Pakistan vs Sri Lanka 1st T20I today in Rawalpindi: Sahibzada Farhan's first home series as captain — squads, timing and what to watch

Key takeaways

• Pakistan vs Sri Lanka, 1st T20I — tonight, 9 October, at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. Toss 5:30pm, first ball 6:00pm PKT.
• Sahibzada Farhan captains Pakistan in a home T20I series for the first time, after replacing Salman Ali Agha.
• Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Mohammad Rizwan are not in the T20I squad. Naseem Shah and Fakhar Zaman return.
• Sri Lanka are without star all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga (hamstring).
• The other two matches are on 11 and 13 October, also in Rawalpindi.

Schedule

After the T20Is, Pakistan host England and Sri Lanka in a seven-match ODI tri-series, starting in Rawalpindi and moving to Lahore. Shaheen Afridi remains ODI captain, and Babar Azam is in the ODI squad.

A new-look Pakistan

Farhan, 33, led Pakistan to a silver medal at the Asian Games in Japan, where they lost the final to India. That run earned him the top job. He says he wants an attacking top order:

"I want the top order to bat according to the T20 mindset." — Sahibzada Farhan

On the stars who were left out, he said the team "doesn't belong to anyone" and that the door stays open if their form demands a recall. He also said he will most likely open with Fakhar Zaman for a right-left combination.

Players to watch:

• Abrar Ahmed — ranked No. 2 in the ICC T20I bowling rankings, leads a spin group with Shadab Khan, Sufiyan Moqim and Arafat Minhas.
• Hasan Nawaz — Pakistan's top scorer at the Asian Games with 123 runs, including 96 off 51 balls in the final.
• Razaullah and Mohammad Imran Randhawa — both uncapped in T20Is. Razaullah hit 81 off 63 balls with nine sixes on his Test debut against England.
• Naseem Shah — first T20I since February 2026.

Former Australia fast bowler Shaun Tait is back as Pakistan's bowling coach.

Squads

Pakistan: Sahibzada Farhan (c), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Arafat Minhas, Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Imran Randhawa, Khawaja Nafay (wk), Maaz Sadaqat, Naseem Shah, Razaullah, Saim Ayub, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Shadab Khan, Sufiyan Moqim.

Sri Lanka: Kusal Mendis (c), Kamil Mishara, Sineth Jayawardena, Lahiru Udara, Sahan Arachchige, Kamindu Mendis, Dasun Shanaka, Chamindu Wickramasinghe, Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, Dushmantha Chameera, Binura Fernando, Nuwan Thushara, Eshan Malinga.

Head-to-head

• Pakistan have won 18 of 31 T20Is against Sri Lanka; Sri Lanka have won 13.
• But Sri Lanka's last bilateral T20I tour of Pakistan, in 2019, ended in a 3-0 sweep in Lahore.
• Sri Lanka arrive after losing 3-0 in England last month. Captain Kusal Mendis says his bowling and fielding gave positives.
• This series includes the 250th international match between the two countries.

Also from the PCB today

Defending champions Pakistan have named their squad for the Hong Kong Sixes, which starts on 30 October. Geo News reports Pakistan open against India on the first day.

We will add the result after tonight's match.