Pakistan vs Sri Lanka, POTS 2026, Today Match Prediction

PAK vs SL Match Prediction & Analysis

Pakistan will face Sri Lanka in the final of the ODI tri-series at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, on October 31, with both teams aiming to finish the tournament by lifting the trophy. Pakistan won their first three matches before suffering an eight-wicket defeat against Sri Lanka in their most recent encounter. The hosts will be eager to bounce back after being bowled out for just 110 runs, while Sri Lanka will take confidence from their dominant performance to challenge Pakistan for the title.

Pakistan’s campaign has featured some impressive individual performances, including Salman Ali Agha’s century in their opening win over Sri Lanka and Shadab Khan’s unbeaten 113 against England. However, their batting inconsistency remains a concern, especially after Dilshan Madushanka took five wickets for 34 in their previous meeting. Pakistan’s top order will need to provide a stronger foundation, while their pace attack, led by Shaheen Shah Afridi, will be crucial in restricting Sri Lanka’s batting lineup. 

Sri Lanka, meanwhile, will enter the final with renewed confidence after winning two of their last three matches, including a remarkable chase of 430 against England and their comfortable victory over Pakistan. Pavan Rathnayake has also been among the tournament’s leading run-scorers, making Sri Lanka a formidable opponent. 

With Pakistan looking to recover from their recent defeat and Sri Lanka aiming to carry their momentum into the final, the contest promises to be an intriguing battle for the tri-series title.

RECENT PERFORMANCE

PAK

L W W W W

PAK

110/10 in 25.3 4.31

POTS 2026

Sri Lanka beat Pakistan by 8 wickets 27 Oct 2026

SL

114/2 in 18.1 6.28

PAK

243/9 in 47.1 5.15

POTS 2026

Pakistan won by 1 wickets 25 Oct 2026

ENG

241/10 in 46.4 5.16

PAK

302/9 in 50.0 6.04

POTS 2026

Pakistan won by 87 runs 20 Oct 2026

ENG

215/10 in 38.4 5.56

PAK

305/10 in 49.5 6.12

POTS 2026

Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by 37 runs 18 Oct 2026

SL

268/10 in 48.1 5.56

PAK

161/6 in 41.5 3.85

AUS vs PAK 2026

Pakistan Won by 4 wickets 04 Jun 2026

AUS

157/10 in 42.0 3.74

SL

L W W L L

SL

331/10 in 45.1 7.33

POTS 2026

England beat Sri Lanka by 55 runs 29 Oct 2026

ENG

386/5 in 50.0 7.72

PAK

110/10 in 25.3 4.31

POTS 2026

Sri Lanka beat Pakistan by 8 wickets 27 Oct 2026

SL

114/2 in 18.1 6.28

SL

430/8 in 49.5 8.63

POTS 2026

Sri Lanka beat England by 2 wickets 22 Oct 2026

ENG

429/4 in 50.0 8.58

PAK

305/10 in 49.5 6.12

POTS 2026

Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by 37 runs 18 Oct 2026

SL

268/10 in 48.1 5.56

ENG

355/7 in 50.0 7.1

ENG vs SL

England Won by 223 runs 27 Sep 2026

SL

132/10 in 29.1 4.53

HEAD TO HEAD

TEAMS PREVIEW

Pakistan Preview

Pakistan suffered a disappointing eight-wicket defeat against Sri Lanka in their previous game, as their batting lineup collapsed for just 110 in 25.3 overs. Babar Azam top-scored with 29, while Hasan Nawaz managed 17, but neither could prevent the hosts from losing seven wickets for just 49 runs after reaching 61/4. Shaheen Shah Afridi and Arafat Minhas managed to take a wicket each. But the Sri Lankan side chased the target with 191 balls to spare.

Fakhar Zaman will open the innings with Saim Ayub. Both have failed to score runs in this series. Zaman has 31 while Ayub has 21 runs in the first four games. Babar Azam will come in at number three. He scored 29 in the last game. He has 243 runs in the last 7 ODIs at an average of 35. 

