pressure.
Earlier, aggressive batting by debutant Shehan Jayasuriya and the recalled Kapugedera lifted Sri Lanka to 172-7 after skipper Lasith Malinga won the toss and elected to bat in the day-night match.
Jayasuriya, a 23-year-old left-hander unrelated to Sri Lanka’s former captain Sanath Jayasuriya, smashed three fours and two sixes in his 32-ball 40 before he was fifth out.
But it was Kapugedera who boosted the total with an unbeaten 48 off 25 balls that contained four sixes and two boundaries.
Kapugedera put on 55 for the sixth wicket with Milinda Siriwardana (23) as the hosts plundered 59 runs in the final five overs.
Malinga, who conceded 40 runs in his four overs, rued his poor form with the ball.
“I should have bowled better,” the sling-arm fast bowling spearhead said. “But I am happy the way some of the younger players have performed.
“Sri Lanka has a good talent pool to pick from,” he added.
Score Board
Sri Lanka won toss
Sri Lanka
†M D K J Perera b Shoaib 19
T M Dilshan c Hafeez b Anwar 10
D S N F G Jayasuriya c Imad b Sohail 40
D M de Silva b Shahid 14
N L T C Perera st Rizwan b Shoaib 1
T A M Siriwardana c Mukhtar b Irfan 23
C K Kapugedera not out 48
M D Shanaka run out 7
Extras (lb 3, w 7) 10
Total (7 wickets; 20 overs) 172
Did not bat: B Fernando, J D F Vandersay, *S L Malinga
Fall: 1-24, 2-32, 3-61, 4-64, 5-90, 6-145, 7-172
Bowling: Anwar 4-0-40-1 (1w); Sohail 4-0-44-1 (1w); Shoaib Malik 3-0-16-2; Irfan 4-0-31-1; Shahid 4-0-30-1; Imad 1-0-8-0 (1w)
Pakistan
Mukhtar Ahmed c Kapugedera b Fernando 4
Ahmed Shehzad b Fernando 7
M Hafeez run out 11
Shoaib Malik st M Perera b Siriwardana 8
Umar Akmal run out 4
†M Rizwan b N Perera 17
*Shahid Afridi b Jayasuriya 45
Imad Wasim not out 24
Anwar Ali c M Perera b Malinga 46
Sohail Tanvir run out 1
M Irfan not out 1
Extras (lb 1, w 5) 6
Total (9 wickets; 19.2 overs) 174
Fall: 1-11, 2-16, 3-33, 4-40, 5-40, 6-101, 7-107, 8-165, 9-167
Bowling: Fernando 3.2-0-33-2 (1w); Jayasuriya 4-0-37-1; N Perera 4-0-27-1; Siriwardana 2-0-17-1; Vandersay 2-0-19-0; Malinga 4-0-40-1
Result: Pakistan won by 1 wicket
Series: Pakistan won the 2-match series by 2-0
T20I debuts: D S N F G Jayasuriya and M D Shanaka (Sri Lanka)
Man of the Match: Anwar Ali (Pakistan)
Man of the Series: Shoaib Malik (Pakistan)
Umpires: R S A Palliyaguruge and R R Wimalasiri. TV umpire: R E J Martinesz. Match referee: J Srinath (India)