Pakistan Name T20I Squad for Sri Lanka Series, Sahibzada Farhan Captain
PCB named a 15-man Pakistan T20I squad for Sri Lanka with Sahibzada Farhan as captain. See the full list, who is new, the ODI squad and the Rawalpindi dates.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has named a 15-member T20I squad for the three-match series against Sri Lanka, with Sahibzada Farhan as captain. Shaheen Shah Afridi stays ODI captain for the tri-series that follows. All three T20Is are at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on 9, 11 and 13 October 2026.
We read the PCB media release dated 5 October 2026, "Pakistan squads announced for Sri Lanka T20Is and ODI tri-series", on the board's own website. It lists both squads and the team management. It does not give start times, and it does not explain any selection.
Then we set the new Pakistan T20I squad against the 15 players Pakistan sent to the Asian Games in Japan, which ended with a silver medal on 3 October. Eight players are kept. Seven come in, and most of them are experienced names who were not in Japan.
Sahibzada Farhan leads Pakistan's 15-member T20I squad
Sahibzada Farhan will captain Pakistan in all three T20Is against Sri Lanka. The opening batter led the side at the Asian Games, where Pakistan reached the final and won silver. Khawaja Nafay is the only wicketkeeper named in the T20I squad.
Here is the full list in the order PCB printed it. The second column shows whether the same player was in Pakistan's Asian Games squad, and the third whether he is also in the ODI squad for the tri-series.
| Player | At the Asian Games? | Also in ODI squad? |
|---|---|---|
| Sahibzada Farhan (captain) | Yes, captain | No |
| Abdul Samad | Yes | No |
| Abrar Ahmed | Yes | Yes |
| Arafat Minhas | Yes | Yes |
| Fakhar Zaman | No | Yes |
| Hasan Nawaz | Yes | Yes |
| Muhammad Imran Randhawa | No | No |
| Khawaja Nafay (wicketkeeper) | No | No |
| Maaz Sadaqat | Yes | No |
| Naseem Shah | No | Yes |
| Razaullah | No | Yes |
| Saim Ayub | Yes | Yes |
| Mohammad Salman Mirza | No | No |
| Shadab Khan | No | Yes |
| Sufiyan Moqim | Yes | Yes |
Spin is the strongest part of this list. Abrar Ahmed reached the top spot in the ICC T20I bowling rankings in September, according to a PCB release of 23 September. Shadab Khan and Sufiyan Moqim give Farhan two more spin options, and Saim Ayub can bowl a few overs too.
Seven players come in after the Asian Games
Seven players in the T20I squad were not in Japan: Fakhar Zaman, Naseem Shah, Shadab Khan, Razaullah, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Muhammad Imran Randhawa and Khawaja Nafay. The Asian Games squad was a younger side, and the senior names return for a full home series.
Seven Asian Games players miss out in return. They are Haider Ali, Ahmad Daniyal, Akif Javed, Saad Masood, Muhammad Waseem, Ali Raza and wicketkeeper Usman Khan. PCB's release does not say whether any of them were dropped, rested or injured, so we are not guessing.
Eight players carry on from Japan. Hasan Nawaz is one of them. He made 96 in the Asian Games final against India, the innings that kept Pakistan in the chase until the last overs.
Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi play only the ODIs
Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf and Salman Ali Agha are in the 16-member ODI squad but not the T20I squad. Shaheen captains the ODI side in the tri-series with England and Sri Lanka. So fans at the Rawalpindi T20Is will not see these four.
The full ODI squad, as PCB printed it, is:
- Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, Arafat Minhas
- Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (wicketkeeper)
- Haris Rauf, Hasan Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Razaullah
- Saad Baig (wicketkeeper), Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan and Sufiyan Moqim
Nine players are in both squads. That matters for workload. The third T20I is on 13 October and the first tri-series match is on 18 October, so those nine get four clear days between formats. The ODI tri-series with England and Sri Lanka runs from 18 to 31 October in Rawalpindi and Lahore.
Mike Hesson stays head coach for both series. PCB lists Shaun Tait as bowling coach, Michael Smith as batting coach and Mansoor Amjad as fielding coach, with Naveed Akram Cheema as manager.
Pakistan play Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi on 9, 11 and 13 October
Pakistan and Sri Lanka play three T20Is at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Friday 9, Sunday 11 and Tuesday 13 October 2026. PCB's 5 October release confirms the venue and dates. It does not give start times, and we have not found them on any PCB page yet.
Sri Lanka have already named their side. The Sri Lanka T20I squad for the Pakistan tour is led by Kusal Mendis and leaves out Wanindu Hasaranga, Pathum Nissanka and Charith Asalanka. So both teams arrive with changed line-ups.
- 9 October, Friday: 1st T20I, Rawalpindi.
- 11 October, Sunday: 2nd T20I, Rawalpindi.
- 13 October, Tuesday: 3rd T20I, Rawalpindi.
- 18 to 31 October: ODI tri-series, Rawalpindi and Lahore.
- 9 to 13 November and 17 to 21 November: two Tests, Rawalpindi and Lahore.
Tickets start at Rs 200 and sale is open now
PCB tickets for the three T20Is are on sale online at pcb.tcs.com.pk and at TCS Express Centres. General enclosure seats cost Rs 300 for the first and second T20Is and Rs 200 for the third. VIP seats cost Rs 1,000 for the first two games.
These prices come from PCB's 1 October ticket release. Online sale opened on 3 October and TCS centres started on 5 October. The full price list by enclosure, and the steps to buy, are in Pakistan vs Sri Lanka T20 tickets and schedule. Carry your original CNIC to the gate. That is our advice, not a written PCB rule.
Staying home? Broadcasters had not been confirmed by PCB when we last checked. The options to watch Pakistan vs Sri Lanka T20 live will be updated once PCB names them.
Common questions
Who is Pakistan's T20I captain against Sri Lanka?
Sahibzada Farhan. PCB named him captain for the three T20Is in its 5 October 2026 release. He also led Pakistan at the Asian Games.
Is Babar Azam in the Pakistan T20I squad for Sri Lanka?
No. Babar Azam is in the ODI squad for the tri-series only. Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf and Salman Ali Agha are also ODI only.
Who is Pakistan's ODI captain for the tri-series?
Shaheen Shah Afridi. PCB says he will continue as ODI captain for the tri-series with England and Sri Lanka.
Who is the wicketkeeper in Pakistan's T20I squad?
Khawaja Nafay is the only player marked as wicketkeeper in the T20I list.
What time do the Pakistan vs Sri Lanka T20Is start?
PCB has not published start times. Neither the squad release nor the ticket release gives one.
Where are the Pakistan vs Sri Lanka T20Is played?
All three are at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, on 9, 11 and 13 October 2026.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked 6 October 2026, about 4:15 am PKT. We read the PCB release of 5 October 2026 for both squads, the captains, the dates and the team management. Ticket prices are from PCB's 1 October release, "Ticket sale announced for Sri Lanka series and tri-series". The Asian Games squad is from the official Aichi-Nagoya 2026 results system entry list. The comparisons between squads are our own.
About the author
Senior Writer, Public Services and Technology
Shahid joined us in 2024 as an author. He is a senior contributor to Pakistan's leading technology websites. He writes detailed articles, mostly covering his expertise in the latest tech, mobiles, apps, gadgets, and step-by-step guides. His ideology is to help people understand the latest trends and explain complex methods through very easy-to-understand guides.
