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DAMBULLA: Pakistan vice-captain Shadab Khan shared his views after delivering an all-round performance against Sri Lanka in the T20I series opener.
Pakistan sealed a comfortable six-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the three-match T20I series opener played here at the Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium.
The Green Shirts remained clinical throughout the match with a dominant performance with the bat and ball.
Shadab Khan earned the player of the match award for his two wickets and unbeaten 18 from 12 balls.
The bowling effort was backed by Sahibzada Farhan’s brisk half-century, who made 51 from 36 balls as Pakistan chased down the target in 16.4 overs.
Speaking at the post-match presentation, Shadab, who last played an international match in May against Bangladesh, discussed his comeback after an injury layoff.
“First of all, thanks to my team. Coming back to international cricket after an injury is never easy. You always feel that pressure because you’re starting again from zero and have to prove yourself all over again. Alhamdulillah, I’m really happy,” he said.
The leg spinner credited the Big Bash League (BBL) 15 for regaining his momentum.
“Playing in the Big Bash after my injury helped a lot, both in terms of confidence in my bowling and with the bat. I just tried to keep things simple and trusted my process. The surface definitely helped me today,” he added.
He emphasized conditions and revealed what worked for him on the Dambulla wicket.
“When you play a lot of cricket, you learn to assess conditions quickly. On this wicket, bowling a little fuller than a good length worked well.
When I hit that fuller length, the ball was holding a bit, and even a good-length delivery felt shorter to the batter. That’s what worked for me, and I focused on sticking to that plan.”
Shadab Khan expressed confidence ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026 while hailing the team’s efforts in securing victory.
“As for the T20I World Cup around the corner, playing at that level is always a dream for any player, and it’s no different for me.
This is just one step, and hopefully it’s a step forward for us as a team. I’m really happy with how the team performed overall,” he concluded.
READ: Agha wants Pakistan to improve fielding ahead of T20 World Cup
