Pakistan meet Sri Lanka in the final of the ODI tri-series at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore today, Saturday, with both sides chasing the title in front of what should be a loud home crowd. The match is scheduled to begin at 1:00 pm Pakistan Standard Time, with the toss set for 12:30 pm, and the two captains could hardly present a sharper contrast in mood: Shaheen Shah Afridi leads a Pakistan side that has grown into the tournament, while Kusal Mendis captains a Sri Lankan team that has already shown it can dismantle this Pakistan batting line-up on its own ground.
That earlier meeting is why this final carries more tension than a routine home fixture. Sri Lanka bowled Pakistan out for just 110 in Lahore earlier in the tournament, so the hosts know the visitors will not be overawed by the occasion or the crowd. Pakistan, meanwhile, can claim their first ODI tri-series title on home soil.
How to Watch Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Live
Fans in Pakistan can watch live on television on PTV Sports, while Tapmad, Tamasha and PCB Live will stream the match online. Tamasha, Tapmad and Myco all offer viewing on iOS and Android as well as the web, and PCB Live works on Android, iOS and browsers, giving supporters several straightforward ways to follow every ball without hunting for unofficial streams.
PCB Live will also carry coverage in the United Kingdom, North America, the Caribbean, Africa and Europe. Elsewhere, viewers can watch through Willow TV in North America, Sky Sports in the United Kingdom, Fox Sports in Australia and Cricbuzz across the Middle East and North Africa. In Sri Lanka, the match will be on Dialog, Peo TV and Siyatha TV, while viewers in Bangladesh can follow it on T Sports and Tapmad, digital coverage in India will be through Veto, and Sports Central and Sports TV will cover other regions.
Pakistan vs Sri Lanka ODI Tri-Series Final Preview
Pakistan enter the final after winning three matches, including two against England and one against Sri Lanka, aiming to turn that consistency into silverware. This is the fourth ODI tri-series hosted by Pakistan, after editions in 1994, 2004 and 2025, and winning at home would give the current group a tangible achievement after a tournament of steady, if not always fluent, progress.
Salman Ali Agha has been Pakistan’s leading run-scorer, with 158 runs in four matches, including a century against Sri Lanka in the opening match at Rawalpindi. His form anchors the middle order, and underlines why the top order remains the talking point: if the openers give the middle order a platform rather than early wickets, Pakistan’s batting looks far more settled. With the ball, Arafat Minhas has taken nine wickets in four matches, including a six-wicket haul in Pakistan’s 87-run victory over England in Rawalpindi.
Captain Shaheen Shah Afridi has taken eight wickets in four matches, leaving him joint second on the tournament’s leading wicket-takers list alongside Sri Lanka’s Dilshan Madushanka. Ahead of the final, Shaheen acknowledged Pakistan needed to improve their top-order batting and build stronger partnerships despite performing well throughout. He hoped fans would turn out in large numbers at Gaddafi Stadium and said the team would retain its current combination for the decider, a sign he trusts the group that has carried Pakistan this far.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka captain Kusal Mendis said his team was well prepared and would focus on following its plans against Pakistan. Mendis praised Pakistan’s recent performances, said Sri Lanka would build on the positives from their previous meeting, and appreciated the support shown by Pakistani fans toward Sri Lankan players. That warmth has been a feature of the series, but it will count for little once the first ball is bowled: Sri Lanka know they have the bowling to trouble Pakistan, and Pakistan know they have the batting depth to post a winning total if their top order fires.
For Pakistan, the final is about finishing a job largely done well: three wins, a settled bowling attack led by Shaheen and Minhas, and a middle order in form. For Sri Lanka, it is about repeating the discipline that produced the 110 all out in Lahore and proving that result was no one-off. Lahore has waited for a home tri-series triumph, and today is the chance to deliver one. With the first ball at 1:00 pm, supporters watching on PTV Sports, Tapmad, Tamasha or PCB Live in Pakistan, or on the official broadcasters abroad, should be in for a final worthy of the tournament that produced it.
