Pakistan had already won three from three. They had already qualified for the final. They had already beaten Sri Lanka by 37 runs on October 18. They walked out at Gaddafi Stadium on October 27 knowing the result did not matter for their own qualification. What followed was one of the most humiliating collapses in Pakistan home ODI history. And a Sri Lankan bowler nobody was talking about before this tournament stood at the top of his mark in Lahore and dismantled a full Pakistan batting lineup in one afternoon.
Madushanka and Sri Lanka Demolished Pakistan
Sri Lanka beat Pakistan by 8 wickets with 191 balls remaining in the fifth match of the ODI tri-series at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on October 27, 2026. Pakistan were bowled out for 110. Sri Lanka chased 111 in 6.5 overs. The final is confirmed. Pakistan vs Sri Lanka at Gaddafi Stadium Lahore on October 31.
How Pakistan Were Bowled Out for 110
Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to field. That decision became the match within three overs.
Dilshan Madushanka produced the bowling performance of the tri-series. His 5 for 34 from his allotted ten overs dismantled Pakistan’s batting lineup with a left-arm pace spell that generated swing, seam, and bounce across his entire spell. He sent back Fakhar Zaman with a short ball in the early overs. He came back and took four more wickets across the middle phase of Pakistan’s innings.
Babar Azam top-scored with 29 off 33 balls. Only three other Pakistan batters managed double figures. The rest of the batting lineup fell for single-digit scores or ducks across an innings that lasted just 23.2 overs. Pakistan were all out for 110. It is their second-lowest ODI total at home in their entire ODI history.
Dilshan Madushanka: The Man of the Match
Madushanka’s career-best ODI figures of 5 for 34 from his spell at Gaddafi Stadium are the bowling performance of the entire tri-series. His left-arm angle created specific problems that Pakistan’s batters had no answers to. Short ball to Fakhar. Full ball to Babar. Cutters to the middle order. Each batter faced a different challenge and each batter failed to solve it.
He is 22 years old. He made his ODI debut in 2022. He has taken wickets in patches before but never like this. A five-wicket ODI haul against Pakistan at their home ground in a tournament match confirms he is ready for the biggest occasions at the highest level.
Sri Lanka’s Chase
Sri Lanka needed 111. They got there before 20 overs with 8 wickets remaining. The chase was barely a chase. It was a formality completed with such ease that the scoreboard turned from competitive to irrelevant before the seventh over began.
Sineth Jayawardena opened with Kusal Mendis. They raced to 50 for 1 inside four overs. Jayawardena’s dismissal brought Charith Asalanka to the crease. He hit the winning boundary before any Pakistan bowler had completed their second over. Sri Lanka won with 191 balls to spare. The winning margin in balls remaining is one of the most emphatic in Pakistan home ODI history.
England Are Out
England needed Sri Lanka to lose today to keep their final hopes alive. Sri Lanka won by 8 wickets. England are mathematically eliminated from the tri-series. They finish the round-robin stage with zero points from four matches. They will play one final dead rubber against Sri Lanka on October 29 in Lahore before the tournament ends for them.
England came into this series on three consecutive ODI series wins. They produced a double century from their captain. They produced individual brilliance in every match they played. They leave with zero points, zero wins, and zero final appearances.
The Final: Pakistan vs Sri Lanka on October 31
The tri-series final is confirmed for October 31 at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. It is a day-night match. Pakistan enter as the unbeaten round-robin winners with three wins from three matches before today’s loss. Sri Lanka enter after winning two of their three matches and chasing 430 against England.
This is a rematch of the first tri-series encounter on October 18 when Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by 37 runs with Salman Agha scoring 107. Sri Lanka now have the form and the confidence heading into the final. Their 430 chase against England showed what their batting can produce. Madushanka’s five-for today showed what their bowling can do on the right day.
Pakistan’s bowling needs to be at its best from Shaheen Afridi and the rest. Their batting, which was bowled out for 110 today, needs to recall that their first meeting with Sri Lanka produced 305 runs. The captaincy structure and how Pakistan manages the form slump from today heading into Sunday’s final is explored in our piece on Pakistan cricket team captaincy past and future.
What the Final Means for Both Teams
Pakistan finished the 2025-26 season without an ODI series win at home. They then won three consecutive tri-series matches dominantly including an 87-run win against England and a dramatic one-wicket win through Shadab’s century against England. Their tournament form is excellent across the round-robin. They have not lost at home this calendar year until today.
Sri Lanka beat England by chasing 430. They beat Pakistan by bowling them out for 110. They arrive at the final having demonstrated two completely different styles of winning. Their batting can scale any target. Their bowling can dismantle any lineup on the right day. The role the tri-series has played in developing both teams’ ODI form ahead of the 2027 World Cup is part of the broader story of how bilateral competition builds champions, explored in our piece on the impact of franchise leagues on cricket.
The Tri-Series Final Preview: What to Expect
Pakistan are at home. Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore will be full. The pitch for the final will be fresh and should offer more for batting than what today’s game produced.
Sri Lanka have Mendis in form. They have Madushanka with the ball. They have Wellalage’s spin for the middle overs. They have Shanaka’s batting in the lower order. Every dimension of their cricket has contributed to at least one significant win in this tournament.
Pakistan have Shaheen and Naseem with the new ball. They have Babar at three. They have Shadab’s century from October 25 as recent form evidence that their middle order can produce under pressure. And they have the experience of having beaten Sri Lanka in this very tournament three weeks ago.
Final of Tri Series Details
The final is at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Saturday, October 31. Start time is 2:00 PM PKT and 1:30 PM IST. The broadcast is on PTV Sports, Tapmad, and SonyLIV for Indian viewers.
Conclusion
Sri Lanka bowled Pakistan out for 110 at Gaddafi Stadium on October 27. Dilshan Madushanka took 5 for 34. Sri Lanka chased 111 in 6.5 overs with 8 wickets remaining and 191 balls to spare. England are eliminated with zero points. The tri-series final is Pakistan vs Sri Lanka on October 31 in Lahore. Pakistan enter with three round-robin wins and a lesson from today. Sri Lanka enter with the form of a team that has chased 430 and bowled out Pakistan for 110 in the same tournament. The final belongs to both teams in equal measure. Gaddafi Stadium decides who lifts the trophy on Saturday.
