PAK vs SL 1st Test preview — Rawalpindi, November 9-13, 2026

Pakistan will host Sri Lanka in the first Test of the Sri Lanka tour of Pakistan 2026 at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, with play scheduled to start at 10 AM IST on Monday, November 9, 2026. The match opens a two-Test series that forms part of the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 calendar.

These fixtures carry points for the WTC 2025-27, although the preview notes both sides face long odds of reaching the final; the series still offers an opportunity to improve each team’s standing on the WTC table. Pakistan’s squad includes several young players added for this series, and this will be Babar Azam’s first home Test series since his reappointment as Test captain. The preview describes Pakistan as inconsistent in Tests and underlines their desire to secure a win in Rawalpindi.

The two teams have met 59 times in Tests: Pakistan have won 23 matches, Sri Lanka 17, and 19 ended in draws. Those historical head-to-head numbers are cited as context for the encounter between the two sides.

The forecast for Rawalpindi indicates generally good weather for the first three days with chances of passing showers on the final two days, temperatures around 22-26°C and humidity near 50-65%. The pitch at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium is described as a good batting wicket with little grass that deteriorates over time, offering increasing assistance to spinners; the surface can also be spongy at times and teams have tended to prefer batting first at this venue.

Probable XIs listed for the match are: Pakistan — Azan Awais, Sameer Minhas, Tayyab Arif, Babar Azam (c), Saud Shakeel, Salman Agha, Saad Baig (wk), Arafat Minhas/Aamer Jamal, Razaullah, Mohammad Abbas, Saqib Khan. Sri Lanka — Pasindu Sooriyabandara, Lahiru Udara (wk), Dinesh Chandimal, Kamindu Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva, Sonal Dinusha, Kusal Mendis (c), Prabath Jayasuriya, Keshara Nuwantha, Asitha Fernando, Dilshan Madushanka.

Recommended Dream11 picks in the preview are grouped as follows: Batters — Babar Azam, Dinesh Chandimal, Saud Shakeel (and also Azan Awais in a subsequent list); All-rounders — Salman Agha, Dhananjaya de Silva, Arafat Minhas, Kamindu Mendis; Bowlers — Lahiru Kumara, Prabath Jayasuriya, Razaullah. Captain and vice-captain suggestions are given in two sets: First set — Captain First-Choice: Arafat Minhas || Captain Second-Choice: Babar Azam; Vice-Captain First-Choice: Kusal Mendis || Vice-captain Second-Choice: Dinesh Chandimal. Second set — Captain First-Choice: Salman Agha || Captain Second-Choice: Babar Azam; Vice-Captain First-Choice: Dhananjaya de Silva || Vice-captain Second-Choice: Kamindu Mendis.

The preview notes Pakistan’s young squad combined with familiarity with home conditions and cites recent struggles in Sri Lanka’s batting unit as the basis for its match prediction, concluding with a backing for Pakistan to win the first Test.

The first Test will be played from November 9-13, 2026 (Monday–Friday) at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi.