Maaz Sadaqat struck a blistering 96 off 51 balls to power Pakistan to 215-3 against Sri Lanka in the second Twenty20 International at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Sunday, narrowly missing out on a maiden T20I century in a commanding batting display.
The left-hander, who had announced himself with a half-century on debut in the series opener, smashed six fours and seven sixes to help Pakistan finish with a formidable total after Sri Lanka opted to field.
Captain Sahibzada Farhan provided equally important support, scoring 73 off 44 deliveries, with four boundaries and five sixes, as the pair added 88 runs for the second wicket.
Maaz walked in after Fakhar Zaman fell for 22 off 17 balls off spinner Maheesh Theekshana in the seventh over, with Pakistan at 55-1. He survived an early scare when a leading edge fell short of the cover fielder, before gradually shifting gears alongside Farhan.
Farhan, who had started cautiously, found his rhythm with a slog-swept six over cow corner against Theekshana.
Maaz responded with a powerful drive over the bowler’s head for two before launching another delivery over long-on. The left-hander also reverse-paddled Dasun Shanaka for four and charged down the track to dispatch him over long-on.
Sri Lanka’s fielding offered Pakistan crucial reprieves. Sineth Jayawardena dropped a straightforward chance off Farhan at short third in the fourth over, while Theekshana could not hold a difficult opportunity at midwicket.
Farhan made the most of his escapes, reaching his half-century off 32 balls with a single against pacer Eshan Malinga in the 10th over.
Maaz brought up his second consecutive fifty in just 29 deliveries, launching Theekshana over long-off in the 15th over. By then, the partnership had transformed Pakistan’s innings, with the batters repeatedly exploiting gaps and punishing loose deliveries.
Farhan struck successive sixes against Theekshana before reaching 73, but his innings ended when he slashed Shanaka towards deep third in the 15th over. Jayawardena, who had earlier dropped him, completed the catch.
Maaz then took charge, combining clean hitting with inventive strokeplay. He smashed Theekshana for three sixes in the 16th over, including one over midwicket and another over long-off.
He continued to target the leg side, while also carving boundaries behind point and scooping Nuwan Thushara over short fine leg.
Hasan Nawaz added impetus with an unbeaten 19 off nine balls as Pakistan crossed 200 in the 19th over. Maaz moved to 92 with two boundaries against Thushara but could not find the final push for his century.
Malinga produced an excellent final over, mixing slower deliveries and a superb yorker to deny the batter. Maaz missed two attempted slices before collecting two runs twice, but was caught by Shanaka at deep cover off the final ball, departing on 96.
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