Pakistan hold the upper hand in T20I head-to-head record with 18 victories
Both sides look to make a winning start to three-match series in Rawalpindi
RAWALPINDI: Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bat first against Pakistan in the opening T20I of the three-match series at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Friday.
Pakistan and Sri Lanka enter the contest following their respective campaigns at the Asian Games 2026, with both sides looking to build momentum in the shortest format.
Pakistan secured the silver medal in the men’s cricket competition after losing to eventual champions India in the final earlier this month. Sri Lanka, meanwhile, claimed bronze after defeating Bangladesh in the third-place playoff.
Pakistan Lead Head-to-Head Record
Pakistan have enjoyed the upper hand against Sri Lanka in T20I cricket, winning 18 of the 31 matches played between the two sides. Sri Lanka have registered 13 victories.
Their most recent encounter came in the Super Eights stage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup earlier this year, when Pakistan edged Sri Lanka by five runs.
However, Sri Lanka enjoyed considerable success during their previous bilateral T20I series in Pakistan in 2019, completing a 3-0 clean sweep.
Pakistan have recorded two wins in their last five T20Is, while Sri Lanka have managed one victory during the same period.
Squads
Pakistan: Sahibzada Farhan (c), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Arafat Minhas, Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Nawaz, Muhammad Imran Randhawa, Khawaja Nafay (wk), Maaz Sadaqat, Naseem Shah, Razaullah, Saim Ayub, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Shadab Khan and Sufiyan Moqim.
Sri Lanka: Kamil Mishara, Sineth Jayawardena, Kusal Mendis (c), Lahiru Udara, Sahan Arachchige, Kamindu Mendis, Dasun Shanaka, Chamindu Wickramasinghe, Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, Binura Fernando, Nuwan Thushara, Eshan Malinga and Dushmantha Chameera (subject to fitness).
