Pakistan vs Sri Lanka 3rd T20I preview: whitewash on the cards in Rawalpindi

Pakistan will chase a 3-0 series whitewash when they take on Sri Lanka in the third and final T20I at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Tuesday, October 13, with the first ball scheduled for 6:00 PM PKT.

The hosts have dominated the series so far. Pakistan won the opener on October 9 by four wickets to give new captain Sahibzada Farhan a winning start to his T20I captaincy, then sealed the series in emphatic style on October 11 with an 82-run victory built on Maaz Sadaqat's blistering 96 off 51 balls and Farhan's 73. Pakistan posted 215 for 3 before bowling Sri Lanka out for 133. Sri Lanka, led by Kusal Mendis, have struggled to match Pakistan's intensity in both games.

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There is history on the line in Rawalpindi. Sri Lanka whitewashed Pakistan 3-0 in Pakistan back in October 2019, when a young visiting side swept the series with wins by 64 runs, 35 runs and 13 runs, the last of them in front of a packed Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. Now, seven years on, Pakistan have the chance to return the compliment on home soil and head into the upcoming ODI tri-series with a clean sweep behind them.

Form guide

Sahibzada Farhan has led from the front in his first series as T20I captain, while Maaz Sadaqat's 96 was the standout innings of the series so far. Pakistan's bowling attack has been disciplined and the fielding unit has looked sharp. For Sri Lanka, Kusal Mendis, Kamindu Mendis and Dasun Shanaka carry the batting hopes, while Maheesh Theekshana and Dunith Wellalage remain the visitors' best route back into a contest. Pakistan are likely to stick with a winning combination, while Sri Lanka may look to their bench, which includes pacers Dushmantha Chameera, Binura Fernando and Nuwan Thushara.

Conditions in Rawalpindi

The Rawalpindi surface is traditionally batting friendly with good bounce and pace early on, while seamers can extract swing under lights in the first few overs. Spinners tend to come into the game as it progresses. With dew a factor in night games, the toss could be crucial, and the captain who wins it may prefer to chase. A first innings score in the 170 to 180 range is seen as par. Evening temperatures are expected around 22 to 24 degrees Celsius with almost no chance of rain, so fans should get a full game under lights.

Squads

Pakistan: Sahibzada Farhan (c), Fakhar Zaman, Maaz Sadaqat, Khawaja Nafay (wk), Hasan Nawaz, Abdul Samad, Shadab Khan, Arafat Minhas, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Abrar Ahmed, Sufyan Moqim, Saim Ayub, Razaullah, Mohammad Imran Randhawa.

Sri Lanka: Kusal Mendis (c), Kamil Mishara, Sineth Jayawardena, Lahiru Udara, Sahan Arachchige, Kamindu Mendis, Dasun Shanaka, Chamindu Wickramasinghe, Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, Dushmantha Chameera, Binura Fernando, Nuwan Thushara, Eshan Malinga.

What comes next

The T20I series is followed by an ODI tri-series involving Pakistan, Sri Lanka and England, and then two Test matches in November, at Rawalpindi on November 9 and in Lahore on November 17. A whitewash would send Pakistan into that busy schedule with real momentum, while Sri Lanka will be desperate to avoid leaving Pakistan empty handed.

Sources: cricbuzz, PCB ticketing page, indiafantasy.com