Pakistan vs Sri Lanka, 1st ODI

The highly anticipated 1st ODI of the Sri Lanka tour of Pakistan 2025 will be held at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. Both Pakistan and Sri Lanka come into this match with contrasting recent forms. Pakistan has displayed strong performance in their home conditions, winning 4 of their last 5 ODIs, backed by a solid bowling attack and in-form batsmen. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, have been a bit inconsistent overseas but showed resilience in their previous series, particularly with their middle order stabilizing innings. Historically, Pakistan enjoys a slight edge at home against Sri Lanka, having won nearly 60% of matches at venues similar to Rawalpindi. Key players for Pakistan include their aggressive opener, who has been scoring runs at a strike rate above 90, and their leading fast bowler, who excels in swing conditions typical of Rawalpindi. Sri Lanka’s strength lies in their spin department and a young top-order batsman who has been impressive in the recent Asia Cup. Strategically, Pakistan might look to exploit early seam movement and put Sri Lanka under pressure with disciplined bowling upfront, while Sri Lanka will aim to counter with their spinners and target Pakistan’s middle order. The toss could play a vital role, as the pitch has shown tendency to slow down on day two if batting first. Overall, weighing recent form, home advantage, and player fitness, Pakistan holds the advantage but Sri Lanka has the capability to cause an upset if they execute well.

If Pakistan bats first on this Rawalpindi pitch, they are likely to post a competitive total around 280-300 runs considering their depth in batting and favorable home conditions. The pitch traditionally offers good bounce and carries well, allowing stroke making upfront. In contrast, if Sri Lanka bats first, a total in the range of 260-280 would be a challenging but achievable target given their ability to build partnerships and play spin effectively. The pitch tends to slow down slightly in the second innings, so chasing teams must start aggressively to negate any deterioration. Both teams have quality finishers who can capitalize on death-over bowling, making totals in this range quite defendable.

Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium is known for a surface that balances between bat and ball. The pitch generally offers good bounce for the bowlers on the first day but tends to slow down, providing assistance to spinners as the match progresses. The average first-innings score at this ground is around 285 runs in ODI encounters. Historically, chasing teams have a success rate of about 52% here, suggesting that the pitch does not drastically favor either bat-first or chase strategies. Weather on 11th November 2025 is expected to be clear and dry with temperatures hovering around 28°C, creating ideal conditions for cricket. The best bowler records here include Pakistan’s leading fast bowler, who has taken 15 wickets at an average of 22 runs, and Sri Lanka's premier spinner, who holds the best bowling figures of 5/35. The top batsman record goes to Pakistan's veteran opener who has scored 320 runs at an average of 45 on this ground against Sri Lanka.

Matches Played	Pakistan Wins	Sri Lanka Wins
40	24	16

Team Recent Performance

Team	Last 5 ODIs
Pakistan	W, W, L, W, W
Sri Lanka	L, L, W, W, L

Pakistan:

Fakhar Zaman - The opening batsman has been in sublime form, averaging over 50 in the last 5 ODIs with an impressive strike rate above 90, anchoring Pakistan’s innings effectively.

Shaheen Afridi - Pakistan's spearhead fast bowler known for lethal opening spells and swing bowling, he has taken 18 wickets in his last 7 ODIs, making early breakthroughs.

Shadab Khan - The spin allrounder has contributed crucial middle overs wickets and chipped in with handy lower-order runs, showing good control on subcontinental pitches.

Sri Lanka:

Bhanuka Rajapaksa - Emerging as a reliable top-order batsman, he has recently scored two half-centuries in the Asia Cup and provides stability with stroke-making prowess.

Dushmantha Chameera - The pacer has been leading the Sri Lankan attack, consistently clocking 140+ kph and swinging the ball early, vital against Pakistan’s strong batting line-up.

Maheesh Theekshana - A young spinner who impressed recently with economical spells and wicket-taking abilities on turning tracks, eyeing to utilize Rawalpindi’s slow conditions.