanka. He credited his success to his experiences in domestic cricket.
After the match, Agha reflected on his recent challenges, stating, “I struggled in the series against West Indies and England. The past four years have been my toughest as a cricketer. During such times, I had no option but to focus on domestic cricket. I decided to go back and play domestic games to try and fix things. That’s what I did, and I believe it paid off.”
Agha made a strong return to form with a triple century in domestic cricket prior to this match.
In the game, Agha batted at number five and scored 107 runs off 90 balls, hitting 10 fours and one six, helping his team reach a total of 305 runs in 49.5 overs. Sri Lanka, in response, was bowled out for 268 runs in 48.1 overs, losing their last five wickets for just 15 runs, which cost them a chance at victory. Pawan Rathnayake and Janith Liyanage were the top scorers for Sri Lanka, making 79 and 60 runs, respectively.