Pakistan lead the three-match T20I series 1-0, and Sri Lanka need a win in the second game in Rawalpindi on Sunday after losing the opener despite Lahiru Udara's 91.
ESPNcricinfo previewed the second T20I on Saturday 10 October 2026, with Sri Lanka facing a must-win game in Rawalpindi. Pakistan lead the three-match series 1-0 and can seal it with another victory on Sunday.
| At a glance | Detail |
|---|---|
| Match | Pakistan v Sri Lanka, 2nd T20I of 3 |
| Series state | Pakistan lead 1-0 and can clinch the series; Sri Lanka must win to force a decider |
| Last match | Pakistan chased 183 to win by 4 wickets in the first T20I, finishing on 187 for 6 in 18.5 overs |
| Venue and date | Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi, Sunday 11 October 2026 |
| Spotlight | Naseem Shah, and Maheesh Theekshana with his remodelled action |
Udara's 91 was not enough in the opener
Sri Lanka made 182 for 8 in the first T20I on Friday, built around Lahiru Udara's 91 off 55 balls, which included 11 fours and a six. Kamindu Mendis added 23 and Dasun Shanaka finished on 18 not out. Naseem Shah took 3 for 36, and Mohammad Imran picked up 2 for 21 on his T20I debut.
Pakistan got there with 7 balls to spare. Captain Sahibzada Farhan hit 89 off 53 and was named player of the match, and Maaz Sadaqat made 50 off 29. For Sri Lanka, Maheesh Theekshana took 2 for 36 and Eshan Malinga also claimed two wickets.
Sri Lanka's rut and the changes they could make
Sri Lanka come into this game on a poor run. Their last five T20Is read L W L L L, most recent first, and they arrived in Pakistan after three heavy defeats in England. Pakistan's own five read W L W W L.
ESPNcricinfo suggests Sri Lanka may want more batting depth, with Dunith Wellalage at No. 7 possibly too high in the order. Sineth Jayawardena could come in for Nuwan Thushara, who went for 32 in three overs on Friday. Pathum Nissanka is out of the series with an injury, and Theekshana is leading the spin attack with Wanindu Hasaranga also injured. The probable XI as previewed by ESPNcricinfo, and not a confirmed side, is Udara, Kusal Mendis (captain, wicketkeeper), Jayawardena, Kamindu Mendis, Kamil Mishara, Sahan Arachchige, Shanaka, Wellalage, Dushmantha Chameera, Theekshana and Malinga.
Pakistan's pace plan and the records in play
Pakistan are pleased with how the first game went and may stay unchanged. They used three frontline seamers on Friday because the Rawalpindi surface offered less for fingerspin than a typical subcontinental T20I pitch, with Fakhar Zaman opening and Saim Ayub at No. 5. Extra grass helped the quicker bowlers in the opener, and a fresh strip is expected to play in a similar way, under a pleasant evening forecast. The probable XI per ESPNcricinfo, not confirmed, is Farhan (captain), Fakhar, Maaz Sadaqat, Hasan Nawaz, Saim Ayub, Khawaja Nafay (wicketkeeper), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Imran, Razaullah, Naseem and Abrar Ahmed. Naseem is a name to watch, as his previous T20I came seven months ago, also against Sri Lanka.
A few numbers frame the game. No team has beaten Pakistan five times in T20Is in Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, on four such wins, could become the first. Pakistan gave away 29 extras on Friday, the most they have conceded in a T20I, beating the 20 against Sri Lanka at the 2009 World T20. Kusal Mendis is 90 runs short of passing Nissanka as Sri Lanka's leading T20I run scorer.
Read the full preview on Cricinfo. Cricinfo.
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