Pakistan vs Sri Lanka 1st Test Prediction & Match Preview – Rawalpindi
Match summary
Match in progress: Pakistan 434/9 & 57/1, Sri Lanka 446.
Pakistan and Sri Lanka meet in the first Test at Rawalpindi from 9 November after Pakistan won the T20I series 2-1. Squads, context and what to watch.
Match details
| Match | Pakistan vs Sri Lanka, 1st Test |
|---|---|
| Series | Sri Lanka tour of Pakistan 2026 |
| Date | 9 Nov 2026 |
| Start time | TBC (start times not yet published) |
| Venue | Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi |
| Status | Live |
| Result | Match in progress |
Matches in this series
Match preview
Pakistan host Sri Lanka in the first of two Tests at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium from 9 to 13 November. The match is part of the 2025-27 World Test Championship cycle, and it follows a T20I series that Pakistan won 2-1 in the same city in October.
Where the teams stand
The T20Is were close. Pakistan chased 183 to win the opener by four wickets, then won the second by 82 runs after scoring 215 for 3. Sri Lanka took the third by eight wickets, with Kusal Mendis unbeaten on 87 off 48 balls. Those games were played in a different format with different squads, so they are only a loose guide to the Tests, but they do show the two sides have already met three times on this ground in October.
Pakistan’s squad
Pakistan named 14 players on 24 October with Babar Azam as captain: Mohammad Abbas, Salman Ali Agha, Azan Awais, Saad Baig (wicketkeeper), Abdullah Fazal, Ghazi Ghori (wicketkeeper), Razaullah Mashwani, Arafat Minhas, Sameer Minhas, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Suleman, Mohammad Taha and Ali Usman.
Sri Lanka’s squad
Sri Lanka’s 16-player group, named on 13 October, is led by Kusal Mendis and includes Pathum Nissanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Kamindu Mendis, Dinesh Chandimal, Prabath Jayasuriya, Milan Rathnayake, Asitha Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Dilshan Madushanka, Eshan Malinga, Keshara Nuwantha, Sonal Dinusha, Pasindu Sooriyabandara, Anjala Bandara and Lahiru Udara.
Match details
The umpires named for the match are Adrian Holdstock and Rod Tucker. The second Test follows at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore from 17 to 21 November. Start times have not been published in the sources we checked, and the sources give no Test head-to-head record, so we have not made a prediction.
FAQ
When is the first Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Test?
The first Test runs from 9 to 13 November 2026 at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
Who won the T20I series?
Pakistan won the three-match T20I series 2-1 in October at Rawalpindi.
Is the series part of the World Test Championship?
Yes, both Tests count towards the 2025-27 World Test Championship cycle.
Probable XIs
Expected line-ups from our preview. c = captain, wk = wicketkeeper.
Line-ups not available yet.
Head-to-head
Earlier meetings of Pakistan and Sri Lanka that we covered.