Pakistan gear up for T20I series in Sri Lanka

Pakistan men’s team will take on Sri Lanka in a three-match T20I series in Dambulla, with matches scheduled on 7, 9 and 11 January, as preparations intensify for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup to be held in India and Sri Lanka from 7 February to 8 March.

The first ball of the match will be bowled at 7pm local time.

The series will help the national selection committee to finalise Pakistan’s 15-member squad for the mega event. Pakistan will play all their World Cup fixtures in Sri Lanka, making the forthcoming bilateral series a vital opportunity to adapt to local conditions and fine-tune combinations.

Salman Ali Agha will continue to lead the T20I side, who saw his side winning two tri-series tournaments and bilateral T20I series against Bangladesh, West Indies and South Africa in 2025. The series also offers players a chance to stake their claim for World Cup selection through impactful performances against a competitive Sri Lankan outfit.

In the recent times, Pakistan have won three of the last five T20Is against Sri Lanka, which include win in the knockout match of the ACC Men’s T20 Asia Cup in Dubai and tri-series final in Rawalpindi.

Salman Ali Agha in the pre-series press conference said: “The series provides a great opportunity for everyone to perform. Playing here ahead of the World Cup is a significant advantage for us, and we will look to acclimatise to the conditions as quickly as possible.

“We have good players in our squad who are future prospects. We want to give them opportunities, and I am hopeful they will deliver strong performances in the series.”

15-member squad: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abdul Samad, ⁠Abrar Ahmad, ⁠Faheem Ashraf, ⁠Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Nafay (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, ⁠Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Saim Ayub, ⁠Shadab Khan, Usman Khan (wk), Usman Tariq