Pakistan vs Sri Lanka LIVE Score, T20 World Cup 2026: Farhan closing in on Kohli's record, PAK off to ideal start

Dasun Shanaka: “We gonna bowl first. It is a good pitch and later on there might be dew as well. We got some good players in our lineup and of course, we need to do our basics right. So yeah, we didn’t do the basics well enough to pull out a win in the last two games. But here, we know we need to make it right in all three departments. They (the fans) still always love us regardless of whether we win or lose, so it’s good motivation, I think. Thank you very much for all the fans here. So yeah, we are looking forward to the game. ”

Salman Ali Agha: “It’s a massive opportunity. We just need to play a perfect game, bowl well, bat well, and field well, and I think everything will be fine. Yeah, we would have bowled first definitely, but there is no way we can do that while batting. So you just need to put up a good total and try to restrict them. It’s a mix, (knowing the calculations) to be very honest. Sometimes it can be tough and sometimes it’s easy. You have the freedom to go and just play shots or you know what you need to do. But yeah, it’s a mixed kind of a thing. We’ll just try to play a perfect game and I think the rest will be fine.”

Pakistan: Sahibzada Farhan, Fakhar Zaman, Salman Agha(c), Khawaja Nafay, Usman Khan(wk), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Abrar Ahmed, Usman Tariq

Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara(wk), Charith Asalanka, Pavan Rathnayake, Kamindu Mendis, Dasun Shanaka(c), Janith Liyanage, Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushmantha Chameera, Dilshan Madushanka

Pakistan make three changes to their lineup for the do-or-die clash against Sri Lanka, with pacer Salman Mirza also missing out. Naseem Shah returns to the XI along with Abrar Ahmed and Khawaja Nafay. Fakhar Zaman will be opening alongside the in-form Sahibzada Farhan today.

Sri Lanka make two changes – Kamil Mishara and Janith Liyanage replacing Kusal Mendis and Dushan Hemantha.

Here’s how Sri Lanka have fared so far in the ongoing tournament:

– Defeated Ireland by 20 runs at RPS, Colombo (Group Stage)

– Defeated Oman by 105 runs in Pallekele (Group Stage)

– Defeated Australia by 8 wickets in Pallekele (Group Stage)

– Lost to Zimbabwe by 6 wickets at RPS, Colombo  (Group Stage)

– Lost to England by 51 runs in Pallekele (Super 8s)

– Lost to New Zealand by 61 runs at RPS, Colombo (Super 8s)

Here’s how Pakistan have fared so far in the ongoing tournament: 

– Defeated Netherlands by 3 wickets at SSC, Colombo (Group stage)

– Defeated USA by 32 runs at SSC, Colombo (Group Stage)

– Lost to India by 61 runs at RPS, Colombo (Group Stage)

– Defeated Namibia by 102 runs at SSC, Colombo (Group Stage)

– Match against New Zealand at RPS Colombo abandoned without a ball bowled (Super 8s)

– Lost to England by 2 wickets in Pallekele (Super 8s)

The explosive opener had starred in the dominant eight-wicket victory with an unbeaten century and had struck 62 in a losing cause against Zimbabwe in the next game. His form in the Super 8s, however, hasn’t looked great – Nissanka getting dismissed for 9 and 0 against England and New Zealand respectively.

His contribution thus becomes crucial if Sri Lanka aim to gatecrash Pakistan’s party in Pallekele today.

Pakistan and Sri Lanka have faced each other four times at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. And while Pakistan enjoy a 17-12 lead over Sri Lanka across T20Is, the two teams are level on 2-2 when it comes to the T20 World Cup.

The most prominent of the four meeting of course came in the final of the 2009 edition at Lord’s, in which the Younis Khan-led Pakistani side chased down a target of 139 with eight wickets and as many deliveries to spare. It was the second time they had faced off in that tournament, with Sri Lanka having beaten Pakistan by 19 runs during the group stage.

The upcoming match will mark the first meeting between the two South Asian nations since 2012. Hosts Sri Lanka had won the first semi-final by 16 runs while defending a modest target to advance to the final in that edition.

Matches: 29

Pakistan won: 17

Sri Lanka won: 12

No Result: 0

Sri Lanka squad: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (wk), Charith Asalanka, Pavan Rathnayake, Kamindu Mendis, Dasun Shanaka (c), Dushan Hemantha, Dunith Wellalage, Dushmantha Chameera, Maheesh Theekshana, Dilshan Madushanka, Kusal Perera, Pramod Madushan, Janith Liyanage, Kamil Mishara

Pakistan squad: Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Agha (c), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi, Salman Mirza, Usman Tariq, Khawaja Nafay, Naseem Shah, Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf