KEY POINTS
- Pakistan cricket team players arrived in Colombo on Monday.
- The three-match series serves as preparation for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka: Pakistan cricket team arrived in Sri Lanka on Monday for a three-match T20 International series starting from January 7, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) stated.
It was the second contingent of green shirts that included captain Salman Ali Agha, batters Sahibzada Farhan, Abdul Samad, and Usman Khan, all-rounders Saim Ayub and Mohammad Nawaz, and mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed.
They were joined by the triumphant trio of Fakhar Zaman, Naseem Shah, and Usman Tariq, who arrived fresh from winning the ILT20 2025 title with the Desert Vipers on Sunday.
The first batch of players, accompanied by head coach Mike Hesson, had already arrived in the early hours of Monday.
That group featured star all-rounder Shadab Khan, Faheem Ashraf, and pacers Mohammad Wasim Jr. and Mohammad Salman Mirza.
Pakistan squad arrives in Sri Lanka and is welcomed in traditional style 🇵🇰🇱🇰✨
📸 @OfficialSLC #SLvPAK | #BackTheBoysInGreen pic.twitter.com/p9YhfAD21z
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) January 5, 2026
Series schedule and stakes
The T20I series, a vital preparatory step for both sides, is set for January 7, 9, and 11. All matches will be played at the Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium (RDICS) in Dambulla.
This series holds significant importance for Pakistan as it serves as a crucial tuning exercise ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, which will be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8.
The matches will provide final opportunities for players to cement their spots and for the team to build momentum.
Historically, Pakistan holds a favourable record against Sri Lanka in T20Is, having won 16 of the 27 encounters, with Sri Lanka victorious in 11.
پاکستان/سری لنکا ٹی ٹوئنٹی سیریز
سری لنکا کے خلاف ٹی ٹونٹی سیریز کے لیے پاکستان کرکٹ ٹیم کا اسکواڈ کولمبو پہنچ گیا
آئی ایل ٹی ٹونٹی لیگ کھیلنے والے نسیم شاہ ، فخرزمان اور عثمان طارق نے بھی سکواڈ کو جوائن کر لیا
پاکستانی ٹیم کل رات مقامی وقت کے مطابق آٹھ بجے پریکٹس کرے گی… pic.twitter.com/Y78wsT8nwA
— PCB Media (@TheRealPCBMedia) January 5, 2026
Pakistan squad for Sri Lanka T20Is
Salman Ali Agha (c), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Nafay (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan (wk), Usman Tariq.
