Pakistan to tour Sri Lanka for three-match T20 series in January

Lahore [Pakistan], December 2 (ANI): Pakistan's men's T20I team will be heading to Sri Lanka next month for a three-match T20I series, aiming to fine-tune their skills ahead of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, as per the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) website.
The series, scheduled from January 7 to 11, will be played at the Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium. This tour is crucial for Pakistan as they prepare to face tough opponents, including India, in the World Cup, which is set to take place from February 7 to March 8, 2026.
Pakistan are placed in Group A for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 and will play all their fixtures in Colombo, Sri Lanka, against India, Namibia, the Netherlands and the United States.
Pakistan's cricket team has been on a roll, prioritising T20I cricket over the past six months. Since the Pakistan Super League (PSL) ended in May 2025, they've played an impressive schedule, including home-and-away series against Bangladesh, a series in the West Indies, two tri-series, the Asia Cup, and a home series against South Africa.
Their efforts have paid off, with victories in most series, except for the away series in Bangladesh and the Asia Cup final loss to India.
Sri Lanka have just concluded a three-week tour of Pakistan, too, which saw them play three ODIs and a tri-series, with the latter also featuring Zimbabwe.
Aside from the T20Is in Sri Lanka, Pakistan also have a three-match home series against Australia in the final week of January, before they return to Sri Lanka for the World Cup, which begins on February 7.
Earlier this month, Pakistan clinched the T20I Tri-Series 2025 at home with a convincing six-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the final at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
In the fixture, Mohammad Nawaz became Pakistan's fifth-highest wicket-taker in T20Is, surpassing Umar Gul and Saeed Ajmal, and also reached the milestone of 150 international wickets. (ANI)