The first ball of the Pakistan vs Sri Lanka T20 series 2026 is only a day away. This is a rare home T20 series for Pakistan, with a new captain and a fresh-looking squad. Sri Lanka also arrive with big changes. Their captain is new, and several well-known names are missing. I put this guide together so you can find everything in one place. You’ll find dates, start times, squads, venue notes, recent form, and what to watch for in each match. I wrote it in plain words, so you can read it quickly and get back to the cricket. Quick note: team news can change close to match day because of injuries or late calls. Check the official Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) channels before each game. Pakistan vs Sri Lanka T20 Series 2026 at a Glance Here are the basics before we go deeper. This is a short series, so there is little room for error. A team that loses the first match has to win the next two. That makes every over matter from the opening game. Why This Series Matters for Both Teams Pakistan: A Fresh Start After the Asian Games Pakistan fell short of the gold medal at the Asian Games. They now begin their 2026/27 home season with a group that looks a lot like the team they sent there. The PCB announced the squad on 5 October 2026 and named Sahibzada Farhan as captain. He led the side at the Asian Games, so the board has stuck with a leader it already trusts. Salman Ali Agha is no longer the T20I captain. Several players from the 2026 T20 World Cup squad were also left out, including Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Tariq, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Nawaz and Usman Khan. Shaheen has not been dropped from the whole team. The PCB confirmed he will captain the ODI side in the tri-series that follows. For fans, this series is a good chance to see which young players can handle pressure at home. Sri Lanka: A Team in Transition Sri Lanka’s T20 side is also in a state of change. They recently lost all three T20Is in England, and Charith Asalanka, who led them in 28 T20Is, has been dropped. Kusal Mendis takes over as captain. Two other changes stand out. Vijayakanth Viyaskanth comes in for the injured Wanindu Hasaranga. Pacer Binura Fernando takes the place of Dilshan Madushanka. Sri Lanka also have more T20I cricket coming, including a tour of India early next year. So they will use this series to settle on a core group. Full Schedule: Dates, Venue and Match Timings Here is the complete T20I schedule. All three matches are at the same ground, so teams will learn the conditions quickly. Pakistan vs Sri Lanka T20I Series 2026 Schedule Match Date Venue Toss Start (Pakistan Time) 1st T20I Friday, 9 October 2026 Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium 5:30 PM 6:00 PM 2nd T20I Sunday, 11 October 2026 Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium 5:30 PM 6:00 PM 3rd T20I Tuesday, 13 October 2026 Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium 5:30 PM 6:00 PM Match Timings in Other Time Zones If you follow the series from outside Pakistan, here is a simple way to convert the 6:00 PM start: The UK is currently on summer time, so UK readers should add one hour to the GMT figure until the clocks change at the end of October. Some websites list an 8:00 PM start. The PCB-linked announcements, ESPNcricinfo’s listing and several other sports sites point to 6:00 PM local time, so I’m using that. Check the official match page on the day to be safe. What Comes After the T20Is The T20 games are only the first part of a busy home season. Right after them, Pakistan play a seven-match ODI tri-series with England and Sri Lanka. Rawalpindi hosts the first three matches. The event then moves to Lahore for the remaining league games and the final. The tour also includes red-ball cricket. Reports list a three-day warm-up in Islamabad from 4 November, a first Test in Rawalpindi from 9 to 13 November, and a second Test in Lahore from 17 to 21 November. Treat those dates as the current plan, since schedules can shift. Pakistan Squad for the Sri Lanka T20I Series The PCB named a 15-member squad. Here is the full list, with each player’s usual role. Player Role Sahibzada Farhan (captain) Opening / top-order batter Abdul Samad Middle-order batter Abrar Ahmed Leg-spin bowler Arafat Minhas All-rounder Fakhar Zaman Opening batter Hasan Nawaz Top-order batter Muhammad Imran Randhawa All-rounder Khawaja Nafay (wicketkeeper) Wicketkeeper batter Maaz Sadaqat Batting all-rounder Naseem Shah Fast bowler Razaullah Fast bowler Saim Ayub All-rounder Mohammad Salman Mirza Fast bowler Shadab Khan Leg-spin all-rounder Sufiyan Moqim Spinner The Batting Group The top order looks strong and aggressive. Farhan, Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman and Hasan Nawaz can all score quickly in the powerplay. Fakhar’s return brings experience and left-hand power. Maaz Sadaqat and Abdul Samad add depth in the middle, and Khawaja Nafay is the wicketkeeper option. One thing to note is that Babar Azam is not in the squad, even though there was some talk about his return. That leaves a big gap in experience, so Farhan and Fakhar will need to guide the younger batters. The Bowling Group Naseem Shah is back in the squad after his last appearance at the 2026 T20 World Cup. His pace will lead the attack. Razaullah and Mohammad Salman Mirza add more fast-bowling options. In the spin department, Abrar Ahmed, Sufiyan Moqim and Shadab Khan give the captain variety. Rawalpindi usually offers help to quick bowlers early on and to spinners later. A balanced attack like this one fits the ground well. Sri Lanka Squad for the Pakistan T20I Series Sri Lanka’s side has several changes. The list below covers the players named in the match squad and the likely lineups. Sri Lanka may add or change names before the series, so check the official team announcement for the