KEY POINTS
- All matches to be played in Rawalpindi with Pakistan take on Zimbabwe in inaugural match today
- Pakistan arrive with strong T20I form, boosted by a 2-1 series win over South Africa.
- Sri Lanka aim to stabilize their top order and rely on Hasaranga for balance in Rawalpindi conditions.
- Zimbabwe seek to rebound after a home 3-0 T20I loss and test themselves against two seasoned teams.
RAWALPINDI, Pakistan: Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe gear up for a T20I tri-series in Rawalpindi, a warm-up of sorts for the looming men’s T20 World Cup.
From Tuesday, November 18, Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium will host all six group-stage matches and the final, as these three familiar rivals test their white-ball hands ahead of the global showpiece.
Team form and outlook entering the series
Pakistan: Having swept Sri Lanka 3-0 in the recent ODI series and shown strong form in T20Is, Pakistan head into this tri-series with confidence.
Their most recent T20I assignment against South Africa ended 2-1 in their favour, underscoring a batting unit that’s finding coherence and a bowling attack capable of applying pressure in the middle overs.
Under Salman Ali Agha’s leadership, Pakistan’s approach appears to blend aggressive counting of quick-fire totals with disciplined bowling to defend smaller totals on supportive Rawalpindi decks.
Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka arrive keen to rediscover their edge in T20 cricket. They showed flashes of intent in Asia Cup T20 action but have struggled to maintain consistency across the arc of games.
With Pathum Nissanka and a top-order that has produced runs in bursts, Sri Lanka will be hoping their middle order, backed by Wanindu Hasaranga’s all-round contributions, can tighten gaps and provide stability when Pakistan and Zimbabwe press hard.
Zimbabwe: Zimbabwe come into the tournament with something to prove after a difficult recent stretch in T20Is, including a 3-0 loss at home to Afghanistan.
They will look to their batting core, led by Sikandar Raza, and young pace options to exploit Rawalpindi’s surface while trying to keep runs in check against three robust oppositions.
Their exposure to high-pressure series over the year suggests they will play fearless cricket, aiming to upset the established order.
Schedule at a glance
Tri-Series Schedule
1st T20I: Pakistan vs Zimbabwe — Tuesday, November 18
2nd T20I: Sri Lanka vs Zimbabwe — Thursday, November 20
3rd T20I: Pakistan vs Sri Lanka — Saturday, November 22
4th T20I: Pakistan vs Zimbabwe — Sunday, November 23
5th T20I: Sri Lanka vs Zimbabwe — Tuesday, November 25
6th T20I: Pakistan vs Sri Lanka — Thursday, November 27
Final: Saturday, November 29 (venue: Rawalpindi)
Broadcast and live streaming
Pakistan: PTI Sports will provide the live TV broadcast, with the Pakistan Cricket YouTube channel offering live streaming of all games.
Sri Lanka: Dialog TV will televise the series in Sri Lanka on ThePapare1 and ThePapare1 HD, with Dialog ViU+ carrying the live stream.
India: No live broadcast or streaming in India for this tri-series.
United Kingdom: PCB Live app will stream the games for UK viewers.
Bangladesh: T Sports and Tapmad will televise the series.
North America: Willow TV will handle live coverage in the region.
Middle East, North Africa and Southeast Asia: Cricbuzz will stream in MENA and parts of Southeast Asia; Astro will cover Southeast Asia.
Sub-Saharan Africa: SuperSport will provide live coverage for Zimbabwe and neighboring markets.
Teams and squads notes
Key players to watch
Babar Azam (Pakistan): In fine form, looking to lead by example with the bat and help set the tone for Pakistan’s chase philosophy.
Pathum Nissanka (Sri Lanka): A driver of Sri Lanka’s top order, aiming to convert starts into big scores in Rawalpindi’s conditions.
Sikandar Raza (Zimbabwe): Zimbabwe’s captain and a touchstone for both batting and bowling efforts, expected to influence outcomes with his all-round contributions.
Conditions and tactical angles
Pitch and weather: Rawalpindi tends to offer batting-friendly surfaces with something for seamers in the evenings as dew sets in.
Teams may balance aggression with caution in the powerplay and death overs, where pressure can mount and fielding errors become costly.
What this means for the World Cup preparations
With roughly two and a half months to go before the Men’s T20 World Cup, this tri-series provides each team a crucial testing ground for tactics, player combinations, and bench strength.
It offers coaching staffs a chance to assay conditions, verify strategies, and identify role clarity across the batting order and bowling unit ahead of the global event.
