Pakistan flexed their muscle in the first T20I  in Dambulla, beating Sri Lanka by six wickets with 20 balls to spare. The win was set up by their bowling unit. On a two-paced pitch, Salman Mirza and Abrar Ahmed picked up three wickets each and a returning Shadab Khan two.

Sri Lanka’s innings never got going. Sent in, they found themselves on 38 for 4 in the seventh over. They recovered to reach 127 for 6 in the 18th but lost the last four wickets for the addition of just one more run.

In reply, Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub gave Pakistan a start of 59 in 5.5 overs. Ayub fell for 24 but Farhan carried on, bringing up his fifty off 35 balls. Pakistan did lose three quick wickets when they were around 100 but by then, the result was all but decided. Shadab scored a quick 18 not out off 12 balls and picked up the Player-of-the-Match award.

Given the rain concerns, the pitch had been under covers for the last couple of days. When Salman Agha opted to bowl after winning the toss, he expected his bowlers to make use of the moisture in the surface. He was’t let down. Mirza and Mohammad Wasim largely bowled good lines and lengths, and with some balls skidding through and some holding into the pitch, the run scoring wasn’t easy. When the Sri Lanka openers, Kamil Mishara and Pathum Nissanka, tried to attack, they lost their wickets. As a result, Sri Lakna could manage only 35 for 2 in the powerplay.

Playing his first match for Pakistan since June 2025, Shadab Khan didn’t take long to make an impact. With his third ball, he trapped Kusal Mendis lbw. Two balls later, he had Dhananjaya de Silva caught behind with a googly. De Silva, who was playing his first T20I since the 2024 T20 World Cup, made a run-a-ball 10.

At times, Shadab turned his legbreak square. In his third over, he should have had Janith Liyanage caught at long-on. However, Farhan not only dropped the catch but also parried the ball for a six. Still, Shadab finished with 2 for 25 from his four.

Abrar Ahmed, introduced in the 12th over, also struck in his first over. He had Charith Asalanka caught behind to make it 72 for 5. He also had Liyanage dropped off his bowling; this time Mirza grassed a chance at short fine leg. Liayanage rode his luck and added 38 off 23 balls with Wanindu Hasaranga for the sixth wicket. The pair was severe on Mohammad Nawaz, taking 16 off him in the 15th over.

At 106 for 5 with five overs to go and Dasun Shanaka yet to bat, Sri Lanka must have had their sights on 150. But Abrar got rid of Hasaranga and Liyanage in his successive overs. From there on, the end was swift. Mirza and Wasim shared the last three wickets to wrap up the innings.

Sri Lanka had hit their first six in the tenth over of the innings, Pakistan off the tenth ball. Maheesh Theekshana bowled one full outside off and Ayub launched him over extra cover. In the next over, Farhan took Pakistan’s six tally to three with back-to-back hits off Nuwan Thushara. Sri Lanka, in their whole innings, had managed only two.

The pitch had eased out by then but at the same time, the Sri Lanka bowlers showed none of the discipline of their counterparts. Theekshana did bowl Ayub in the sixth over but Sri Lanka needed much more than that.

Shanaka brought Hasaranga on immediately after the powerplay. It was like a last throw of the dice. But with no scoreboard pressure, Farhan and Agha could afford to play him out. Eventually, he dismissed Agha – ironically off a full toss that the batter tried to hit for a six – and finished with 1 for 17 from his quota.

In the meantime, Farhan kept smashing the seamers and took the side past 100 in the 12th over. There was a little hiccup around that time as Pakistan lost three wickets for 12 runs in the space of 19 balls but it did not change anything.

Brief scores:

Pakistan 129 for 4 in 16.4 overs  (Sahibzada Farhan 51, Saim Ayub 24, Salman Agha 16, Shadab Khan 18*; Maheesh Theekshana 1-31, Dushmantha Chameera 1-34, Wanindu Hasaranga  1-17, Dhananjaya de Silva 1-04) beat Sri Lanka 128 in 19.2 overs  (Pathum Nissanka  12, Kusal Mendis  14, Dhananjaya de Silva 10, Charith Asalanka 18, Janith Liyanage 40, Wanidu Hasaranga 18, Dasun Shanaka 12; Salman Mirza 3-18, Mohammad Wasim 2-07, Shadab Khan 2-25, Abrar Ahmed 3-25) by six wickets

(Cricinfo)

Pakistan captain Salman Agha won the toss and opted to field in the first T20I against Sri Lanka in Dambulla.

Given the rain concerns, the pitch had been under covers for the last couple of days, and Agha hoped to use the moisture in the surface. Shanaka, though, expected it to be a typical Dambulla pitch, full of runs.

Both sides were packed with allrounders. Shadab Khan  who last played for Pakistan in June 2025, returned for Pakistan. Apart from him, Pakistan had Faheem Ashraf and Saim Ayub, both more than capable with both bat and ball.

