Pakistan, however, won the series 2-1 after clinching victories in the first two games.
Set to chase a 169-run target, the visitors comfortably knocked the winning runs for the loss of just two wickets and 17 balls to spare, courtesy of an unbeaten partnership for the third wicket between Kamindu Mendis and captain Kusal.
Sri Lanka, however, got off to a shaky start to the pursuit as Mohammad Imran Randhawa trapped right-handed opener Lahiru Udara (one) lbw on the first delivery of the second over with 15 runs on the board.
Udara’s dismissal paved the way for Kusal to walk out at No.3, and the captain, alongside opener Sineth Jayawardena, put Sri Lanka into a commanding position by raising a 59-run partnership for the second wicket, which came at a brisk pace.
Arafat Minhas eventually broke the threatening partnership on the last delivery of the eighth over by dismissing Jayawardena, who made a brisk 38 off 26 deliveries with the help of five fours and two sixes.
Following Jayawardena’s departure, Kusal joined forces with Kamindu and the experienced pair batted commandingly to retain the momentum in Sri Lanka’s favour before ultimately steering the touring side to victory with an unbeaten 92-run partnership.
Captain Kusal remained the top-scorer for Sri Lanka in the run chase with an unbeaten 87 off 48 deliveries, studded with nine fours and four sixes. He was closely followed by Kamindu, who made 40 not out from 27 balls, smashing four boundaries.
For Pakistan, Imran and Minhas could pick up one wicket apiece in the fixture.
Put into bat first, the home side accumulated 168-8 in their 20 overs, courtesy of a gutsy knock by their captain Farhan.
The Green Shirts got off to a spirited start to their innings as their opening pair of Fakhar Zaman and Farhan, put together 34 runs in just three overs.
But Eshan Malinga struck twice, dismissing Fakhar (12) and in-form Maaz Sadaqat (0) in the fourth over to halt Pakistan’s flamboyant start.
Following the back-to-back dismissals, Hasan Nawaz joined skipper Farhan in the middle, and the duo batted cautiously to add 33 runs to the home side’s total until the former fell victim to Vijayakanth Viyaskanth in the ninth over after scoring a 17-ball 16.
Pakistan then suffered another setback in the subsequent over as experienced Sri Lanka all-rounder Dasun Shanaka sent back their wicketkeeper batter Khawaja Nafay for just three.
Shanaka struck twice more in his next two overs, dismissing all-rounder Mohammad Imran (6) and Abdul Samad (15), and reduced Pakistan to 102-6.
Following the middle-order collapse, Farhan joined forces with emerging all-rounder Arafat Minhas, and the duo bolstered Pakistan’s total at the backend with a blistering 66-run partnership, which culminated with the captain’s dismissal off Nuwan Thushara on the penultimate delivery of the innings.
Farhan top-scored for Pakistan with a quickfire 76 off 47 deliveries, studded with seven fours and three sixes.
Thushara also struck on the final delivery, cleaning up No.9 Razaullah (0) with a full-pitched delivery, to curtail the home side below the 170-run mark.
Minhas, meanwhile, returned after scoring an unbeaten 34 off 20 deliveries, laced with two sixes and as many fours.
Shanaka was the standout bowler for Sri Lanka as he picked up three wickets for just 21 runs in her four overs, followed by Malinga and Thushara with two each, while Viyaskanth made one scalp.
