Pakistan face Sri Lanka in the second match of the three-game men’s T20I series at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Sunday, 11 October 2026. The scheduled start is 6:30 PM IST, or 1:00 PM GMT, with the local start listed as 6:00 PM. This is a pre-toss preview. The official playing XIs, toss, batting order, wicketkeeper choice and app roles are not confirmed at the time of writing.
The strongest completed evidence is mixed. Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by five runs in the February 2026 T20 World Cup, won the January opener in Dambulla and also won the November 2025 Rawalpindi meeting. Sri Lanka won the rain-shortened January third match. That supports a balanced pool rather than a claim that one side is certain to dominate.
The Pakistan squad is led by Sahibzada Farhan, who made 100 from 60 balls in February. Sri Lanka’s group is led by Kusal Mendis. Wanindu Hasaranga is absent; ESPN says he is ruled out, while Dushmantha Chameera remains subject to fitness. These are squad facts, not XI confirmation.
1 Match Preview
This is the second T20I of Sri Lanka’s 2026 tour of Pakistan. Both teams have named 15-player men’s T20I squads for the Rawalpindi leg. Pakistan’s group includes Farhan, Fakhar, Saim Ayub, Shadab, Abrar and Naseem. Sri Lanka’s includes Mendis, Kamil Mishara, Sineth Jayawardena, Kamindu Mendis, Shanaka, Theekshana and Nuwan Thushara.
The key questions are whether Pakistan use a spin-heavy combination around Shadab and Abrar, whether Sri Lanka trust their new top-order options, and whether Chameera is fit. A squad list or media probable XI is not a confirmed team.
Pakistan have the clearer recent direct result at this venue, but the sample is small. Sri Lanka have Mendis’ stability, Shanaka’s finishing power and varied spin options. Build for uncertainty rather than assuming every named squad member plays.
2 Match Details
| Item | Verified Detail |
|---|---|
| Match | Pakistan vs Sri Lanka, 2nd T20I |
| Series | Sri Lanka Tour Of Pakistan 2026/27 |
| Format | Men’s T20I, 20 overs |
| Date | Sunday, 11 October 2026 |
| Venue | Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi |
| Start Time | 6:30 PM IST / 1:00 PM GMT / 6:00 PM local |
| Match Number | Second T20I of the series; T20I no. 4188 on ESPN’s match page |
| Status | Scheduled; pre-toss preview |
| Selection note | Playing XIs, toss, batting order and final app roles are not confirmed |
3 Team Form
The tables use retrieved completed men’s T20I scorecards. The 9 October first T20I was upcoming or not final at the research cutoff, so it is not counted.
Pakistan Form
| Date | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28 Feb 2026 | Sri Lanka | 212/8 | ✓ WIN, by 5 runs |
| 11 Jan 2026 | Sri Lanka | 146/8 against 160/6 | ✕ LOSS, by 14 runs in a 12-over match |
| 09 Jan 2026 | Sri Lanka | — | Not Played / Abandoned |
| 07 Jan 2026 | Sri Lanka | 129/4 against 128 | ✓ WIN, by 6 wickets |
| 29 Nov 2025 | Sri Lanka | 118/4 against 114 | ✓ WIN, by 6 wickets |
Pakistan’s key completed batting evidence is Farhan’s 51 from 36 in January and 100 from 60 in February; Fakhar added 84 from 42 in February. Shadab was Player of the Match in the January win with 18 not out from 12, while Abrar took 3/25. These figures do not guarantee a repeat.
Sri Lanka Form
| Date | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28 Feb 2026 | Pakistan | 207/6 against 212/8 | ✕ LOSS, by 5 runs |
| 11 Jan 2026 | Pakistan | 160/6 against 146/8 | ✓ WIN, by 14 runs in a 12-over match |
| 09 Jan 2026 | Pakistan | — | Not Played / Abandoned |
| 07 Jan 2026 | Pakistan | 128 all out against 129/4 | ✕ LOSS, by 6 wickets |
| 29 Nov 2025 | Pakistan | 114 all out against 118/4 | ✕ LOSS, by 6 wickets |
Sri Lanka’s upside is visible in the same scorecards: Shanaka made 76 from 31 in February and 34 from 9 in January. Kamil Mishara made 59 from 47 in the November Rawalpindi final, while Theekshana returned 4-0-22. The current squad differs in places, and Hasaranga is absent, so older performances need a role and selection check.
4 Pitch Report And Fantasy Impact
Rawalpindi has one verified recent same-ground men’s T20I scorecard, not an all-time venue average. In the 29 November 2025 final, Sri Lanka made 114 all out and Pakistan chased 118/4 in 18.4 overs. It was a 6:00 PM local start.
The February World Cup scorecard was at Pallekele and the January games at Dambulla, so neither is a Rawalpindi pitch statistic. The limited Rawalpindi evidence still shows bowling relevance: Pakistan dismissed Sri Lanka for 114, while Theekshana’s four overs cost only 22.
Use a mix of top-order batters, at least one all-round option and wicket-taking bowlers. On a slow surface, reassess toward spin and cutters; on a hard, carrying surface, favour opening batters and powerplay pace. No toss-day reading is confirmed.
