Even counting the win against Bangladesh at the Asian Games Sri Lanka have lost 12 T20Is to the two they have won since their win against Australia in the 2026 T20 World Cup. There have been significant personnel changes in that period. Captains have changed. There is a new head coach. Various batting orders have been trialled. But on Sunday’s evidence, they are deeply outmatched by even this Pakistan side, who themselves are hardly world-beaters at the moment, having not made the World Cup semi-finals this year.

With as highly-rated a coach in Gary Kirsten and a new captain in Kusal Mendis still searching desperately for a stronger combination, expect Sri Lanka to be in flux for this match as well. In game two, spinner Maheesh Theekshana was taken apart, while the seamers struggled to threaten Pakistan’s batters on a flat Rawalpindi deck. The decks don’t look like they are going to be any better for bowling. Sri Lanka’s attack will have to find new gears.

Pakistan are in the rare position of being utterly dominant in a white-ball series against an opponent who even in their previous low ebbs have challenged them. Having sewn up the trophy 2-0, Pakistan are in a position to rest key players. But it is so rare that their batters get to dine out across a whole series, management will be mighty tempted to keep this tuneful band together.

Even if Sri Lanka’s bowlers get through the Pakistan top order this time, the middle order could do with a decent workout.

WEATHER FORECAST FOR 13 October 2026
Issued at 2.00 p.m. on 12 October 2026 by the Department of Meteorology

A low-pressure area may form over the southeastern Bay of Bengal by 13 October.

Under the influence of this system, an increase in rainfall is expected over the island and the deep and shallow sea areas around the island during the next few days from tomorrow (13).

The general public, as well as the naval and fishing communities, are requested to be attentive to the future forecasts and bulletins issued by the Department of Meteorology in this regard.

Heavy showers about (100-150) mm are likely at some places in the Central, Sabaragamuwa, Uva and Southern provinces.
Fairly heavy showers  above 75 mm are likely at some places in the other areas of the island. Showers or thundershowers will occur in most parts of the island.

The general public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damage caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.

Misty conditions can be expected at some places in the Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces during the early hours of the morning.

Maaz Sadaqat crashed 96 off 51,Sahibzada Farhan clobbered 73 off 44, and Pakistan scorched their way through the last 12 overs of their innings to mount a fearsome total of 215 for 3. Pakistan reaped 156 runs just in the last 12 overs of their innings, as a 73-run stand between Sadaqat and Farhan was followed by a manic 72-run partnership between Sadaqat and Hasan Nawaz.

Sri Lanka’s batting was woeful in response. They slumped to 64 for 5 by the 11th over, with none of their top seven managing to get to 30. They limped to 133 for 7, having had their hopes of leveling the series wrecked by quicks Mohammad Imran and Salman Mirza, who took five wickets between them.

Sadaqat propels Pakistan into the stratosphere

The openers had laid a decent platform with Pakistan having got to 55 for 1 by the end of the seventh over. But it was Sadaqat who injected the energy that truly set Pakistan on course to their mammoth total. Having gone at less than a run a ball in his first eight balls, Sadaqat unleashed a spectacular lofted square drive off Eshan Malinga to collect his first six, before pumping the same bowler down the ground later in the 10th over.

Sadaqat would go on to clobber six further sixes and five further fours. The big hits tended to come down the ground, while his fours were more square of the wicket. Of the 125 runs Pakistan plundered in the second half of their innings, 79 off 40 came from Sadaqat, who pummeled both pace and spin with equal relish. Off the sixteenth over, bowled by Maheesh Theekshana, Sadaqat thumped three sixes in the arc between long on and midwicket.

Sadaqat, whose previous top score in three T20Is had been 50, could have gone to triple figures off the last ball of the innings, but holed out to deep cover instead, unable to quite find the power to lift a Malinga slower ball over the ropes. He had utterly dominated the middle and late overs, however.