For Sri Lanka, Dhanajaya de Silva made a comeback. His last T20I was back in June 2024. Apart from contributing with the bat, he will support the spin duo Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana.

Given both teams play their group matches and Super Eight games (assuming they reach there) in Sri Lanka, this three-match series, about a month out of the World Cup, is a great opportunity to get acclimatised to the conditions.

Sri Lanka:  Pathum Nissanka,  Kamil Mishara,  Kusal Mendis (wk), Dhananjaya de Silva,  Charith Asalanka,  Dasun Shanaka (capt),  Janith Liyanage,  Wanindu Hasaranga,  Dushmantha Chameera,  Maheesh Theekshana,  Nuwan Thushara

Pakistan:  Saim Ayub,  Sahibzada Farhan,  Fakhar Zaman,  Salman Agha (capt),  Usman Khan (wk),  Shadab Khan,  Mohammad Nawaz,  Faheem Ashraf,  Mohammad Wasim,  Salman Mirza,  Abrar Ahmed

[Cricinfo]

Russia has reportedly deployed a submarine and other vessels to escort an oil tanker – which is also being pursued by US forces – across the Atlantic.

The ship, currently between Iceland and the British Isles, has been accused of breaking US sanctions and shipping Iranian oil. It has historically transported Venezuelan crude oil but is reporting to be empty at the moment.

Previously named Bella 1, its name has been changed to Marinera and it has also reportedly been reflagged from a Guyanese to a Russian vessel.

President Donald Trump said last month that he was ordering a ‘blockade’ of sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela, a move the government there described as “theft”

Two US officials have confirmed to CBS News, the BBC’s US media partner, that Russia has sent a submarine and other navy vessels to escort the tanker.

The US Coast Guard tried to board it last month in the Caribbean when it was believed to be heading towards Venezuela. The Coast Guard had a warrant to seize the ship over its alleged breaking of sanctions.

The vessel has since dramatically changed course and its approach to Europe has coincided with the arrival of around 10 US military transport aircraft as well as helicopters.

Russia says it is “monitoring with concern” the situation around the ship.

“At present, our vessel is sailing in the international waters of the North Atlantic under the state flag of the Russian Federation and in full compliance with the norms of international maritime law,” its foreign ministry said.

“For reasons unclear to us, the Russian ship is being given increased and clearly disproportionate attention by the US and Nato military, despite its peaceful status,” it said.

Two US officials told CBS News earlier on Tuesday that American forces were planning to board the ship, and that Washington preferred to seize it rather than sink it.

BBC Verify has been looking at footage released by Russia Today, reportedly taken onboard an oil tanker, which shows a ship in the distance matching the profile of a US Coast Guard Legend-class cutter.

It has also been monitoring the latest reported location of the Marinera. According to AIS location data from ship-tracking platform Marine Traffic, its location as of Tuesday morning was in the North Atlantic Ocean, about 300km (186 miles) south of Iceland’s shoreline.

Previous AIS tracking data suggests it travelled north, past the western coast of the UK over the past two days.

On Tuesday, the US military’s Southern Command posted on social media that it “remains ready to support our US government agency partners in standing against sanctioned vessels and actors transiting through this region.

“Our sea services are vigilant, agile, and postured to track vessels of interest. When the call comes, we will be there.”

Before any US military operation was launched from the UK, Washington would be expected to inform its ally.

For now, the UK Ministry of Defence says it will not comment on other nations’ military activities.

The US officials quoted by CBS suggested that America could mount an operation like one conducted last month when US forces seized the Skipper,  a large crude oil tanker, flagged to Guyana, that had just left port in Venezuela.

Under international law, vessels flying a country’s flag are under the protection of that nation. However, simply changing a ship’s name and flag doesn’t necessarily change much, Dimitris Ampatzidis, senior risk and compliance analyst at maritime intelligence firm Kpler, told BBC Verify.

“US action is driven by the vessel’s underlying identity [IMO number], ownership/control networks, and sanctions history, not by its painted markings or flag claim,” he said.

Michelle Bockmann, a maritime intelligence analyst at Windward, said changing to a Russian registry could “complicate US enforcement efforts”.

“Under the UN Convention of the Law of the Sea, there’s a provision that allows a stateless vessel to be boarded by authorities. By reflagging to Russia, the vessel is no longer able to be boarded under this provision,” she explained.

Bockmann adds that she has previously observed vessels changing their flag mid-voyage, but “it’s highly unusual and only seen with dark fleet tankers”.

The potential stand-off over the oil tanker comes days after the US shocked the world with the arrest of Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro in Caracas. It bombarded targets in the city during the operation to extricate him and his wife on suspicion of weapon and drug offences.

Since he was seized, BBC Verify has identified three US-sanctioned tankers that have switched to a Russian registry, including the Marinera.

This follows a broader trend.

Since the seizure of the Skipper,   BBC Verify has identified 19 US-sanctioned oil tankers that have switched to a Russian registry, with many of them having previously sailed under a false flag.

[BBC]