Pakistan vs Sri Lanka vs England ODI Tri-series 2026: Who will qualify for final? Qualification scenarios explained

Pakistan vs Sri Lanka vs England ODI Tri-series 2026: Who will qualify for final? Qualification scenarios explained originally appeared on Cricket News . Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . KEY TAKEAWAYS: England are alive again after a 19-run win over Pakistan in Lahore. Pakistan stay top on four points but no longer control qualification outright. A three-way tie on four points is possible, with NRR deciding the finalists. Pakistan, Sri Lanka and England ODI Tri-Series 2026: Qualification race explained England's 19-run win at the Gaddafi Stadium on Sunday has blown the tri-series open with two league matches still remaining. Shadab Khan fell three short of a hundred, and Pakistan were bowled out for 221 while chasing 241, giving England the first points of the series and ending Pakistan's unbeaten run. England still remain at the bottom of the table due to a poor net run-rate. The competition is a double round-robin, with each side meeting the other two twice before the top two contest the final on October 31. Pakistan had won their first two, beating Sri Lanka by 37 runs and England by 87, but Sunday's defeat means they now need a result in their final game rather than coasting. Sri Lanka, who have played only two, hold their fate in their own hands. MORE: Fastest 200 in ODI history: Sensational Harry Brook breaks Shubman Gill's record Pakistan vs Sri Lanka vs England: Updated points table As of October 25, 2026. Pos. Team P W L Pts. NRR 1 Pakistan 3 2 1 4 0.903 2 Sri Lanka 2 1 1 2 -0.348 3 England 3 1 2 2 -0.703 Sri Lanka has two league matches left, while Pakistan and England have one each. A win earns two points, with a no-result awarding one to each side. How can Pakistan qualify for the final? Pakistan still leads the table, but the defeat has cost them the cushion they had. They face Sri Lanka on October 27 in their final league game. Beat Sri Lanka: Pakistan finish on six points and qualify regardless of anything else. Lose to Sri Lanka: They stay on four points and must wait for the Sri Lanka vs England result. If England win that game, three teams will finish level on four points, and net run rate will decide who qualifies. How can Sri Lanka qualify for the final? Sri Lanka are the only side with two games left, against Pakistan on October 27 and England on October 29, which puts qualification entirely within their control. Win both: Six points and a place in the final, with the added bonus of eliminating one rival in the process. Win one: Four points, and qualification depends on which game they win and how the other results fall. Lose both: They finish on two points and go out, with Pakistan and England both reaching four. How can England qualify for the final? England were staring at elimination before Sunday, but are now level on points with Sri Lanka. Everything rests on their meeting with Sri Lanka on October 29. Beat Sri Lanka: England finish with four points. They qualify if Pakistan has already beaten Sri Lanka or goes into a three-way tie on four if Pakistan lost, with net run rate deciding. Lose to Sri Lanka: They finish on two points and are eliminated. How net run rate could decide the finalists The scenario to watch is Sri Lanka beating Pakistan and then losing to England, which would leave all three teams on four points and send the whole thing to net run rate. Pakistan remain best placed on that measure despite Sunday's loss, having won their first two matches by 37 and 87 runs. England's heavy defeat in Rawalpindi still weighs on their figure, though the 19-run win has improved it, and Sri Lanka sit in between. With margins this tight, the manner of victory in the last two games may matter as much as the result itself. Pakistan vs Sri Lanka vs England: Remaining fixtures Date Match Venue Tue, Oct. 27 Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Lahore Thu, Oct. 29 Sri Lanka vs England Lahore Sat, Oct. 31 Tri-series final Lahore All remaining matches will be played at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. For all the latest cricket news, opinion, and commentary, and to share your voice, head to our Facebook , Instagram, and X (Twitter) pages.