Pakistan cricket team will have to all guns blazing in their final Super 8 fixture against Sri Lanka in order to stand a chance to qualify for the T20 World Cup semi-final. Salman Ali Agha and co. are currently third on the points table in Group 2 and face a near impossible task of making to the top four, with the scenarios pretty much against them. Co-hosts SL will be playing for pride, having already been eliminated from the tournament, and will look to hand PAK an upset in the game.
Predicted Pakistan playing XI vs SL
| Position | Player | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Sahibzada Farhan | Opener |
| 2. | Saim Ayub | All-rounder |
| 3. | Salman ali Agha (C) | Batter |
| 4. | Babar Azam | Batter |
| 5. | Usman Khan | Batter |
| 6. | Shadab Khan | All-rounder |
| 7. | Mohammad Nawaz | Spinner |
| 8. | Faheem Ashraf | All-rounder |
| 9. | Shaheen Afridi | Pacer |
| 10. | Usman Tariq | Spinner |
| 11. | Abrar Ahmad | Spinner |
Pakistan are expected to persist with a spin-heavy unit in the game at Pallekele. The likes of Usman Tariq, Abrar Ahmad and Mohammad Nawaz will have to step up and deliver a standout and never-seen-before performance in order for the side to miraculously qualify for the T20 World Cup 2026 semis. In terms of the pace department, Shaheen is expected to retain his place in the playing XI after his four-wicket haul against England in the previous game, which came at a losing cause.
No changes are expected in the batting line-up, with the team all set to give Babar Azam what could be his last chance to prove his worth in T20Is. A 25-run knock against England is not what the team would have expected from the former captain and experienced campaigner. Undoubtedly, the team will not want to replace Azam with Fakhar Zaman with their qualification on the line. For the record, Pakistan – If they bat first, need to defend the target with the magic number being roughly 64–65 runs, depending on the total they put up. If they bowl first, they need to hunt down the target inside 13 overs or thereabouts.
Pakistan squad for T20 World Cup
Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Agha(c), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan(w), Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi, Salman Mirza, Usman Tariq, Khawaja Nafay, Naseem Shah, Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf
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