5 Head-To-Head
The retrieved completed men’s T20I sample is four decided matches plus one abandoned match from November 2025 to February 2026. Pakistan won three decided games and Sri Lanka won one. The abandoned 9 January match is not a win or loss.
The most recent meeting was Pakistan 212/8 versus Sri Lanka 207/6 at Pallekele on 28 February 2026. Pakistan also won the November Rawalpindi meeting, 118/4 against 114. This small sample is not an all-time record and excludes women’s, A-team, legends and non-T20 results.
6 Probable Playing XIs — Not Confirmed
These candidate groups come from the announced men’s T20I squads and recent scorecards. They are not confirmed XIs, and no batting order is asserted.
Pakistan candidates: Khawaja Nafay (wk), Fakhar Zaman, Sahibzada Farhan, Hasan Nawaz, Abdul Samad, Saim Ayub, Arafat Minhas, Maaz Sadaqat, Shadab Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Naseem Shah, Razaullah, Salman Mirza and Sufiyan Moqim. The squad release uses the longer name Muhammad Imran Randhawa; the match-page role listing shortens this to Mohammad Imran, so that player is not used in the six scenarios.
Sri Lanka candidates: Kusal Mendis (wk), Lahiru Udara (wk), Kamil Mishara, Sineth Jayawardena, Sahan Arachchige, Kamindu Mendis, Dasun Shanaka, Chamindu Wickramasinghe, Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, Binura Fernando, Nuwan Thushara, Eshan Malinga and Dushmantha Chameera, subject to fitness.
The role labels are editorial mappings, not claims about current app labels, credits or selection availability.
7 Six Dream11 Scenario Teams
Team 1: Balanced Core
Balanced pre-toss mix with top-order batting, two all-rounders and four wicket-taking bowling options.
| Role | Selected Players |
|---|---|
| WK | Khawaja Nafay |
| BAT | Fakhar Zaman, Sahibzada Farhan, Kamil Mishara |
| AR | Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Kamindu Mendis |
| BOWL | Abrar Ahmed, Naseem Shah, Maheesh Theekshana, Nuwan Thushara |
Captain: Sahibzada Farhan · Vice-Captain: Shadab Khan
Risk: Sahibzada Farhan is a provisional captain inclusion and must be added to the final XI before use.
Team 2: Pakistan Chase Script
Pakistan chase script: Farhan and Fakhar provide the top-order base while Sri Lanka’s captain and two seam options cover a counter-challenge.
| Role | Selected Players |
|---|---|
| WK | Kusal Mendis |
| BAT | Sahibzada Farhan, Fakhar Zaman, Sineth Jayawardena |
| AR | Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Dasun Shanaka |
| BOWL | Abrar Ahmed, Naseem Shah, Maheesh Theekshana, Nuwan Thushara |
Captain: Fakhar Zaman · Vice-Captain: Kusal Mendis
Risk: The chase angle depends on the toss and on Fakhar and Farhan receiving the expected batting opportunities.
Team 3: Sri Lanka Top-Order Response
Sri Lanka top-order response with Kamil, Sineth and Kamindu, while Pakistan’s pace and spin attack supplies wicket coverage.
| Role | Selected Players |
|---|---|
| WK | Kusal Mendis |
| BAT | Kamil Mishara, Sineth Jayawardena, Hasan Nawaz |
| AR | Kamindu Mendis, Saim Ayub |
| BOWL | Maheesh Theekshana, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, Abrar Ahmed, Naseem Shah, Nuwan Thushara |
Captain: Kamil Mishara · Vice-Captain: Abrar Ahmed
Risk: Sineth’s recent domestic evidence is not a confirmed international XI selection, and the Sri Lankan top order is unsettled.
Team 4: Pace And New-Ball Pressure
Pace-heavy script: both sides’ seam candidates are prioritised, with Shanaka and Sahan as flexible batting-all-round cover.
| Role | Selected Players |
|---|---|
| WK | Khawaja Nafay |
| BAT | Sahibzada Farhan, Fakhar Zaman, Kamil Mishara |
| AR | Arafat Minhas, Sahan Arachchige, Dasun Shanaka |
| BOWL | Naseem Shah, Razaullah, Binura Fernando, Eshan Malinga |
Captain: Naseem Shah · Vice-Captain: Dasun Shanaka
Risk: Dushmantha Chameera is fitness-dependent and omitted here; the actual seam combination may change after the toss.
Team 5: Spin And Control
Slow-surface script using four specialist spin or control bowlers and three all-round routes to overs and runs.
| Role | Selected Players |
|---|---|
| WK | Kusal Mendis |
| BAT | Hasan Nawaz, Kamil Mishara, Sineth Jayawardena |
| AR | Shadab Khan, Saim Ayub, Kamindu Mendis |
| BOWL | Abrar Ahmed, Sufiyan Moqim, Maheesh Theekshana, Dunith Wellalage |
Captain: Maheesh Theekshana · Vice-Captain: Shadab Khan
Risk: This script is highly dependent on a gripping surface and on both teams selecting the mapped spin options.
