Pakistan Sri Lanka T20Is: Muneeba aims for series win
Stand-in captain Muneeba Ali says a revamped Pakistan side aims to compete hard in the Pakistan Sri Lanka three-match women’s T20I series starting Friday in Dambulla, seeking to finish the tour on a high after losing the ODIs 2–1 to the hosts.
Key Takeaways
- Pakistan, led by Muneeba Ali, face Sri Lanka in three T20Is from Friday at Dambulla.
- Muneeba wants a series win after Sri Lanka took the ODIs 2–1 and Fatima Sana left for The Hundred.
- Pakistan drafted eight new faces versus their last T20 World Cup squad, including two uncapped batters.
- Sri Lanka called up uncapped Under-19 pair Sanjana Kavindi and Chamudi Praboda, plus seamer Rashmika Sewwandi.
- In T20Is, Pakistan have won 11 of 21 meetings with Sri Lanka, with one no-result.
The women’s Pakistan Sri Lanka contest shifts to the shortest format after a competitive ODI leg. All three T20Is will be staged at the Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium, with the opener set for Friday, July 31.
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Why does this Pakistan Sri Lanka series matter?
It closes Pakistan’s Sri Lanka tour and offers a chance to reset after the ODIs. Sri Lanka won that series 2–1 after coming from behind, leaving the visitors eager for a stronger finish.
Pakistan also carry a slight historical edge in this fixture. According to reporting that cites PCB figures, they have won 11 of 21 T20I meetings with Sri Lanka, with one match producing no result.
Who is leading Pakistan, and what did Muneeba say?
Wicketkeeper-batter Muneeba Ali takes charge after regular captain Fatima Sana departed for England to play in The Hundred once the ODIs ended. Muneeba is Pakistan’s first women’s T20I centurion, with two hundreds in the format.
She has stood in before, including at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 against Australia in Dubai and in an ODI against Zimbabwe in May this year. On the eve of the opener, she said in a Pakistan Cricket Board statement that the aim is to finish the tour on a high with a series win and that leading Pakistan remains an honour.
“We have a number of young and up-and-coming players in the T20I squad and it will be exciting to see them ply their trade on the top level against some of the best players,” Muneeba added, while stressing awareness of Sri Lanka’s ability to bounce back.
How have the Pakistan and Sri Lanka squads changed?
Pakistan made major changes from the side that played the last T20 World Cup, where they lost four of five league games. Eight players were drafted in: Eman Naseer, Humna Bilal, Maham Anees, Momina Riasat, Najiha Alvi, Shawaal Zulfiqar, Umm-e-Hani, and Waheeda Akhtar. Batters Eman and Maham remain uncapped in the format.
Sri Lanka have shuffled their own group after the Women’s T20 World Cup earlier in 2026. Cricinfo reports uncapped Under-19 call-ups for left-handed batter Sanjana Kavindi and left-arm spinner Chamudi Praboda, both 17, with 19-year-old seamer Rashmika Sewwandi also returning.
Missing out are middle-order batter Hansima Karunaratne and seamers Mithali Ayodhya and Chethana Vimukthi. Captain Chamari Athapaththu still anchors a top order featuring Harshitha Samarawickrama, Hasini Perera, and Vishmi Gunaratne, with all-rounder Kavisha Dilhari and spinner Sugandika Kumari among the key balance options.
Fresh from their ODI dominance, Sri Lanka enter as confident hosts. Pakistan’s blend of youth and Muneeba’s short-format pedigree sets up a hard-fought three-match stretch in Dambulla.