Dambulla, January 6, 2026: Pakistan men’s team will take on Sri Lanka in a three-match T20I series in Dambulla as both sides step up their preparations for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, scheduled to be held in India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8.

The matches will be played on January 7, 9 and 11, with the first ball of each fixture set to be bowled at 7:00pm local time.

The series is expected to play a key role in helping Pakistan’s national selection committee finalize the 15-member squad for the mega event. With Pakistan slated to play all their World Cup matches in Sri Lanka, the bilateral series presents a crucial opportunity for the team to familiarize themselves with local conditions and fine-tune their combinations.

Salman Ali Agha will continue to lead the T20I side following an impressive 2025 season, during which Pakistan clinched two tri-series titles and secured bilateral T20I series victories against Bangladesh, West Indies and South Africa. The upcoming series also provides players with a valuable platform to strengthen their case for World Cup selection through strong performances against a competitive Sri Lankan unit.

Pakistan head into the series with encouraging recent results against Sri Lanka, having won three of their last five T20I encounters, including victories in the knockout match of the ACC Men’s T20 Asia Cup in Dubai and the tri-series final in Rawalpindi.

Speaking to the media during the pre-series press conference, captain Salman Ali Agha highlighted the importance of the tour.

“This series offers a great opportunity for everyone to perform. Playing here ahead of the World Cup is a significant advantage for us, and we aim to adapt to the conditions as quickly as possible,” he said.

“We have several quality players in the squad who are future prospects. We want to give them opportunities, and I am confident they will produce strong performances during the series.”

Pakistan’s 15-member squad:

Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmad, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Nafay (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan (wk), Usman Tariq