Pakistan win series against Sri Lanka

Pakistan posted its second-highest total in Twenty20 cricket and beat scrappy Sri Lanka by 82 runs on Sunday to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.

Fast-improving Maaz Sadaqat (96) and captain Sahibzada Farhan (73) both profited from dropped catches to score second successive rapid half-centuries in Pakistan’s 215-3. Pakistan’s highest-ever T20 score is 232-6 against England in 2021.

Pakistan pacer Mohammad Imran, playing in only his second T20, then did the damage with his incisive swing bowling. He took 3-11 in four unchanged overs as Sri Lanka only managed 133-7 to lose its third successive T20 series away from home.

Sri Lanka lost 2-1 in the West Indies and came to Pakistan after England swept them 3-0.

Rawalpindi, where Pakistan won the first match by four wickets, will host the final game on Tuesday before England joins the two teams for the ODI tri-series, starting next Sunday.