Pakistan vs Sri Lanka 3rd T20I today: Pakistan chase 3-0 sweep in Rawalpindi — time, TV, probable XIs and what to watch

Key takeaways

• Pakistan vs Sri Lanka, 3rd T20I — Tuesday, 13 October, Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. Toss 5:30pm, first ball 6:00pm PKT (6:30pm IST).
• Pakistan lead 2-0 and have already won the series; Sri Lanka are playing to avoid a 3-0 whitewash.
• Maaz Sadaqat (50 off 29, then 96 off 51) and captain Sahibzada Farhan (89 and 73) have carried the batting.
• Pakistan may rest players; ESPNcricinfo expects left-arm wrist-spinner Sufyan Moqim could come in for leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed.
• TV in Pakistan: PTV Sports (and A Sports, per CricketAddictor); streaming on PCB Live, Tapmad and Tamasha.

Series so far

Pakistan's 215 for 3 on Sunday was their highest T20I total at home, beating 208 for 3 against West Indies in 2021, ESPNcricinfo notes.

Pakistan: keep the band together or rotate?

With the trophy secured, Pakistan could give games to squad members who have not played yet. Pre-match reports list Abdul Samad, Arafat Minhas and Sufyan Moqim as yet to feature. ESPNcricinfo's preview suggests management may be tempted to keep an in-form batting line-up unchanged, while giving the middle order a proper workout.

Probable XI (ESPNcricinfo): Sahibzada Farhan (capt), Fakhar Zaman, Maaz Sadaqat, Hasan Nawaz, Saim Ayub, Khawaja Nafay (wk), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Imran, Naseem Shah, Salman Mirza, Sufyan Moqim.

Sri Lanka: searching for answers

Sri Lanka, coached by Gary Kirsten and captained by Kusal Mendis, have won only two of their last 14 T20Is, according to ESPNcricinfo. Spinner Maheesh Theekshana was taken apart on Sunday, so leg-spinner V Viyaskanth could come in, and fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera may return if fit. Opener Lahiru Udara, who hit 91 in the first match, is their main batting hope.

Probable XI (ESPNcricinfo): Lahiru Udara, Sineth Jayawardena, Kusal Mendis (capt, wk), Kamindu Mendis, Sahan Arachchige, Dasun Shanaka, Chamindu Wickramasinghe, Maheesh Theekshana/V Viyaskanth, Eshan Malinga, Dushmantha Chameera/Binura Fernando, Nuwan Thushara.

The PCB's official account shared photos of Sri Lanka training at the stadium on Monday.

Pitch and weather

Rawalpindi is usually a flat, batting-friendly surface with true bounce. Evening dew can make bowling second harder, so the toss-winning captain may choose to field. Forecasts quoted by CricketAddictor show clear weather, around 23°C at the start and very little chance of rain.

Tickets

According to the PCB ticket chart reported by Pakera, the third match is the cheapest of the series: General Rs 200, First Class Rs 400, Premium Rs 600 and VIP Rs 800. Fans must bring the original CNIC or passport used to buy the ticket.

What to watch

• Can Maaz Sadaqat make it three fifties in three matches?
• Whether Pakistan hand first games of the series to bench players.
• Can Sri Lanka's top order finally set a total, or chase one, against Naseem Shah and Mohammad Imran?

We will add the result after the match.