Pakistan played the first ODI against Sri Lanka and Salman Ali Agha notched up a century which was also the second of his career. The Men in Green made a solid recovery to reach the score of 299 for five in the 1st ODI at their home.
The right-handed batter, who scored his maiden hundred this year in February, remained unbeaten on 105 off 87 balls at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
Pakistan were playing their second home ODI series as part of preparations for the 2027 World Cup to be held in South Africa. Batting first, Pakistan collapsed to 95 for four inside 24 overs, courtesy of a sizzling spell of Wanindu Hasaranga, who took three wickets and completely tore apart the top order. The hosts almost lost a fifth wicket at the same score, but Sri Lanka’s exhausted reviews spared Hussain Talat, who was trapped in lbw yet survived.
Talat went on to add 138 runs with Salman for the fifth wicket, pulling Pakistan out of a mess. Following Talat’s well-compiled half-century, Mohammad Nawaz joined Salman to add another 66 runs unbeaten for the sixth wicket, taking the total near the 300-run mark. The last five overs yielded 53 runs as Pakistan turned it around magnificently – after making just 119 for four in the first 30 overs, they scored 180 runs in the last 25, losing only one wicket. This 204-run partnership after the fall of the fourth wicket became Pakistan’s highest against Sri Lanka in ODIs.
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Salman’s knock included nine boundaries, and he anchored the innings under pressure. His hundred was also the first by a Pakistani batter at Rawalpindi Stadium in over two-and-half years since Fakhar Zaman’s ton in early 2023.
At home for Pakistan in ODIs in 2025, Salman had a consistent run: 502 runs in eight innings, two hundreds and two fifties coming at an impressive average of 83.66, and a strike rate nearing 98.
