Pakistan vs Sri Lanka 1st T20I 2026: Match Preview and Analysis

The upcoming T20I series between Pakistan vs Sri Lanka promises plenty of high quality cricket. It will serve as a key preparation for both teams ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. The first match of the series will be played in Dambulla on January 7. It is a ground where you can expect a good batting surface, offering assistance to score big totals. Both teams have plenty of stars to light up the contest, as their matchup is eagerly awaited by many fans.

Interestingly, Pakistan is missing many big names in the squad for the upcoming matches against Sri Lanka. From Babar Azam to Haris Rauf, there are some names that are currently active in the BBL 15 season, so the green shirts are preparing to take on Sri Lanka without their star players. It is a great opportunity for the youngsters to showcase their talent in the absence of top stars. The first match at Dambulla will give us a glimpse of how Pakistan’s bench strength will take on Sri Lanka, which is confident to win this home series.

In this article, we will take a detailed look at the preparation of both sides. It will give us an overview of how competitive the Pakistan vs Sri Lanka T20I series could be, as both teams will try to win it to get a strong boost ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026.

Match Planning for Pakistan

Pakistan is currently in good form, as they have recently won the T20I tri-series featuring Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. Before that, they also won the home T20I series against South Africa by a convincing margin of 2-1. The major reason why they won these series is because their bowling performed exceptionally well in all matches. Keeping that in view, we can once again expect a strong bowling show by Pakistan in the first T20I match against Sri Lanka at Dambulla. Although they do not have Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf in the squad, their attack is still quite potent to create trouble for the home team.

Speaking about the batting department, Pakistan team will miss the services of Babar Azam as he is the backbone of the team. The captain, Salman Ali Agha, will need to fill up the gap of Babar by playing an anchor role. Considering that, we can see Salman Ali Agha at the number three batting position, but it is still too early to confirm. Meanwhile, fans would be eager to see the performance of Shadab Khan in the upcoming match, as he is returning to the team after a long period of time.

Match Planning for Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka have a great chance to win the first match against Pakistan, as they are playing on their home turf. This will give them a lot of advantage, because their players understand the local conditions very well. Talking about the batting department, Sri Lanka will rely heavily on the performances of Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis. Both batters will open the innings against Pakistan, so they will need to fire up runs quickly to put an early pressure. The middle order of Sri Lanka has some concerns, as it does not have much experience in it. Therefore, Charith Asalanka would be the key batter for them, as his batting wisdom can lead others in the middle overs.

From the bowling perspective, they have covered all their bases. With players like Wanindu Hasaranga and Matheesha Pathirana in the bowling ranks, Sri Lanka have a high quality attack that can trouble the Pakistan batters. Sri Lankan bowlers would need to keep things tight in the middle overs, as Pakistan have always shown fragility in that particular phase. This makes the role of Wanindu Hasaranga highly important, as he is the key strike bowler for Sri Lanka.

Probable Playing XI for Pakistan

Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Salman Agha (capt), Abdul Samad, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Usman Khan (wk), Usman Tariq, Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah

Probable Playing XI for Sri Lanka

Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Kusal Mendis (wk), Kusal Perera, Janith Liyanage, Dasun Shanaka (c), Charith Asalanka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dushmantha Chameera, Maheesh Theekshana, Eshan Malinga

Final Words

The upcoming match between Pakistan vs Sri Lanka is expected to be highly thrilling, as both teams are fully geared up to start the T20I series on a high note. Since Sri Lanka would be playing this match on its home turf, they would have a big advantage over the Pakistan team. They understand the conditions of Dambulla very well, which often allows the batters to play aggressive cricket. Keeping that in view, Sri Lanka would plan their batting innings wisely, as scoring big can give them an edge over the inexperienced Pakistan team.

Winning the first match would be highly important for both teams, as it sets the tempo for the rest of the series. Pakistan would try to get off to a strong start, although it won’t be easy as they are missing their superstars in this series. The captain, Salman Ali Agha, will therefore need to take a lot of responsibility on his shoulders, as his strong performances can inspire youngsters to challenge Sri Lanka on their home ground.