Live Update: SL make three changes and opt to bowl in must-win game Pakistan made one change, swping right-arm quick Razaullah for left-arm fast bowler Salman Mirza The three who matter: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah all smiles after dismissing Pat Cummins The three who matter: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah all smiles after dismissing Pat Cummins, India vs Australia, World Cup, Chennai, October 8, 2023 The smile of a champion – Mohammed Siraj picked up five wickets in a ten-ball period, India vs Sri Lanka, Asia Cup final, Colombo, September 17, 2023 Alyssa Healy poses with the trophy after Australia retained the Ashes, England vs Australia, 3rd ODI, Women’s Ashes, Taunton, July 18, 2023 A general view of the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Pakistan v Sri Lanka, 3rd match, Jaipur, October 17, 2006 A general view of the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, Punjab Kings vs Delhi Citals, IPL 2024, Mullanpur, March 23, 2024 The Haryana Cricket Association’s Bansi Lal Stadium in Lahli, Haryana v Rajasthan, 1st semi-final, Ranji Trophy 2011-12, Rohtak, 1st day, January 10, 2012 He started slowly, showing Roston Chase the respect the bowler deserved, but Abhishek Sharma still got to his fifty off just 18 balls, messing with West Indies’ well-laid plans Abhishek Sharma scored heavily on the off side, India vs West Indies, 3rd T20I, Indore, October 11, 2026 On an Indore pitch whose low bounce made big hitting difficult, Abhishek Sharma’s 30-ball 69 ended up giving India an above-par total Arshdeep Singh celebrates after knocking over Sherfane Rutherford, India vs West Indies, 3rd T20I, Indore, October 11, 2026 In hunt of their 43rd Ranji Trophy title, Mumbai have a new ctain, one who is hungry for success after re-establishing himself in the setup Siddhesh Lad celebrates his century, Mumbai vs Puducherry, Ranji Trophy, 2nd day, Mumbai, November 18, 2025 Kotian has worked with Sunil Joshi and Jatin Paranje to sharpen his weonry ahead of the new season Tanush Kotian bowls, India A vs South Africa A, 1st unofficial Test, 1st day, CoE 1, October 30, 2025 India’s biggest players are in action in the opening round while others on the fringes will be eager to make their case KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal got off to a watchful start, India vs West Indies, 2nd Test, Delhi, 1st day, October 10, 2025 The Gujarat bowler wants to play his first full red-ball domestic season since 2020, and pass on his lessons to the team’s youngsters from his ’15-16 years of trial and error’ Harshal Patel peals successfully for an lbw, India vs South Africa, 1st T20I, Thiruvananthuram, September 28, 2022 His four catches, including two stunning efforts at slip, helped the visitors take a 106-run lead in Durban Don’t reverse sweep when Steven Smith is at slip, South Africa vs Australia, 1st Test, Day 3, Durban, October 11, 2026 Aiden Markram fell against the run of play, South Africa vs Australia, 1st Test, Day 3, Durban, October 11, 2026 Steven Smith backed up the bowlers by claiming four catches, two of them stunning efforts, that lifted him past Joe Root for the most Test catches by a non-wicketkeeper Pat Cummins celebrates a wicket, South Africa vs Australia, 1st Test, Day 3, Durban, October 11, 2026 Around 45 overs have been lost across three days’ play, which needs to be factored into teams’ calculations Bad light stopped play early under grey skies, South Africa vs Australia, 1st Test, Day 1, Durban, October 9, 2026 Hasan Mahmud has now taken five-wicket hauls in four different countries, going where few bowlers – and not just from Bangladesh – have gone Hasan Mahmud wrecked Afghanistan’s tail, Afghanistan vs Bangladesh, Only Test, Abu Dhabi, 3rd day, October 11, 2026 Aliss Al Islam took a hat-trick on BPL debut, Dhaka Dynamites v Rangpur Riders, BPL 2018-19, Dhaka, January 11, 2019 Maaz Sadaqat raises a fine half-century, Pakistan vs Sri Lanka, 2nd T20I, Rawalpindi, October 11, 2026 Murphy says one of the highlights was “the ball speed from the quicks and how exciting they were and how threatening they looked” Nathan McSweeney raises his bat after getting to a century, India A vs Australia A, 1st one-dayer, Puducherry, October 6, 2026 His four catches, including two stunning efforts at slip, helped the visitors take a 106-run lead in Durban Don’t reverse sweep when Steven Smith is at slip, South Africa vs Australia, 1st Test, Day 3, Durban, October 11, 2026 On an Indore pitch whose low bounce made big hitting difficult, Abhishek Sharma’s 30-ball 69 ended up giving India an above-par total Arshdeep Singh celebrates after knocking over Sherfane Rutherford, India vs West Indies, 3rd T20I, Indore, October 11, 2026 Aiden Markram fell against the run of play, South Africa vs Australia, 1st Test, Day 3, Durban, October 11, 2026 Hasan Mahmud has now taken five-wicket hauls in four different countries, going where few bowlers – and not just from Bangladesh – have gone Hasan Mahmud wrecked Afghanistan’s tail, Afghanistan vs Bangladesh, Only Test, Abu Dhabi, 3rd day, October 11, 2026 Sahibzada Farhan and Maaz Sadaqat shared a 92-run stand, Pakistan vs Sri Lanka, 1st T20I, Rawalpindi, October 9, 2026 Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to bowl first on a fresh pitch in Rawalpindi.
Pakistan had won batting second on Friday, at a venue that tends to favour chasing sides. In the second match of three – all in Rawalpindi – Sri Lanka are attemng to erase that 1-0 deficit. Pakistan have made a single change to the XI that won with seven balls to spare, swping right-arm quick Razaullah for left-arm fast bowler Salman Mirza.
Sri Lanka, meanwhile have made three changes. Top-order batter Sineth Jayawardena comes into the XI, as do allrounder Chamindu Wickramasinghe, and left-arm seamer Binura Fernando. Kamil Mishara, Dunith Wellalage, and Dushmantha Chameera make way in the XI.
Chameera, normally Sri Lanka’s top seam bowler in this format, is just coming back from injury, and was expensive on Friday, going for 40 in his three overs. Pakistan : 1 Sahibzada Farhan (ct), 2 Fakhar Zaman, 3 Maaz Sadaqat, 4 Hasan Nawaz, 5 Saim Ayub, 6 Khawaja Nafay (wk), 7 Shadab Khan, 8 Mohammad Imran, 9 Naseem Shah, 10 Salman Mirza, 11 Abrar Ahmed Sri Lanka : 1 Lahiru Udara, 2 Sineth Jayawardena, 3 Kusal Mendis (ct, wk), 4 Kamindu Mendis, 5 Sahan Arachchige, 6 Dasun Shanaka, 7 Chamindu Wickramasinghe, 8 Maheesh Theekshana, 9 Eshan Malinga, 10 Binura Fernando, 11 Nuwan Thushara Sahibzada Farhan and Maaz Sadaqat shared a 92-run stand, Pakistan vs Sri Lanka, 1st T20I, Rawalpindi, October 9, 2026 Pakistan won with seven balls to spare in the first T20I • AFP/ Andrew Fidel Fernando is a senior writer at .
