The PAK vs SL 1st T20I predicted playing XI points to a settled batting group for Pakistan and a young top order for Sri Lanka. The two teams meet at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on October 9, 2026, and the match starts at 6:30 PM IST. Both XIs below are predictions based on the announced squads. The official teams will be known at the toss.
This is the first of three T20Is in the Sri Lanka tour of Pakistan, 2026. Sahibzada Farhan captains Pakistan, while Kusal Mendis leads Sri Lanka after returning from injury.
Also Read: SA vs AUS 1st Test 2026: Kingsmead Durban Pitch Report
PAK vs SL 1st T20I: Match Information
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Match | Pakistan vs Sri Lanka, 1st T20I |
| Date | October 9, 2026 |
| Start time | 6:00 PM local, 1:00 PM GMT, 6:30 PM IST |
| Venue | Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi |
| Toss | To be confirmed |
| Umpires | Nasir Hussain, Rashid Riaz (third umpire: Faisal Afridi) |
| Match referee | Ali Naqvi |
| Live streaming in India | Youtube |
PAK vs SL 1st T20I Predicted Playing XI
| No. | Pakistan | Sri Lanka |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sahibzada Farhan (c) | Kamil Mishara |
| 2 | Saim Ayub | Kusal Mendis (c, wk) |
| 3 | Fakhar Zaman | Sineth Jayawardena |
| 4 | Hasan Nawaz | Kamindu Mendis |
| 5 | Khawaja Nafay (wk) | Sahan Arachchige |
| 6 | Abdul Samad | Dasun Shanaka |
| 7 | Shadab Khan | Dunith Wellalage |
| 8 | Mohammad Salman Mirza | Maheesh Theekshana |
| 9 | Naseem Shah | Nuwan Thushara |
| 10 | Abrar Ahmed | Dushmantha Chameera |
| 11 | Sufyan Moqim | Eshan Malinga |
Pakistan bench options
Maaz Sadaqat, Arafat Minhas, Razaullah and Mohammad Imran Randhawa are the main options on the bench. Arafat Minhas or Razaullah could come in if Pakistan want an extra seamer.
Sri Lanka bench options
Lahiru Udara, Chamindu Wickramasinghe, Binura Fernando and Vijayakanth Viyaskanth are the options on the bench. Chameera’s availability is reported as doubtful. If he misses out, Binura Fernando or Viyaskanth could take his place.
Also Read: SA vs AUS 1st Test 2026: Umpires
Key Players to Watch
Sahibzada Farhan has scored 296 runs at an average of 49.33 in seven T20Is against Sri Lanka, including one hundred and two fifties. Abrar Ahmed has taken 12 wickets in seven matches against them at an average of 12.66.
For Sri Lanka, Kusal Mendis has 2,694 T20I runs and 20 fifties. Dushmantha Chameera is one wicket short of 100 in T20Is.
Also Read: PAK vs SL 1st T20I 2026: List of Umpires
Head-to-Head and Pitch
Pakistan lead the T20I head-to-head 18-12 from 30 meetings. In Pakistan, the hosts trail 3-4 from seven games. Sri Lanka won the 2019 series in Pakistan 3-0.
Rawalpindi has hosted 16 T20Is. The chasing side has won 10 and the side batting first has won four. The average first-innings score is 144. These are the first international matches of the season, so the pitch is hard to read. A weather forecast has not been confirmed.
Pakistan carry the better record in the format, but Sri Lanka have shown before that a young side can win in Rawalpindi. The result will also shape momentum for the two matches on October 11 and October 13.
