Pakistan v Sri Lanka: Rawalpindi to host 1st T20I of Sri Lanka's 2026 Pakistan tour

Pakistan will host Sri Lanka in the opening Twenty20 international of Sri Lanka's tour of Pakistan at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on October 9, the first match of the visit. Sahibzada Farhan has been named Pakistan's new T20I captain, replacing Salman Ali Agha.

The tour comprises three T20Is followed by two Tests, with the series beginning with Friday's first T20I. Kusal Mendis will lead Sri Lanka for the tour, but Wanindu Hasaranga and Pathum Nissanka have been ruled out of the series. Sri Lanka have been inconsistent recently, and the contest against Pakistan is expected to be challenging for the visitors.

The match is scheduled to start at 6:30 PM IST (6:00 PM local); the toss will take place at 6:00 PM IST (5:30 PM local). The fixture will be held at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

Fakhar Zaman, Naseem Shah and Shadab Khan have returned to Pakistan's squad and are listed as available for selection, additions the report says will improve Pakistan’s combination. Last week Pakistan lost the gold medal match against India at the Asian Games 2026 and finished with silver, but the side showed positives with a young group that Pakistan will seek to carry forward into this series.

Broadcast arrangements list the Veto streaming platform as the live streaming option for viewers in India, with no official TV channel listed for India. Viewers in Pakistan can watch the match on PTV Sports HD and via the Tapmad app.

The first T20I will be played on October 09 at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi. For more updates, follow Khel Now Cricket on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.