Pakistan is all set to tour Sri Lanka for a three-match T20I series in January 2026. The Pakistan Squad for Sri Lanka Series has been announced, and there are some big names missing for them to play the series. Basically, the series is set to start from the 7th of January 2026 and end on the 11th of January 2026. It is surely a preparation series for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, which starts on 7th February 2026.
The date for the first T20I is the 7th of January, while the date for the second T20I is the 9th of January. Eventually, the third and final T20I is on the 11th of January. There is a single venue for all three matches in the series. Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium in Dambulla is the venue for the same. They will surely get used to the conditions for the T20I World Cup 2026.
Also check out: ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 Schedule Revealed: Venues, Timings, and all you need to know
Pakistan Squad for Sri Lanka Series: No Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, and Mohammad Rizwan
The main talking point about the Pakistan squad for the Sri Lanka T20 series is their main players being absent from this series. Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Mohammad Rizwan, all of the players, will be missing this series as they are currently playing in the Big Bash League. This should be the time when all the players should be on the team, preparing together for the T20 World Cup, as it would be just less than a month away. With them not being in the team, it could also point out a figure about their place in the T20 World Cup 2026 Pakistan squad.
The team will continue to be led by Salman Ali Agha, who was the captain of the Pakistan team in the Asia Cup 2025, where Pakistan lost to India in the final. Khawaja Nafay, who is a wicketkeeper batter, gets a chance to be a part of the squad, and we could see him making his debut for the Pakistan team in the series. The board is backing Fakhar Zaman as he is also a part of the Pakistan squad.
Shadab Khan, who was out of the Pakistan team from June 2025 due to a shoulder injury, is back in the team and will be a starter for them. His recovery is complete, and he is also currently playing in the Big Bash League. One more thing, the Pakistan Cricket Board would be looking at giving a chance to the young players and watching their performance in this series, and then finalising their squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup. Pakistan will play all of their matches in Sri Lanka of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.