Match overview
Pakistan beat Australia by 22 runs in the T20I at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, on 29 January 2026. Pakistan won the toss, chose to bat, and posted 168/8. Australia's chase never got close; they finished on 146/8, losing five middle-overs wickets that ended any realistic prospect of reaching the target. Saim Ayub took the Player of the Match award. It is Pakistan's third successive T20I win over Australia at this ground in 2026, following victories by 111 runs and 90 runs in the earlier matches of the series.
Pakistan's innings was built on a strong start. They scored 56 runs for 1 wicket in the powerplay, well above Gaddafi Stadium's historical average of 46 powerplay runs across 145 T20 matches. The middle overs added 81 runs at the cost of 3 wickets, giving them a platform. A death-overs wobble (31 runs, 4 wickets) cost them some late momentum, but 168 on this surface proved more than adequate.
Australia matched Pakistan run for run early: 57 runs in the powerplay, albeit at the cost of 2 wickets. The middle overs were where the chase fell apart. Five wickets for 54 runs between overs 7 and 15 pushed the required rate beyond the point of recovery. Their death-overs contribution of 35 off 1 wicket showed some character from the tail, but it was purely cosmetic by then.
Venue and conditions
Gaddafi Stadium has hosted 145 T20 matches, making it one of the more data-rich venues in the format. The average first-innings score of 208 and average second-innings score of 177 suggest a pitch that traditionally produces high-scoring games; both totals in this fixture fell below those averages, which points to either a surface with more lateral movement than usual or simply a tighter-than-normal bowling effort from both sides.
The venue's powerplay average sits at 46 runs, and its death-overs average is 43. Pakistan exceeded the powerplay benchmark; Australia almost exactly matched it. The chase success rate of 43 per cent is the most telling number. Teams batting second at Gaddafi lose more often than they win, and that historical weight has been reinforced three times over in this series alone. Toss winners at this ground choose to field just 49 per cent of the time, meaning there is no overwhelming consensus on the better option; Pakistan's decision to bat here, however, has proved correct in all three matches.
How to watch
In the UK, T20I cricket from Pakistan is broadcast on Sky Sports Cricket. Streaming is available through Sky Go for existing subscribers and via a NOW TV day or month pass for those without a Sky contract. Broadcast times depend on the local start time in Lahore; Pakistan Standard Time is five hours ahead of GMT, so evening matches in Lahore typically fall in the afternoon UK window.
Recent form
Pakistan's broader T20I form across 2025 and 2026 has been inconsistent: wins and losses in equal measure against Sri Lanka, plus a win over Zimbabwe. Within this Australia series, though, they have been a different proposition entirely, winning all three home fixtures by substantial margins.
Australia arrive with stronger recent momentum in bilateral T20I cricket. They won four of their five T20Is against England in 2025 and claimed the series opener of the 2026 England fixtures before losing the next. The contrast with how they have performed in Pakistan is sharp. Pat Cummins, who took 8 wickets for 79 runs in the 2022 Test at Lahore, will be among Australia's key figures if the tour extends further. Their form suggests a team capable of competitive cricket; this Gaddafi surface, and Pakistan's current familiarity with it, has been the difference.
