Rawalpindi, October 12,2026: Former West Indies cricketer and renowned commentator Ian Bishop has praised Pakistan’s young batter Maaz Sadaqat for his impressive performances after the hosts defeated Sri Lanka by 82 runs in the second T20I to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
Pakistan delivered a dominant all-round performance at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Sunday, sealing the series with a match to spare.
Batting first, Pakistan posted an imposing 215-3 in their allotted 20 overs, with Sadaqat leading the charge through a blistering 96 off 51 balls, including six fours and seven sixes.
The left-handed batter narrowly missed his maiden T20I century but played a pivotal role in setting up Pakistan’s formidable total.
Captain Sahibzada Farhan provided excellent support, scoring 73 off 44 deliveries, including four fours and five sixes, to register his second consecutive half-century in the series.
Fakhar Zaman contributed 22 off 17 balls, hitting four boundaries, while Hasan Nawaz remained unbeaten on 19 off just nine deliveries, striking one four and one six to give the innings a late boost.
In reply, Sri Lanka struggled to maintain the required run rate and finished at 133-7 in 20 overs, falling 82 runs short.
Mohammad Imran Randhawa led Pakistan’s bowling attack with three wickets for 11 runs in four overs. Salman Mirza claimed two wickets, while Saim Ayub and Shadab Khan took one apiece.
Taking to social media platform X, Bishop praised Sadaqat’s continued progress, recalling his impressive performances for Jamaica Kingsmen in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) 2026.
“We were happy to see the talent of Maaz Sadaqat in the CPL 2026 for the Jamaica Kingsmen. His good form continues for Pakistan and we hope he has a long and successful career. He is a nice 360 batter,” Bishop wrote.
The 21-year-old was among the standout performers in the recently concluded CPL 2026, finishing as the tournament’s third-highest run-scorer. He amassed 363 runs in seven matches at an average of 51.85 and a strike rate of 174.51, including two centuries.
His latest performance against Sri Lanka further highlighted his growing impact in the shortest format and strengthened his credentials as one of Pakistan’s promising young batting talents.
