It is, for Pakistan, the near-culmination of a season where they have played an inordinate amount of T20 cricket in a bid to be prepared for the 2026 T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka. In the six months between the end of the PSL 2025 and now, Pakistan have played 28 T20Is against nine different teams, with a better than 2:1 ratio of wins and losses. The strength – or lack thereof – of some of those teams remains a lingering question mark, but victory in their 29th game on Saturday should have them feeling they have largely controlled the one thing they could in this period – results.

For Sri Lanka, co-hosts of next year’s T20 World Cup, this is an opportunity to conclude a difficult second half of the year – home series loss to Bangladesh, two defeats in four against Zimbabwe, and a bottom-place finish at the Asia Cup Super Fours – with some success.

Mohammad Nawaz has contributed with either bat or ball in every game this tri-series, and was on the cusp of knocking Sri Lanka out of the tournament altogether in a late charge during Pakistan’s run chase on Wednesday. His tournament batting strike-rate of 162.50 is the highest, while his contributions with the ball, too, are second to none – the joint top wicket taker (7) in the tournament while his economy rate of 6.07 is the best (min. five overs). As an allrounder, Nawaz has become an integral member of the T20I side over the past few months, and one more performance will drive the point home.

It is invariably difficult to look past Dushmantha Chameera after one of the T20I bowling performances of the year kept his team alive in this series. Four wickets for 20, including three in two overs in the powerplay, combined with a yorker masterclass in the 20th over that kept Pakistan to just three runs, demonstrated just how high his ceiling is. It is a level he has found it difficult to sustain consistently, but the final comes just as his confidence is at a zenith.

Pakistan have chopped and changed their bowlers through the tournament. Expect Naseem Shah and Abrar Ahmed to return for the biggest game.

Pakistan:  Sahibzada Farhan,  Saim Ayub,  Babar Azam,  Salman Ali Agha (capt),  Fakhar Zaman,  Usman Khan (wk),  Mohammad Nawaz,  Faheem Ashraf,  Mohammad Wasim,  Salman Mirza,  Abrar Ahmed

Sri Lanka have kept the same side for their last two games, and there is unlikely to be a reason to change a winning formula.

Sri Lanka:  Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (wk),  Kamil Mishara,  Kusal Perera, Janith Liyanage,  Dasun Shanaka (capt),  Pavan Ratnayake,  Wanindu Hasaranga,  Dushmantha Chameera,  Maheesh Theekshana,  Eshan Malinga

[Cricinfo]