The Sri Lanka Women's cricket team will host Pakistan Women in the opening match of a three-game T20I series at Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium on Friday, July 31, 2026.
This series follows the conclusion of their recent ODI leg and T20 World Cup campaigns.
Sri Lanka enter the series after securing a 2-1 victory in the ODI series, marking their first bilateral series win against Pakistan in 24 years.
However, Pakistan hold a slight historical edge in the T20I format with 11 wins out of 21 head-to-head encounters.
Both teams have shuffled their rosters following group-stage exits at the Women's T20 World Cup earlier in July 2026.
Sri Lanka, currently ranked sixth in the ICC T20I team rankings with 238 rating points, seek to end an 11-year winless streak in bilateral T20I series against eighth-ranked Pakistan.
Sri Lanka added Under-19 players Sanjana Kavindi and Chamudi Praboda to their 15-member squad alongside returning 19-year-old pacer Rashmika Sewwandi.
Captain Chamari Athapaththu continues to lead a core batting lineup that includes Harshitha Samarawickrama, Hasini Perera, and Vishmi Gunaratne.
Pakistan reworked their squad by adding eight new players, including uncapped batters Eman Naseer and Maham Anees.
Stand-in captain Muneeba Ali leads the side after regular skipper Fatima Sana departed to participate in The Hundred in England.
Muneeba Ali highlighted the team's objective prior to the opening match in a statement released by the Pakistan Cricket Board.
"We look forward to competing hard in the T20I series here in Dambulla and the aim is to finish the tour on a high with a series win.
It is an honour for me to lead Pakistan at any given opportunity and I'll do my best to contribute towards the development of youngsters and produce positive results for the team," said Muneeba Ali.
The visiting team features several fresh faces following post-world cup squad changes.
"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," said Muneeba Ali.
Pakistan's preparation accounts for the host team's resilience shown during the preceding ODI series.
"We are aware of Sri Lanka's capability to bounce back from any situation, and we will look to take the field with the best preparation and planning possible," said Muneeba Ali.
The match is scheduled to start at 10:00 a. m.
local time in Dambulla, with live streaming available on FanCode for viewers in India.
