Dushmantha Chameera held his nerve in a tense final over as Sri Lanka beat Pakistan by six runs on Thursday at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, sealing a place in the T20I Tri-Series final.

Chameera, named Player of the Match, finished with figures of 4–20, including a flawless final over that denied Pakistan a dramatic comeback in a 184-run chase. Earlier, Kamil Mishara’s fluent 76 off 48 balls, supported by 40 from Kusal Mendis, helped Sri Lanka post 184 for 5. Abrar Ahmed took 2–28 for Pakistan.

Pakistan, sent in to field after winning the toss, were rocked early by Chameera, who claimed three top-order wickets in his opening overs. The chase looked bleak at 43 for 4, but captain Salman Ali Agha’s unbeaten 63 rallied the hosts. A 56-run partnership with Usman Khan (33) and late contributions from Mohammad Nawaz brought Pakistan within striking distance. With 10 runs needed off the final over, Chameera’s precise Yorkers and a key wicket ensured Pakistan fell short.

“Yeah, coming from 40/4, you don’t usually chase 180, but we still had a chance — we just couldn’t finish the game. I think it was a good wicket, and with the dew coming in, we had an opportunity but couldn’t complete the job.
In the T20 format, if you don’t start well with either bat or ball, you’re going to lose more often than not.
I would have loved it even more if we had finished the game,” said Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha at the post-match presentation.

Sri Lanka’s innings had begun cautiously, with Pakistan striking early in the powerplay. Pathum Nissanka fell to a beautiful delivery from Salman Mirza, but Mendis and Mishara quickly took control, adding 66 runs in 36 balls. The duo’s aggressive strokeplay, including Mishara’s sixes and Mendis’s crisp boundaries, ensured Sri Lanka reached a defendable total.

Despite his valiant knock, Salman was repeatedly starved of strike in the final overs, ultimately leaving Pakistan short in a thrilling finish. The win guarantees Sri Lanka a clash with Pakistan in Saturday’s tri-series final, promising another high-stakes encounter.