Match: Pakistan vs Sri Lanka, 1st ODI — Pakistan ODI Tri-Series 2026 opener
Date: Sunday, October 18, 2026
Time: 1:00 PM PKT (toss 12:30 PM PKT)
Venue: Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi
Watch: PTV Sports, A Sports, Tapmad (Pakistan); Sony Sports Network, FanCode (India)
Shaheen Shah Afridi's Pakistan begin their home tri-series campaign this afternoon against Kusal Mendis's Sri Lanka — and the stakes are bigger than one game. The PCB selection panel is openly treating this tri-series as a live audition for the delayed central contracts, so every player walking out at Rawalpindi today knows his next twelve months could be shaped by the next six hours. Pakistan start favourites on paper, but Sri Lanka have already shown in this tour's T20I series that they are not here to make up the numbers.
File photo — Wikimedia Commons: Fakhar Zaman in Pakistan's ODI kit against Sri Lanka.
Form guide: who is coming in hotter?
Pakistan's last five ODIs read W, W, L, W, W. They closed out their last home ODI series 2-1 against Australia, and they have just beaten this same Sri Lankan side 2-1 in the T20I series on this very ground. Sri Lanka's last five ODIs read L, L, W, L, L — they have lost three of their last four series, and they arrive for the opener without two of their biggest names: Pathum Nissanka is out with a left hamstring injury (Lahiru Udara takes his place) and Wanindu Hasaranga is unavailable through injury. Pakistan's one confirmed absence is Sahibzada Farhan, who misses the tri-series.
Team comparison: Pakistan vs Sri Lanka head-to-head in ODIs
The ODI history between these sides is heavily Pakistan's way. Across 159 ODIs, Pakistan have won 96, Sri Lanka 59, with 4 no-results. The recent record is even more one-sided: in the last 10 ODI meetings, Pakistan have won 9 and Sri Lanka just 1. That is the kind of weight that matters in a tournament opener — Pakistan's players have made a habit of beating this opponent in this format, and Sri Lanka's new-look top order will feel that history the moment the first over starts.
| Pakistan vs Sri Lanka — ODI head-to-head | Numbers |
|---|---|
| Total ODIs | 159 |
| Pakistan wins | 96 |
| Sri Lanka wins | 59 |
| No result | 4 |
| Last 10 ODIs | Pakistan 9 — Sri Lanka 1 |
Batting depth is where the gap looks widest to me. Pakistan's top six — Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Salman Ali Agha, Hasan Nawaz and the keeper Ghazi Ghori — is settled and in form. Sri Lanka, by contrast, are fielding a patched-up opening pair: Avishka Fernando has been recalled and Udara is a forced replacement for Nissanka. Their middle order of the two Mendises, Janith Liyanage and Dasun Shanaka carries experience, but the top three is the softest part of either side on show today.
Probable playing XIs
Pakistan: Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Salman Ali Agha, Hasan Nawaz, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (wk), Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi (c), Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed
Sri Lanka: Avishka Fernando, Lahiru Udara, Kusal Mendis (c & wk), Kamindu Mendis, Janith Liyanage, Pavan Rathnayake, Dasun Shanaka, Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushmantha Chameera, Asitha Fernando
These are predicted XIs; the confirmed teams are announced at the toss at 12:30 PM PKT.
Three key battles that will decide the opener
1. Saim Ayub vs Maheesh Theekshana. Pakistan's young opener loves to attack the new ball, and Theekshana's mystery spin in the powerplay is Sri Lanka's best weapon for stopping him. If Theekshana ties Ayub down, Sri Lanka drag Pakistan's scoring rate into the mud early.
2. Kusal Mendis vs Haris Rauf. Mendis is Sri Lanka's form batter and their captain — everything runs through him. Rauf has taken 19 wickets in his last nine ODIs and his pace at the death is the phase where Sri Lanka's innings usually falls apart. This duel could decide 30 runs either way.
