Sri Lanka Tour of Pakistan 2026: Schedule, Squads and Times

Six Weeks, Three Formats: Sri Lanka's Big 2026 Tour of Pakistan

What is on the tour?

Three T20Is, a three-day warm-up match and two Tests. In between, Sri Lanka also play an ODI tri-series with Pakistan and England.

When does it start and finish?

The first T20I is on Friday, October 9 in Rawalpindi, and the second Test finishes on Saturday, November 21 in Lahore.

What time do the T20Is start?

6:00 PM in Pakistan, which is 6:30 PM IST (the same as Sri Lanka time) and 9:00 AM ET.

Who are the captains?

Sahibzada Farhan leads Pakistan as full-time T20I captain. Kusal Mendis returns as Sri Lanka's T20I captain.

The Story: A Long Autumn in Pakistan

Sri Lanka arrived in Pakistan on October 4 for one of the busiest tours either side will play this year. It runs for six weeks, covers all three formats of international cricket, and ends with two Tests that count towards the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27.

For readers new to cricket, here is how the three formats differ:

• T20 International (T20I): each team bats for up to 20 overs (an over is six legal deliveries). A match takes about three hours.
• One Day International (ODI): 50 overs per side, played in a single day.
• Test match: the longest format, played over up to five days, with each team batting twice.

Both sides arrive with new T20I captains. Pakistan have handed the job full-time to opener Sahibzada Farhan after Salman Ali Agha was removed as captain and left out of the T20I squad. Sri Lanka have turned back to Kusal Mendis, replacing Charith Asalanka, who was dropped after leading them in 28 T20Is.

Sri Lanka also have a special place in Pakistan's recent cricket history. In December 2019 they played the first Test in Pakistan for ten years, in Rawalpindi, the same city where this tour begins.

Full Tour Schedule (Local, IST and ET)

T20I Series

Sri Lanka in the ODI Tri-Series

Between the T20Is and the Tests, Sri Lanka play in a three-team ODI tri-series with Pakistan and England. Each team plays the other two twice, and the top two meet in the final.

Pakistan also play England on October 20 (Rawalpindi) and October 25 (Lahore).

Warm-Up and Test Series

Local time is Pakistan Standard Time (PKT, UTC+5). IST is India Standard Time (UTC+5:30), which is also the time in Sri Lanka. ET is US Eastern Time. US clocks go back on November 1, so the Test matches start at 11:30 PM ET on the evening before each day's play in Pakistan.

📄 Download the full tour schedule as a PDF to save or share.

Where to Watch: T20I Series Broadcasters

The PCB has confirmed these broadcasters for the T20I series.

Broadcast details for the ODI tri-series and the Test series have not yet been confirmed.

T20I Squads

Pakistan

Talking points:

• Razaullah gets his first white-ball call-up after his batting impressed in the third Test against England.
• Muhammad Imran Randhawa earns a first T20I call-up.
• Naseem Shah and Fakhar Zaman are recalled.
• Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Salman Ali Agha are not in the T20I squad, though all three are in the ODI squad for the tri-series, with Shaheen as ODI captain.

Sri Lanka

Talking points:

• Young left-handed opener Sineth Jayawardena and off-spinning all-rounder Sahan Arachchige, who led Sri Lanka at the Asian Games, earn maiden T20I call-ups.
• Wrist-spinner Vijayakanth Viyaskanth returns in place of the injured Wanindu Hasaranga, and seam-bowling all-rounder Chamindu Wickramasinghe is also back.
• Pathum Nissanka and Charith Asalanka, who both played in the recent T20I series in England, are left out.

Squads for the Test series have not yet been announced.

Players to Watch

Sahibzada Farhan (c): Pakistan's new full-time T20I captain, and the man expected to set the pace at the top of the order.

Arafat Minhas: The left-arm spinner was one of Pakistan's standouts at the Asian Games, and he is in both white-ball squads.

Razaullah: The breakout story of Pakistan's English summer now gets his chance in white-ball cricket.

Kusal Mendis (c): Sri Lanka's wicketkeeper-batter returns to the captaincy and remains one of their most dangerous hitters.

Kamindu Mendis: A rare all-rounder who bowls spin with either arm and bats in the middle order.

Maheesh Theekshana: Sri Lanka's most experienced T20 spinner, likely to be key on a Rawalpindi surface under lights.

Stat Corner

The Tour in Numbers

Start Times at a Glance

Frequently Asked Questions

When does the Pakistan vs Sri Lanka T20I series start?

Friday, October 9, 2026, at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. All three T20Is are in Rawalpindi.

What time do the T20Is start in India and Sri Lanka?

6:30 PM IST, which is also local time in Sri Lanka. That is 6:00 PM in Pakistan and 9:00 AM ET.

Who is Pakistan's T20I captain?

Sahibzada Farhan, who has been given the job full-time. Shaheen Shah Afridi captains the ODI side.

Why is Wanindu Hasaranga not playing?

He is injured. Vijayakanth Viyaskanth has been called up in his place.

Where can I watch Pakistan vs Sri Lanka in India?

The T20Is stream on VETO in India. In Pakistan they are on PTV Sports, with streaming on tapmad, Tamasha and the PCB Live app.

How can I watch the series in the USA?

On Willow in North America. The PCB Live app also streams the series in North America.

Are the Tests part of the World Test Championship?

Yes. Both Tests count towards the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27.

Where are the Tests being played?

The first Test is in Rawalpindi from November 9, and the second is at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore from November 17.

Related Guides and Series Coverage

📋 England Squad for the Pakistan ODI Tri-Series 2026: Crane Returns as Buttler and Archer Miss Out

📋 A Star Is Born: Razaullah's Fearless Debut Lights Up Edgbaston

📋 India Win Asian Games Gold: Did Dropped Catches Cost Pakistan the Final?

📋 T20 Cricket Explained: Rules, Format and How It Works

📋 Test Cricket Explained: Rules, Format and How It Works