Pakistan take unassailable lead as third T20I vs Sri Lanka set for Rawalpindi on October 13

Pakistan have taken an unassailable lead in the ongoing T20I series against Sri Lanka, with the third T20I scheduled at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, starting at 6:30 PM IST.

Pakistan cruised to an 82-run victory in the second T20I, with Maaz Sadaqat narrowly missing a maiden T20I century after scoring 96 off 51 balls and Sahibzada Farhan contributing 73 off 44; Sadaqat had also produced a quick half-century in the first game. Sri Lanka’s batting has struggled across the series and the visitors will be seeking a consolation win in the final match. The two sides have met 32 times in the shorter format, with Pakistan winning 20 of those encounters and Sri Lanka 12.

The forecast ahead of the third T20I shows cloudy conditions, an evening temperature of around 23°C and average humidity of 62 percent. Observers have noted the Rawalpindi wicket has generally favoured batters, while pacers have found some assistance and spinners have extracted grip and turn; slower deliveries and cutters have tended to stick into the surface. The report also states that batting second will be ideal because of the dew.

Squads named in the preview were listed as follows. Pakistan: Lahiru Udara, Kusal Mendis (c) (wk), Sineth Jayawardena, Kamindu Mendis, Sahan Arachchige, Dasun Shanaka, Chamindu Wickramasinghe, Maheesh Theekshana, Eshan Malinga, Binura Fernando, Nuwan Thushara. Sri Lanka: Sahibzada Farhan (c), Fakhar Zaman, Maaz Sadaqat, Hasan Nawaz, Saim Ayub, Khawaja Nafay (wk), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Imran Randhawa, Naseem Shah, Salman Mirza, Abrar Ahmed.

The Dream11 recommendations in the article list wicket-keepers Kusal Mendis and Lahiru Udara; batters Sahibzada Farhan and Fakhar Zaman; all-rounders Saim Ayub, Maaz Sadaqat, Dasun Shanaka and Md. Imran; and bowlers Maheesh Theekshana, Naseem Shah and Nuwan Thushara (with Eshan Malinga also named elsewhere). Two sets of captain/vice-captain pairings were provided: first set — Captain First-Choice: Sahibzada Farhan || Captain Second-Choice: Md. Imran; Vice-Captain First-Choice: Kusal Mendis || Vice-captain Second-Choice: Lahiru Udara; second set — Captain First-Choice: Maaz Sadaqat || Captain Second-Choice: Fakhar Zaman; Vice-Captain First-Choice: Dasun Shanaka || Vice-captain Second-Choice: Kusal Mendis.

The preview concludes that Sri Lanka have struggled for form and that senior players have been disappointing, and therefore backs Pakistan to win the final game because of their form and momentum.

The PAK vs SL 3rd T20I will take place on October 13, 2026, at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.