3. Fakhar Zaman vs Asitha Fernando. Fakhar has a habit of hurting Sri Lanka in this format, and Asitha's new-ball swing is Sri Lanka's only reliable route to early wickets. If Asitha removes Fakhar cheaply, Pakistan's middle order has to rebuild instead of launch.
File photo — Wikimedia Commons: Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium under lights.
Pitch report and Rawalpindi conditions
Rawalpindi is a batter's ground: good bounce, a fast outfield and short boundaries. The long-term average first-innings score is around 242, but recent games at the venue have gone much higher — par today is 280 to 300. Pace has taken the majority of the wickets here in the last ten ODIs, with the new ball swinging for the first ten overs before batting gets easier. The bigger factor is the evening: dew is likely in the second innings, and chasing sides have won roughly 60–70% of recent completed ODIs here. Expect the toss winner to bowl first.
Weather is a non-issue — sunny, around 23–29°C, effectively zero rain chance. We should get a full 100-over game.
My prediction: why Pakistan should win the tri-series opener
I am backing Pakistan, and it is not just the head-to-head. Three things tilt this specific fixture their way. First, the new-ball mismatch: Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah against a makeshift Sri Lankan opening pair (Udara is playing only because Nissanka is injured) is the most lopsided matchup on the park. Second, Sri Lanka's missing spine — no Nissanka, no Hasaranga — removes both their most reliable ODI batter and their best middle-overs wicket-taker in one blow. Third, dew plus Rawalpindi's chase bias hands the advantage to whichever side fields first, and Pakistan's pace attack is simply better equipped to exploit that than Sri Lanka's.
That said, Sri Lanka have one genuine path: if Kusal Mendis bats deep and Theekshana plus Wellalage squeeze Pakistan's middle overs, the 2-1 T20I series showed this team can punch back. My call is Pakistan by 4–5 wickets or 25–35 runs — but if Sri Lanka win the toss and bowl first under the dew, this gets uncomfortably close.
File photo — Wikimedia Commons: Dasun Shanaka in Sri Lanka's limited-overs kit.
FAQs
When is the Pakistan vs Sri Lanka 1st ODI?
Sunday, October 18, 2026, at 1:00 PM PKT (toss at 12:30 PM PKT) at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
What is the Pakistan vs Sri Lanka head-to-head record in ODIs?
In 159 ODIs, Pakistan have won 96, Sri Lanka 59, with 4 no-results. Pakistan have won 9 of the last 10 meetings.
Who will win the PAK vs SL 1st ODI today?
Pakistan are favourites — stronger recent form, a settled top order, and Sri Lanka are missing Pathum Nissanka and Wanindu Hasaranga to injury. My prediction: Pakistan win, but a Sri Lanka toss win could make it tight.
What are the probable playing 11s for PAK vs SL 1st ODI?
Pakistan are expected to go with Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Salman Ali Agha, Hasan Nawaz, Ghazi Ghori, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf and Abrar Ahmed. Sri Lanka's likely XI includes Avishka Fernando, Lahiru Udara, Kusal Mendis, Kamindu Mendis, Dasun Shanaka, Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushmantha Chameera and Asitha Fernando.
Where can I watch the Pakistan vs Sri Lanka 1st ODI live?
In Pakistan on PTV Sports, A Sports and Tapmad; in India on Sony Sports Network and FanCode.
Read more on the tri-series
Pakistan ODI Tri-Series Preview: Shaheen's Pakistan vs Brook's England and Mendis' Sri Lanka — the full tournament preview with all three squads.
Pakistan ODI Tri-Series 2026: Squads, Schedule, Key Battles and My Winner Prediction — the deep-dive with the full schedule and ten players to watch.
PCB Used American Software to Rank Pakistan's Central Contract List — why this tri-series is a live audition for the players.
Sources
Match details, probable XIs and pitch data: myfinal11.in, ipl.com, cricketwinner.com, sportsdunia.com, cricketnews.com (all October 17–18, 2026). Squad and injury updates: Sri Lanka tour coverage, October 2026.