Pakistan have sealed the Pakistan Sri Lanka T20I series with a game to spare, following up their four-wicket win in the opener with a crushing 82-run victory in the second T20I at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Sunday, October 11, 2026. The hosts posted 215 for 3 from their 20 overs and then restricted Sri Lanka to 133 for 7, taking an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series under new captain Sahibzada Farhan.
Sri Lanka, who won the toss and chose to bat, posted 182 for 8 from their 20 overs. Lahiru Udara top-scored with a superb 91 from 55 balls, but Pakistan’s bowlers kept striking at key moments: Naseem Shah took 3 for 36 and Mohammad Imran claimed 2 for 21. In reply, Farhan anchored the chase and found an able partner in Maaz Sadaqat, whose 50 from 29 balls kept the required rate under control. Sri Lanka’s Eshan Malinga (2 for 33) and Maheesh Theekshana (2 for 36) made Pakistan work for the win, but the hosts sealed it with seven balls to spare and took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
How Pakistan Won the Series Opener
The opener of the Pakistan Sri Lanka T20I series turned on two contrasting batting displays. Sri Lanka’s innings belonged almost entirely to Udara, whose 91 carried the visitors to a competitive total after Kamindu Mendis chipped in with 23 from 18 balls. But Pakistan never let the scoring run away: Naseem Shah’s three wickets broke partnerships just as Sri Lanka threatened to accelerate, and Mohammad Imran’s 2 for 21 was the most economical spell of the night.
Pakistan’s chase was built around their new captain. Farhan’s 89 was the innings of the match, a blend of clean hitting and smart placement that kept Pakistan ahead of the rate throughout. When he fell with the finish line in sight, Maaz Sadaqat had already done the heavy lifting alongside him with a 29-ball fifty. Theekshana and Malinga picked up two wickets each for Sri Lanka, but the target always felt within reach. For a side playing its first match under a new leader, it was as composed a run chase as Pakistan could have asked for.
Pakistan Seal the Pakistan Sri Lanka T20I Series in the Second Match
If the opener was about composure, the second match of the Pakistan Sri Lanka T20I series was about dominance. Batting first on Sunday, Pakistan piled up 215 for 3, their batters finding the boundary at will on a true Rawalpindi surface. Sri Lanka’s chase never got going: they limped to 133 for 7 from their 20 overs, falling 82 runs short as Pakistan’s bowlers shared the wickets around.
The 82-run margin sealed the Pakistan Sri Lanka T20I series with Tuesday’s third match still to play, a statement result for a new-look side under a new captain. Two wins from two, achieved in contrasting fashion, suggest this team is learning fast. For the full scorecard of the second match, see the detailed ball-by-ball record.
Pakistan Sri Lanka T20I Series: Full Schedule
All three matches of the Pakistan Sri Lanka T20I series are being played at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, with every game starting at 6:00 PM Pakistan Standard Time. Keeping the series at one venue makes life simpler for both teams, and Rawalpindi under lights is one of the most electric settings in Pakistani cricket, with crowds that turn even routine league games into festivals.
- 1st T20I: Friday, October 9, 2026, Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Pakistan won by 4 wickets
- 2nd T20I: Sunday, October 11, 2026, Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Pakistan won by 82 runs
- 3rd T20I: Tuesday, October 13, 2026, Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium
The two wins give Pakistan an unassailable 2-0 lead in the Pakistan Sri Lanka T20I series, sealing it with a game to spare. Sri Lanka, meanwhile, will play for pride in Rawalpindi on Tuesday and to avoid a whitewash. The two-day gaps between matches gave both camps time to adjust their combinations, but Pakistan settled far faster, and in a three-match series that is usually what decides it.
Pakistan Squad: A New Captain and a New Direction
The Pakistan Cricket Board named a 15-member squad with Sahibzada Farhan as the new T20I captain, replacing Salman Ali Agha in a bold call that signals a genuine reset. Wholesale changes were made to the white-ball setup: Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi were among the established names left out as the selectors backed youth and current form.
