Sri Lanka elected to field first against Pakistan in the third T20I on Tuesday, October 13, after captain Kusal Mendis won the toss. The match marks the final fixture of the series, with both teams making changes to their playing elevens. Sri Lanka have chosen to bowl first for the third consecutive time.
Mendis said his team needed to improve its fielding after disappointing performances in the previous two matches. He also stressed the need for stronger contributions with both bat and ball during the middle overs. Sri Lanka have dropped Maheesh Theekshana and included Vijayakanth Viyaskanth for the final encounter.
Read more : Sri Lanka opt to bowl against Pakistan in second T20I –
Pakistan captain Sahibzada Farhan said he would also have preferred to field first. He explained that Pakistan’s middle order had received limited opportunities to bat in the earlier matches. Farhan hoped the final game would give those players more time at the crease to demonstrate their abilities.
Pakistan have made four changes to their lineup for the series finale. Razaullah, Arafat Minhas, Sufiyan Moqim and Abdul Samad have joined the playing XI. The changes provide Pakistan with an opportunity to assess different combinations while aiming to finish the series strongly.
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Both teams will look to end the series on a positive note. Sri Lanka will focus on tightening their fielding and improving their middle-overs performance. Meanwhile, Pakistan will hope their middle-order batters make the most of their opportunity in the final T20I.
Pakistan’s playing XI comprises Fakhar Zaman, Sahibzada Farhan (captain), Maaz Sadaqat, Hasan Nawaz, Abdul Samad, Khawaja Nafay (wicketkeeper), Arafat Minhas, Muhammad Imran, Razaullah, Salman Mirza and Sufiyan Moqim.