Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Live Score: 0.2 Over, 8/0 Score

Done with the anthems, and it is time to get the series underway in Rawalpindi. The umpires and players have made their way out with the Pakistani players taking their respective fielding spots.

It's time for the national anthems. Both groups led by their respective captains make their way out to get lined up.

Pakistan (Playing XI) - Sahibzada Farhan (C), Fakhar Zaman, Maaz Sadaqat, Hasan Nawaz, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Khawaja Nafay (WK), Mohammad Imran, Razaullah, Naseem Shah, Abrar Ahmed.

Sri Lanka (Playing XI) - Kusal Mendis (C), Lahiru Udara (WK), Kamil Mishara, Kamindu Mendis, Sahan Arachchige, Dasun Shanaka, Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushmantha Chameera, Nuwan Thushara, Eshan Malinga.

TOSS - It's time for the coin to go up in Rawalpindi. Both captains - Sahibzada Farhan and Kusal Mendis - are out in the middle. The coin flip lands in favor of Mendis and Sri Lanka have elected to BAT first.

The Islanders in a transitional phase - Sri Lanka are back in Pakistan for a T20I series for the first time since 2019, and they will not mind revisiting that memory. They swept the hosts 3-0 on that trip, which remains their only T20I series win over Pakistan to date. The latest meeting came on Lankan soil this January, and it ended all square at 1-1. However, life away from home has been far less kind to them this year. A 2-1 defeat in the West Indies was followed by a 3-0 hammering in England, so they land in Rawalpindi on a poor run overseas. A largely rebuilt squad under the proven leadership of Kusal Mendis makes this a fresh start of sorts. Let's see who comes up trumps. Toss and teams up next shortly. Stay tuned.

Men in Green look for a rebuild - This is only Pakistan's second home T20I series of the year, after they blanked Australia 3-0 in January. The ride since has been anything but smooth. A forgettable T20 World Cup was followed by a silver medal at the Asian Games, a result that felt more like a pat on the back than a triumph. Sahibzada Farhan now holds the captaincy, and Pakistan are expected to hand opportunities to the standout performers from those Games. They will also use the series to give a few new faces a proper look in home conditions, and it marks the return of a couple of familiar names too.

Battle in the subcontinent - The cricket calendar is not slowing down, and another series is about to join the party. Pakistan welcome Sri Lanka for a multi-format contest that opens with three T20Is, all staged in Rawalpindi, before two Tests arrive in November. Squeezed in between is a high-octane ODI tri-series, with England landing in the mix alongside the two hosts of the bilateral. Reset for two wounded teams - Both Pakistan and Sri Lanka return from a very underwhelming showing at the Asian Games in Nisshin. Though, point to be noted, they weren't at full strength there, sending their sides filled with several rookies to be tested. For Pakistan, it will be the first time they will feature in a T20I series since the T20 World Cup earlier this year. Sri Lanka, meanwhile, are no strangers to these conditions. This is their second visit to Pakistan in the space of a year. They lost a bilateral ODI series 3-0 on the previous trip, and they also featured in a T20I tri-series alongside Zimbabwe in November 2025. The Sahibzada Era begins - The captain's armband in Pakistan's T20I setup has a new home. Sahibzada Farhan will lead the side in the series against Sri Lanka, stepping in for Salman Ali Agha, who skippered the team at the T20 World Cup and now finds himself out of the squad entirely. Farhan has the resume to back the promotion. He steered Pakistan to silver at the Asian Games and finished as the leading run-getter at the T20 World Cup earlier this year as well. Several members of that Asian Games group have kept their places, with Saim Ayub, Maaz Sadaqat and Hasan Nawaz, who smashed a fantastic 96 in the gold-medal match, bolstering the batting. While Fakhar Zaman brings the most experience to the mix. In the bowling department, Naseem Shah is back after a knee injury in the PSL kept him on the sidelines. There is a new face as well, with Razaullah earning his maiden T20I call-up after catching the eye on his Test debut in England, where he impressed with both his pace and his batting. The spin department is led by Shadab Khan, with Abrar Ahmed, Sofyan Moqim, and Saim Ayub's part-time offies in support. Rookies take the responsibility - Sri Lanka have shuffled the deck in their T20I squad. Kusal Mendis is back after a hamstring injury kept him out of the England tour, and he takes the captaincy back from Charith Asalanka, who drops out of the group. The injury list has not been kind, though, with Pathum Nissanka and Wanindu Hasaranga both sidelined, which thins out the batting and bowling alike. The pace department has seen a role reversal too. Binura Fernando, who missed the England T20Is with a back problem, returns to the fold, and Dilshan Madushanka, who stepped in for him then, makes way. Chamindu Wickramasinghe is also roped in, making his T20I comeback after nearly a year. Whereas the squad has fresh spin options too, with Vijayakanth Viyaskanth getting the nod. Dushmantha Chameera is named as well, but his place is not yet locked in, since the pace spearhead must first prove his fitness before he can take the field. Sahan Arachchige earns his place after a productive LPL season in which he piled up 240 runs, and he will add strength to the middle order. His T20I story is an unusual one, since all of his outings so far have come at the Asian Games. Sineth Jayawardena, meanwhile, receives a T20I call-up, a bold nod to a talented young batter. With several fresh faces in the mix, Sri Lanka head to Rawalpindi with more questions than answers. But for the youngsters, there is no better stage to announce themselves. Team form (Last 5 completed T20Is, recent first) - PAK - LWWLW | SL - WLLLL. What to expect? The two sides last met in a T20I series just under a year ago in Rawalpindi, and the hosts came out on top back then, sealing it 2-1. The statistical breakdown reveals a remarkably balanced bowling dynamic, with 77 wickets falling to spin and 84 to pace. This near-even distribution underscores a tactical equilibrium, suggesting that success will hinge more on adaptability and execution.