Pakistan defeated Sri Lanka in the ODI three-match series to win the title, achieving this at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore with a margin of three runs. Thanks to Fakhar Zaman's brilliant century, Pakistan reached the target of 326 runs in 48.3 overs, which was the largest successful run chase in an ODI final. Thus, Pakistan matched India's historical record.
The Indian team, led by Saurav Ganguly, achieved the target of 326 runs against England at Lord's during the 2002 NatWest Series final. More than two decades later, Pakistan repeated this feat.
In that memorable Lord's final, the Indian team faced difficulties. After losing five batsmen, Jayuraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif managed to stabilize the game. Jayuraj scored 69 runs, and Kaif remained unbeaten, scoring 87 runs. India managed a dramatic victory in the last overs and won the NatWest trophy.
Now, Pakistan, successfully chasing the target of 326 runs against Sri Lanka, has matched this historical achievement. In the match held on October 31st (Saturday), Pakistan won, scoring 331/7 runs. Pakistan's start was unsuccessful as Babar Azam returned to the bench without scoring a single run off five balls.
After this, Fakhar Zaman and Saad Beg formed a partnership of 149 runs for the third wicket, pulling the team out of a difficult situation. Saad Beg scored 74 runs, and Fakhar played a brilliant innings, scoring 127 runs off 99 balls. This marked Fakhar's twelfth century in ODIs.
When Fakhar Zaman was dismissed, Pakistan's score was 220/4, and the match was still open. Subsequently, Arafat Minhaj (61 runs) and Hasan Nawaz (not out, 37 runs) formed a crucial partnership of 94 runs, bringing the team close to the target. Prior to this, Sri Lanka had scored 325/8 runs thanks to contributions from Chaminda Mendis (131 runs) and Pathan Ratnayake (77 runs).