Pakistan T20I squad: Sahibzada Farhan (captain), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Arafat Minhas, Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Nawaz, Khawaja Nafay (wicketkeeper), Maaz Sadaqat, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Muhammad Imran Randhawa, Naseem Shah, Razaullah, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Sufiyan Moqim.
There is plenty to be excited about in this group. Saim Ayub remains one of the most talked-about young batters in world cricket, Fakhar Zaman brings experience and fearless stroke play at the top, and Naseem Shah leads an attack with genuine pace. Shadab Khan’s all-round value and Abrar Ahmed’s mystery spin give Farhan real options in the middle overs. After sealing the Pakistan Sri Lanka T20I series with a game to spare, the big question is whether this new-look side can complete a home whitewash under Farhan on Tuesday.
Sri Lanka Squad: Depleted but Dangerous
Sri Lanka are led by Kusal Mendis, but they arrived without two of their most important players. Star opener Pathum Nissanka and ace spinner Wanindu Hasaranga are both out injured, which removes firepower from the top of the order and teeth from the bowling attack in one blow.
Sri Lanka T20I squad: Kusal Mendis (captain), 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.
Their response has been to lean on youth and versatility. Udara’s 91 in the opener showed the batting has fight, Kamindu Mendis and Sahan Arachchige add depth, Dasun Shanaka brings finishing experience, and the spin pairing of Dunith Wellalage and Maheesh Theekshana can be a handful on a turning Rawalpindi surface. Dushmantha Chameera remains subject to fitness clearance, so Sri Lanka’s pace plans for the rest of the Pakistan Sri Lanka T20I series may need a late rethink. Write this young side off at your own risk, though: Sri Lankan teams touring Pakistan have a habit of punching above their weight, and they now play only for pride on Tuesday.
What Comes After the Pakistan Sri Lanka T20I Series
The Pakistan Sri Lanka T20I series is only the first act of a packed tour. England then join Pakistan and Sri Lanka for an ODI tri-series from October 18 to 31, split between Rawalpindi and Lahore. It opens with Pakistan against Sri Lanka on October 18 at Rawalpindi, and the top two sides meet in the final at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, on October 31.
Sri Lanka have named a separate 16-member squad for that tri-series, again led by Kusal Mendis, with Avishka Fernando recalled and Pathum Nissanka’s travel subject to medical clearance. Former captain Charith Asalanka has been dropped after a poor run of form in England. After the tri-series, the tour ends with a three-day warm-up in Islamabad (November 4 to 6) and then a two-Test series, part of the ICC World Test Championship, with Tests in Rawalpindi (November 9 to 13) and Lahore (November 17 to 21).
So the series was about more than two T20Is. It was the start of five weeks of international cricket in Pakistan, and a first look at two teams shaping up for bigger battles ahead. The Pakistan Sri Lanka T20I series concludes on Tuesday in Rawalpindi with Pakistan chasing a whitewash after sealing it early. For the full scorecard of the opener, see the detailed ball-by-ball record, and follow live coverage on Cricbuzz. Matches are played at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, one of Pakistan’s most atmospheric venues.
It has been a strong season for Pakistani sport, from Pakistan’s first-ever Asian Games esports podium to the national football team’s climb in the FIFA rankings, and moments like Muneeba Ali’s record T20I hundred show the country’s cricketing talent runs deep.
Sources
- The SportsTak: Pakistan vs Sri Lanka, 2nd T20I full scorecard
- The SportsTak: Pakistan vs Sri Lanka, 1st T20I full scorecard
- Cricbuzz: live scores and cricket coverage
- Wikipedia: Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium
Umar is an engineer by profession and a passionate writer by passion. He has a deep interest in sharing good news related to Pakistan and has been working hard to promote the positive image of his homeland. Umar has written numerous articles on various topics related to Pakistan, such as technology, sports, culture, and economy.