Sri Lanka will face Pakistan in a 3 match T20 series, starting on the 26th of October in Abu Dhabi. The third T20 will be played in Lahore and it will be the first time the Sri Lankan outfit will be travelling to Pakistan after the terrorist attack on the team in 2009. Let’s take a closer look at the T20 numbers between these two sides.
Since 2007
The two rivals met for the first time in a T20 game during the T20 World Cup in 2007. The group match in Johannesburg was won by Pakistan with a margin of 33 runs. The first win for Sri Lanka came in the following year at King City, Ontario. Led by Mahela Jayawardene, Sri Lanka won by 5 wickets, chasing down 132 runs.
Pakistan vs Sri Lanka head to head T20 tally –
- Played – 15
- Pakistan – 10
- Sri Lanka – 5
Recap of the past years
The two teams met twice during the 2009 T20 World Cup. In the group stage encounter at Lord’s, Sri Lanka won by 19 runs. Batting first, the Lions made 150/7 while Pakistan only managed 131/9 in their 20 overs.
However, Pakistan avenged their defeat when they beat Sri Lanka at the same venue in the final on the 21st of June 2009, by 8 wickets, becoming T20 World Champions for the first time in their history.
When Pakistan welcomed Sri Lanka to UAE in 2011, a solitary T20 was played with Pakistan winning by 5 wickets at Abu Dhabi.
During the Pakistan tour to Sri Lanka in 2012, two T20s were played in Hambantota with the teams finishing with a win a piece.
In 2012, Sri Lanka was granted the opportunity of hosting T20’s biggest championship and during the tournament, locked horns with Pakistan in the semifinal at RPS. Replying to Sri Lanka’s modest total of 139 runs, Pakistan obtained a commanding start, scoring 55 runs by the 10th over at the expense of only one wicket. However things took a turn with Angelo Mathews’ double strike. Nasir Jamshed was trapped LBW before Mahela Jayawardene caught Kamran Akmal for 1. Rangana Herath then rattled the stumps of Shoaib Malik for 6, leaving Pakistan at 64/4 in 11 overs. However Mohammad Hafeez began to rebuild the innings with Umar Akmal, taking Pakistan to 91, much to the despair of the packed crowd at the RPS. At 91/4, it was another turnaround as Herath removed Hafeez for 42 and the danger man Afridi for a duck. Umar Akmal’s resistance proved futile as Sri Lanka managed to defend their total by 16 runs, booking a place in the T20 World Cup final for the second time in 4 years.
Sri Lanka’s visit to UAE in 2013 featured two T20s that ended with a win to each team. During Pakistan’s tour of Sri Lanka in 2015, the tourists whitewashed the hosts 2-0, winning both games at RPS. The last time these two teams met was during the Asia Cup in 2016. Pakistan won the match in Dhaka by 6 wickets.
The UAE
Since 2011, Sri Lanka and Pakistan have played 3 T20s in the UAE.
Pakistan vs Sri Lanka head to head T20 tally in UAE –
- Played – 3
- Pakistan – 2
- Sri Lanka – 1
Abu Dhabi
Pakistan have played five T20Is at the venue, winning 2 and losing 3. Sri Lanka have played a solitary game at Abu Dhabi against Pakistan in 2011, losing it.
Return to Lahore
The iconic venue, carrying fond memories for Sri Lankan fans will host its first T20 for the tourists. Pakistan have played 5 games at Lahore and won 4 of them.
Team Records
- Highest team total – 211/3 (Sri Lanka at Dubai, 2013)
- Highest team total (for Pakistan) – 189/6 (at Johannesburg, 2007)
- Lowest team total – 95 all out (Pakistan at Hambantota, 2012)
- Lowest team total (for Sri Lanka) – 99 all out (at Hambantota, 2012)
Batting Records
- Most runs – Shahid Afridi – 331 runs in 14 innings (Avg. 30.09)
- Most runs (for Sri Lanka) – TM Dilshan – 323 runs in 13 innings (Avg. 26.91)
- Most runs in UAE – Kusal Perera – 99 runs in 2 innings (Avg. 49.50)
- Most runs in UAE (for Pakistan) – Shahid Afridi – 89 in 3 innings (Avg. 44.50)
- Highest individual score – Kusal Perera – 84 at Dubai, 2013
- Highest individual score (for Pakistan) – Shoaib Malik – 57 at Johannesburg, 2007
Bowling Records
- Most wickets – Lasith Malinga – 16 wickets in 11 innings (Avg. 19.18)
- Most wickets (for Pakistan) – Saeed Ajmal – 14 wickets in 9 innings (Avg. 16.21)
- Most wickets in UAE – Lasith Malinga – 5 wickets in 3 innings (Avg. 17.60) & Saeed Ajmal – 5 wickets in 3 innings (Avg. 16.40)
- Best bowling – Umar Gul – 4 for 13 at King City, 2008
- Best bowling (for Sri Lanka) – Kaushalya Weeraratne – 4 for 19 at King City, 2008
