Pakistan have already won the series and this game is nothing more than a dead rubber, but Sri Lanka will be looking to avoid sinking further. A loss here will mean they have been clean-swept by Pakistan, which would be the first time it has happened since 2017.
Pakistan have made changes to their playing XI from the last game. Saim Ayub has been benched to make way for Abdul Samad, while Arafat Minhas is playing in place of Shadab Khan. Among the pacers, Naseem Shah has been dropped to make way for Razaullah, who played in the first T20I but was dropped for the next game. Lastly, Pakistan also brought in Sufiyan Moqim for Abrar Ahmed.
Sri Lanka bench Theekshana
Sri Lanka, meanwhile, made only one change, and that was to replace Maheesh Theekshana with Vijaykanth Viyaskanth. They also won the toss for the third time this series and opted to bowl first. The visitors took an unorthodox route in the opening game, when they batted first after winning the toss. This decision backfired immensely as Pakistan chased 182 with ease.
Sri Lanka have had a difficult time in the T20I format this year. After prematurely exiting the T20 World Cup, they have won only two games while losing 12. This has forced them to make big changes in the team, one of which was to sack Charith Asalanka as captain and hand the reins to Kusal Mendis. If the results in this series are anything to go by, this transition isn’t likely to bring immediate results, not when their batting lineup has plenty of issues to be resolved.
Pakistan vs Sri Lanka 3rd T20I Playing XI
Sri Lanka: Lahiru Udara, Sineth Jayawardena, Kusal Mendis (capt), Kamindu Mendis, Sahan Arachige, Dasun Shanaka, Chamindu Wickramasinghe, Vijaykanth Viyaskanth, Eshan Malinga, Binura Fernando, Nuwan Thushara
Pakistan: Fakhar Zaman, Sahibzada Farhan (capt), Maaz Sadaqat, Hasan Nawaz, Abdul Samad, Khawaja Nafay (wk), Arafat Minhas, Mohammad Imran, Razaullah, Salman Mirza, Sufiyan Moqim
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