Saad Baig will come in the middle with Salman Agha, Hasan Nawaz, and Shadab Khan. Baig has 111 runs in 4 games. Salman Agha is their leading run-scorer with 123 runs. He scored a century in the first game. He will be the batter to watch out for. Nawaz scored 79 off 74 balls in the second game while hitting 5 fours and 4 sixes. Shadab Khan did the unthinkable against England in the third game, scoring a century to help Pakistan win by 1 wicket.

Arafat Minhas is their leading wicket-taker with 9 wickets. He had picked up his career-best 6 wickets in the second game. He will be the bowler to watch out for. Shaheen Shah Afridi will lead the bowling attack with Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, and Saim Ayub. Afridi has taken 8 wickets in this series. Afridi has 92 wickets in 43 games when his team bowls first - the most by any bowler in the team.

Key Players: Babar Azam, Salman Agha, Arafat Minhas.

Pakistan Predicted Playing XI:

Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub, Babar Azam, Saad Baig (wk), Salman Agha, Hasan Nawaz, Arafat Minhas, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi (c), Shadab Khan, Haris Rauf.

Sri Lanka Preview

Sri Lanka suffered a 55-run defeat against England in their previous game, despite another strong batting effort from Pavan Rathnayake. Chasing 387, Sri Lanka were bowled out for 331 in 45.1 overs, with Rathnayake leading the charge with a brilliant 118 off 77 balls. He received support from the middle order, but Liam Dawson's four-wicket haul helped England close out the game. Sri Lanka's defeat ended their winning run.

Kamindu Mendis will open the innings with Avishka Fernando. Fernando scored 48 runs in their last game. He has 166 runs in 4 games, averaging 42. Kamindu has 128 runs with a half-century. Kusal Mendis will come in at number three. Mendis scored 89 in the last game with 8 fours and 5 sixes. In the rest of the games, he has just 29 runs. 

Pavan Rathnayake will come in the middle with Dasun Shanaka and Janith Liyanage. Rathnayake is the leading run-scorer of the series with 350 runs. He scored 118 in the last game. He will be the batter to watch out for. Shanaka has scored 129 runs in 3 innings at a strike rate of 163.29 - the highest among the batters. Liyange has been consistent in the last 3 games with 2 half-centuries. 

Dilshan Madushanka will lead the bowling attack with Asitha Fernando and Eshan Malinga. Madushanka is their leading wicket-taker with 8 wickets. He was the player of the match against Pakistan for his 5 wickets. He can be the bowler to watch out for. Fernando has 7 while Malinga has 6 wickets in 4 games. Malinga gave up 101 runs in the last game. 

Key Players: Dilshan Madushanka, Pavan Rathnayake, Janith Liyanage.

Sri Lanka Predicted Playing XI:

Sahan Arachchige, Janith Liyanage, Dasun Shanaka, Dunith Wellalage, Eshan Malinga, Asitha Fernando, Dilshan Madushanka, Pavan Rathnayake, Kusal Mendis (c)†, Avishka Fernando, Kamindu Mendis

PITCH AND WEATHER CONDITIONS

Weather Conditions

The weather in Gaddafi Stadium is expected to be sunny on match days, with temperatures ranging from 30 to 32 degrees Celsius. Winds will blow from the southeast at 6-10 km/h. It is a batting-friendly pitch in the first innings.

PAK vs SL Pitch Report

The match will be played at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, on 25th October, from 1:30 pm onwards. The average first innings score is 251, 34 more than the second innings. Pakistan’s 375/3 against Zimbabwe in 2015 is the highest ODI total at the venue. In the last eight completed ODIs excluding the rain-affected game, the first-innings average rises to around 287, with the second innings averaging 266. Batting first and chasing have each won 50% of those matches.

Toss: To Bat

92 ODIs have been played at Gaddafi Stadium, with 48 wins for teams batting first and 42 for teams chasing. Gaddafi Stadium has not shown a strong chasing advantage recently. In the latest eight completed ODIs, teams batting first and chasing have each won 50% of the games. The team winning the toss should bowl first.