Sahibzada Farhan Named Pakistan T20I Captain for Sri Lanka Series
Sahibzada Farhan Named Pakistan T20I Captain for Sri Lanka Series
Pakistan have a new T20I captain. The Pakistan Cricket Board on Monday dropped Salman Ali Agha from the role and named Sahibzada Farhan T20I captain for the three-match home series against Sri Lanka, which begins on October 9 in Rawalpindi.
The decision, announced alongside the squads for the upcoming white-ball assignments, marks a clear break after Pakistan’s poor T20 World Cup campaign earlier this year. Agha, who led the side at that tournament, has been left out of the T20I squad altogether.
Agha pays the price for World Cup failure
Agha’s removal had been widely expected. Pakistan underperformed at the T20 World Cup in March, and the board has opted for a fresh start in the shortest format with a home series looming.
The 15-member squad named for the Sri Lanka series leans young. Alongside Farhan, it includes Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Arafat Minhas, Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Nawaz, Muhammad Imran Randhawa, Khawaja Nafay, Maaz Sadaqat, Naseem Shah, Razaullah, Saim Ayub, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Shadab Khan and Sufiyan Moqim.
Agha has not been discarded entirely. He remains part of Pakistan’s ODI plans, and Shaheen Shah Afridi continues as ODI captain for the upcoming tri-series. Former captain Babar Azam has also been recalled to the ODI squad.
Sahibzada Farhan T20I captain: reward for a breakthrough year
Farhan’s promotion caps a breakthrough year. He finished as the leading run-scorer of the T20 World Cup in March with 383 runs at a strike rate of 160, the standout Pakistani batter of the tournament.
He then captained Pakistan’s young side at the Asian Games 2026, guiding the team to the final for the first time. Pakistan fell 19 runs short against India in the decider, finishing on 192 for 6 in pursuit of 212, but Farhan’s leadership drew praise.
The standout innings of that final came from Hasan Nawaz, whose blistering 96 included seven sixes and five fours, equalling the record for the most sixes by a Pakistani batter in a T20I innings. Nawaz keeps his place in the squad and will be one of the players to watch in the series.
What comes next: Sri Lanka series, tri-series and Tests
All three T20Is will be played at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on October 9, 11 and 13. The tour is Sri Lanka’s first bilateral short-format visit to Pakistan since 2019, when Pakistan completed a 3-0 clean sweep in Lahore. The sides have met 31 times in T20Is, with Pakistan winning 18 and Sri Lanka 13.
After the T20Is, England will join the two teams for an ODI tri-series. It begins on October 18 in Rawalpindi and concludes with the final at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on October 31.
Sri Lanka will round off the tour with a three-day warm-up match in Islamabad from November 4 to 6, followed by a two-Test series that forms part of the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle. The first Test runs from November 9 to 13 in Rawalpindi and the second from November 17 to 21 in Lahore.
Frequently asked questions
When does the Pakistan-Sri Lanka T20I series start?
The three-match series begins on October 9 in Rawalpindi, with the remaining games on October 11 and 13. All matches will be played at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
Why was Salman Ali Agha removed as T20I captain?
The PCB dropped Agha after Pakistan’s disappointing T20 World Cup campaign in March. He has also been left out of the T20I squad for the Sri Lanka series, though he remains in the ODI setup.
Who is in Pakistan’s T20I squad for the Sri Lanka series?
The 15-member squad is: Sahibzada Farhan (captain), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Arafat Minhas, Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Nawaz, Muhammad Imran Randhawa, Khawaja Nafay, Maaz Sadaqat, Naseem Shah, Razaullah, Saim Ayub, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Shadab Khan and Sufiyan Moqim.
Will Babar Azam play in the T20I series?
No. Babar Azam has been recalled to the ODI squad for the tri-series but is not part of the T20I squad. Shaheen Shah Afridi will captain the ODI side.
