Hello, my dear friends! Assalam-o-Alaikum! How are you all? I hope you are smiling and doing great. It is Maryam here.
Do you remember where you were when Babar Azam hit his first century? My whole family still talks about that evening — we were crammed around the TV in our drawing room, and my father would not let anyone change the channel. Yesterday, Rawalpindi gave us another evening like that.
Salman Ali Agha smashed a dream 107 off 90 balls against Sri Lanka — his fourth ODI hundred — and powered Pakistan to 305 in the tri-series opener. And as if that was not enough, Babar Azam crossed 16,000 international runs on the very same day. Two gifts in one match. Let me tell you how it all happened, in very simple words.
Salman Ali Agha’s Century: How He Played the Innings
Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to bowl first. At first, their bowlers troubled Pakistan. Saim Ayub fell for 7 runs, and then Fakhar Zaman went for 16. Pakistan were 32 for 2, and fans were a little worried.
But then Babar Azam and debutant Saad Baig steadied the ship. They added 74 runs for the third wicket and took the score past 100. Babar played a well-compiled innings of 45 runs off 57 balls, with six beautiful boundaries. The young Saad Baig, who is only 19 years old and playing his first ODI, scored a brave 39 off 40 balls with three fours and two sixes.
Then Salman Ali Agha joined hands with Hasan Nawaz, and the two steadied the innings again. They added 97 precious runs together and pushed the score past 200. Hasan Nawaz scored 37 runs off 49 balls, with two fours and two sixes, before Asitha Fernando dismissed him.
Salman Ali Agha kept going. He shared another 50-run stand with Arafat Minhas and raised his bat for his fourth ODI century. In total, he top-scored with a superb 107 off 90 balls, hitting 10 fours and one six. The crowd cheered loudly for every boundary.
However, Pakistan lost their way in the last overs. The team was well placed at 279 for 5, but then lost the last five wickets for only 26 runs. Sri Lankan bowlers Eshan Malinga and Asitha Fernando bowled very well at the death. Malinga took four wickets, and Fernando took three wickets. In the end, Pakistan were bowled out for 305 in 49.5 overs, so Sri Lanka need 306 runs to win.
Babar Azam Crosses 16,000 International Runs
While Salman Ali Agha stole the show, Babar Azam made his own history. He came into this match on 15,993 international runs and needed only seven more runs to reach the big mark. Then he pushed the ball for three runs off Asitha Fernando and entered a very special club.
Babar Azam became only the fifth Pakistani batter to score 16,000 international runs. Before him, only Inzamam-ul-Haq, Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousuf and Javed Miandad had done it. This match was also Babar’s 355th international game for Pakistan.
His numbers are truly special. Babar has scored 6,633 runs in 144 ODIs, 4,771 runs in 66 Tests and 4,596 runs in 145 T20Is. He is one of the finest batters of his generation, and Pakistani fans are very proud of him.
The Tri-Series: What Happens Next
This match was the opener of the ODI tri-series, which also includes England. The seven-match tournament will be played from October 18 to October 31. Rawalpindi will host the first three matches, and the last four, including the final, will be played at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.
Pakistan are led by captain Shaheen Shah Afridi. For the first time since the Champions Trophy in 2025, the pace trio of Shaheen, Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf are playing together in an ODI. Arafat Minhas is the spin option, and Saad Baig is the new wicketkeeper.
Next, Pakistan will face England in Rawalpindi on October 20. Also, the ODI between Pakistan and England on October 25 will be dedicated to breast cancer awareness. I wrote earlier about why Pakistan will wear pink jerseys against Sri Lanka in this series, and it is a beautiful reason. You can also read full schedule of the ODI tri-series on this site.
Sri Lanka’s Chase Was Still On After Salman Ali Agha’s Century
When I was writing this story, Sri Lanka had started chasing the big target of 306 runs. Their batters were trying hard, and Pakistan’s bowlers were fighting back. Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah opened the bowling with good pace. Every over was tense, because 306 is a big score but the pitch in Rawalpindi is good for batting.
No matter how the match ends, this day will be remembered for two things. First, Salman Ali Agha’s lovely century. Second, Babar Azam joining the 16,000-run club. Days like this are the reason fans love cricket so much.
According to The News, Salman Ali Agha’s century guided Pakistan to 305 despite the late collapse (The News). ESPNcricinfo’s match report also confirms that Sri Lanka chose to bowl first and that Pakistan handed a debut to Saad Baig (ESPNcricinfo).
Sri Lanka had started their chase when I wrote this article. Stories like this make me love writing for Pak Unfiltered, because I get to share such happy sports news with all of you.
Take care, my friends! Read more on our Contact Us page if you want to reach us. And tell me in the comments: who is your favourite player in this tri-series?