Team 6: Differential Finishers
Differential finishing script built around lower-owned-looking squad candidates, all-round flexibility and late-innings wicket chances.
| Role | Selected Players |
|---|---|
| WK | Khawaja Nafay |
| BAT | Abdul Samad, Fakhar Zaman, Sineth Jayawardena |
| AR | Arafat Minhas, Sahan Arachchige, Chamindu Wickramasinghe |
| BOWL | Razaullah, Salman Mirza, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, Nuwan Thushara |
Captain: Sahan Arachchige · Vice-Captain: Razaullah
Risk: Several names are selection-sensitive, so this card needs the most aggressive toss-day replacement check.
8 Captain And Vice-Captain Choices
Sahibzada Farhan is the leading editorial captain candidate when confirmed. He made 51 from 36 in January and 100 from 60 in February. His entry point remains unconfirmed.
Shadab Khan is a strong vice-captain candidate when selected. He was Player of the Match in January, made 18 not out and took 2/25. His batting position and bowling workload can move.
Kusal Mendis is the Sri Lanka leadership alternative if he keeps wicket and bats in the top order. He is the named captain and a wicketkeeper-batter in the squad. His role can change in a transitional XI.
Dasun Shanaka suits a high-variance scenario because he made 76 from 31 in February and 34 from 9 in January. His batting and bowling positions are not confirmed.
Toss-day role and credit repair checklist:
- Replace any non-playing name after the official XI, not before it.
- Confirm the app’s wicketkeeper, batter, all-rounder and bowler labels for every selected player; the editorial map is not an app confirmation.
- Recount one-to-four wicketkeepers, three-to-six batters, one-to-four all-rounders and three-to-six bowlers after every swap.
- Recount each side and keep no more than seven players from either team.
- Recheck the app’s live credits after role swaps; do not infer credits from this article.
- If Chameera is not fit or selected, move to a confirmed Sri Lanka bowler. Consider a spinner on a slow surface only after the app accepts the role.
- Keep captain and vice-captain as distinct confirmed members and review their final batting and bowling opportunities.
9 Top 3 Player Battles
Fakhar Zaman versus Maheesh Theekshana: Fakhar’s 84 from 42 in the February meeting shows his scoring ceiling, while Theekshana took control in the November Rawalpindi final with 4-0-22. The battle turns on whether Fakhar can access the powerplay and whether Theekshana gets an early over.
Sahibzada Farhan versus Sri Lanka’s new-ball pace: Farhan’s 100 in February and 51 in January make him a natural focus, but Nuwan Thushara, Binura Fernando, Eshan Malinga or a fit Chameera may share the new-ball role. The exact pairing is not confirmed.
Kusal Mendis and Kamindu Mendis versus Abrar Ahmed and Shadab Khan: Abrar took 3/25 in January and 3/23 in February, while Shadab took two wickets in January. A slow surface could make this spin phase decisive. It is a conditional tactical battle, not a manufactured ball-by-ball record.
10 Top Players To Look Out For
Farhan: high-value recent score evidence and the new Pakistan captaincy role; risk is an unconfirmed position.
Fakhar: explosive February score and a likely powerplay role; risk is exposure to early movement and Theekshana’s spin.
Shadab: completed scorecard evidence in both departments; risk is variable workload.
Abrar: 3/25 in January and 3/23 in February; risk is surface and match-up dependence.
Kusal Mendis: named Sri Lanka captain and wicketkeeper-batter in the squad; risk is role pressure in a changing side.
Shanaka: two major recent scores against Pakistan; risk is uncertain batting and bowling allocation.
Theekshana: 4-0-22 in the Rawalpindi final; risk is a different match-up and a new squad combination.
11 Match Winner Prediction
Pakistan have the modest pre-toss editorial lean because they won the latest meeting, the completed Rawalpindi match in this sample, and have strong scorecard evidence from Farhan, Shadab and Abrar. Sri Lanka remain credible through Mendis, Shanaka and spin. The XIs and Chameera’s fitness remain unresolved.
12 FAQs
When Is Pakistan Vs Sri Lanka 2nd T20I?
It is scheduled for Sunday, 11 October 2026. The listed start is 6:30 PM IST, 1:00 PM GMT and 6:00 PM local time.
Where Will The Match Be Played?
At Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
Are The Playing XIs Confirmed?
No. Pakistan and Sri Lanka have announced 15-player men’s T20I squads, but the final XI, toss and batting order remain unconfirmed in this pre-toss preview.
Is Wanindu Hasaranga In The Sri Lanka Squad?
No. He is absent from the official 15-player T20I squad used for this preview. ESPN’s squad report says he is ruled out for the tour.
Is Dushmantha Chameera Certain To Play?
No. Sri Lanka Cricket listed him subject to fitness. His selection and role must be checked after the toss.
What Is The Recent Head-To-Head Sample?
From the retrieved scorecards, Pakistan won three of four decided men’s T20Is between November 2025 and February 2026. One January 2026 match was abandoned and was not counted as a win or loss.
Are The Dream11 Roles And Credits Final?
No. The six scenarios use editorial role labels and provisional squads. Confirm app roles, credits, final XI, team limits and captain choices on match day.
