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LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Tuesday confirmed the men’s team’s tour of Sri Lanka, where they will play a three-match T20I series in January 2026.
“Pakistan men’s T20I squad will travel to Sri Lanka next month to feature in a three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka as part of their preparations for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026,” the cricket board said in a press release.
The series will be played at the Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium (RDICS) in Dambulla on 7, 9 and 11 January.
The upcoming World Cup will be held from February 7 to March 8 in India and Sri Lanka, with Pakistan set to play all their matches on Sri Lankan soil under the Hybrid Model.
This arrangement ensures that Pakistan and India do not tour each other during ICC events and instead compete at neutral venues.
Sources close to the development have revealed that officials from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) were in constant discussions over the short series, which has now reportedly been confirmed.
The T20I series in Sri Lanka will provide Pakistan with crucial match practice in local conditions just weeks ahead of the global event, allowing the team to fine-tune combinations and acclimatise to pitches similar to those they will encounter during the World Cup.
The decision to stage all three matches in Dambulla has been taken due to ongoing upgradation work at both the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo and the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in preparation for the mega event.
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