Fakhar Zaman's 127 seals Pakistan tri-series final win over Sri Lanka

Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by three wickets under lights at the Gaddafi Stadium to win the tri-series final, chasing down a target of 326 with Fakhar Zaman's 127 off 99 balls at the centre of the pursuit.

Pakistan closed on 331 for seven in 48.3 overs, with nine balls to spare, a chase that Yahoo Sports reported equalled India's record from the 2002 final at Lord's for the highest successful run chase in an ODI final.

The chase had started badly. Dilshan Madushanka removed Babar Azam for a five-ball duck and struck again during the powerplay, leaving Pakistan needing to rebuild early, according to Yahoo Sports.

Fakhar Zaman and Saad Baig did the repair work, adding 149 together, with Baig making 74 off 75 balls before the innings moved into its decisive phase.

Zaman, named Player of the Match, said he had trusted his method despite four quiet matches beforehand. "I've played enough cricket now to know that when it's my day and the ball starts coming nicely off my bat, I'll score big. So I was just waiting for that moment," he said.

He also described a slow start to his own innings. "Even today, I was struggling a little at the start, but luckily the runs came, and that's a good thing for me. Whenever there is a final, I seem to score runs," Zaman said.

After his dismissal, the finish fell to two of Pakistan's newer faces. Arafat Minhas, 21, and Hasan Nawaz, 24, added 94 together, with Minhas striking four sixes in a rapid 61 off 31 balls, Guardian Cricket reported.

Minhas and Faheem Ashraf both fell with two runs still needed, before Shaheen Afridi ended the match with a six to complete the three-wicket win.

Minhas had already made an impression in the tournament, having taken six wickets against England at the start of the series with his left-arm spin. His bowling proved expensive in the final, but his batting made up for it.

Sri Lanka set a target for the first time in the tri-series, built on an opening stand of 87 involving Avishka Fernando before Pakistan found a breakthrough through Salman Agha's part-time off-breaks, which accounted for the first two wickets.

Kamindu Mendis then took charge, sharing a stand of 146 in 20 overs with Pavan Rathnayake that carried Sri Lanka to 255 after 41 overs.

Mendis finished with 131, his maiden century in one-day international cricket, arriving seven years after his ODI debut and more than doubling his previous best score in the format, Guardian Cricket reported.

Rathnayake's contribution of 77 took his tri-series tally to 427 runs at an average of 106.75, built on two centuries against England earlier in the competition.

Dasun Shanaka, who had struck brutally in Sri Lanka's earlier chase of 430 against England, was waiting for a late assault, but Shaheen Afridi reined in the scoring and kept Sri Lanka's total from climbing further out of reach.