Sahibzada Farhan begins his Pakistan captaincy as Sri Lanka open the T20I series in Rawalpindi

Sahibzada Farhan leads Pakistan into a bilateral series for the first time when Sri Lanka open a three-match T20I tour in Rawalpindi on Friday

Pakistan begin their home season at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium with a new captain and a squad stripped of several familiar names. Sahibzada Farhan has taken the T20I captaincy from Salman Ali Agha, who lost the job and his place in the side in the same announcement.

Sri Lanka travel with their own change at the top. Kusal Mendis is back as captain after missing the tour of England through injury, and the tourists are without Pathum Nissanka and Wanindu Hasaranga.

The three matches are all at Rawalpindi, on 9, 11 and 13 October, and they open a tour that runs on into an ODI tri-series involving England and a two-match Test series.

Farhan takes over from Agha

Agha led Pakistan in 50 T20Is, winning 31 and losing 19, a tenure that ended with a group-stage exit at this year's T20 World Cup.

Farhan comes to the job on the back of the Asian Games, where Pakistan took silver after losing the final to India. India posted 211 in that match and Pakistan were held to 192 for 6.

The appointment hands the opening batter a first extended run in charge, rather than the one-off command of a multi-sport tournament.

Babar and Rauf kept for the one-dayers

Babar Azam and Haris Rauf are both absent from the T20I squad but have been retained for the ODI side, where Shaheen Shah Afridi stays on as captain.

Khawaja Nafay is set to take the gloves after Usman Khan was left out, having kept wicket at the T20 World Cup.

The selectors have also brought in fast bowler Razaullah and all-rounder Muhammad Imran Randhawa, each named in a Pakistan T20I squad for the first time.

Naseem Shah, Shadab Khan, Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub remain the settled core around them, and much of the batting responsibility now sits with the captain himself.

Mendis returns to lead Sri Lanka

Mendis sat out the T20I series in England, which Sri Lanka lost 3-0, and Charith Asalanka stood in. Asalanka has now been left out of the squad for Pakistan.

Nissanka and Hasaranga are both sidelined by injury and are expected to target the ODI tri-series, subject to fitness clearance. Dushmantha Chameera's involvement is also tied to his fitness.

The touring squad keeps the bulk of its experience in Dasun Shanaka, Kamindu Mendis, Maheesh Theekshana and Dunith Wellalage, with Nuwan Thushara and Eshan Malinga sharing the new ball.

Sri Lanka named six changes from the party that toured England, which makes this a largely rebuilt side rather than a settled one.

Neither side arrives in form

Sri Lanka lost 2-1 to West Indies in June and were then whitewashed 3-0 in England last month.

Pakistan's own year ended at the group stage of the T20 World Cup, and the changes to the captaincy and the batting order are the response to it.

Pakistan hold the head-to-head, with 18 wins from 31 T20Is between the sides to Sri Lanka's 13.

A long tour starts in Rawalpindi

Sri Lanka's last full T20I series in Pakistan, in 2019, ended in a 3-0 sweep for the visitors under Shanaka, who is in this squad.

The ODI tri-series with England follows from 18 October, with Rawalpindi hosting the opening matches before the tournament moves to Lahore.

After that come two Tests, which count towards the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle.

Sri Lanka's party arrived in stages through the early part of the week and trained at the ground before the opener, while Pakistan's players assembled in Rawalpindi on Tuesday night.

The second and third T20Is follow at the same ground on 11 and 13 October.

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