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Match Overview
Pakistan open their home ODI tri-series against Sri Lanka at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Sunday 18 October 2026. It is the first meeting between the two sides in 50-over cricket since November 2025, and it arrives just days after they finished a T20I series played in Pakistan, which the hosts won 2-1.
Sri Lanka left that series with momentum of their own, winning the final T20I by eight wickets, and both teams now switch to the one-day format for the opening match of the tri-series.
Match Date, Start Time and Venue
The 1st ODI begins at 13:00 Pakistan time (08:00 UTC) on 18 October 2026 at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, a 15,000-capacity floodlit venue in Rawalpindi.
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Pakistan won the October T20I series against Sri Lanka 2-1: a four-wicket win on 9 October was followed by an 82-run victory on 11 October, before Sri Lanka avoided a sweep with an eight-wicket win in the final match on 13 October.
In 50-over cricket Pakistan have been dominant against this opposition, sweeping Sri Lanka 3-0 in their most recent ODI series in November 2025.
Sri Lanka arrive with recent white-ball wins over Pakistan (13 October) and Bangladesh (63 runs on 3 October), while their Test summer featured a 165-run defeat to India followed by a hard-earned draw.
Pakistan's Test summer was tougher: after beating the West Indies by eight wickets in early August, they lost three Tests in England between mid-August and September.
Head-to-Head: The Last Five ODIs
According to Cricket Hub's verified match records, Pakistan have won each of the last four completed ODIs between the two sides:
Sri Lanka's most recent ODI victory over Pakistan came on 14 September 2023, a two-wicket win under the DLS method.
Players to Watch
The last time these teams met in ODIs, Babar Azam anchored a successful chase of 288 with an unbeaten 102 from 119 balls, with Fakhar Zaman (78) and Mohammad Rizwan (51) also passing fifty in the same innings. Mohammad Wasim Jr took 3/47 in the final ODI of that series.
For Sri Lanka, Janith Liyanage top-scored with 54 in that chase, Kamindu Mendis made 44, and Maheesh Theekshana's 1/37 came at an economy of 3.83. Jeffrey Vandersay was their leading wicket-taker in that match with 3/42.
Squad and Team News
Playing XIs are confirmed at the toss. Cricket Hub will publish the official line-ups once they are announced, along with the toss result, in the live match centre.
Where to Follow the Match
Live scores, ball-by-ball updates and the full scorecard are available in the Cricket Hub match centre: