Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe are set to face off for the second match of the Pakistan T20 Tri-series 2025 at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Thursday, November 20. This match is scheduled to begin at 6:30 PM IST (6 PM local time). Pakistan, Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka are participating in this tri-series. Stay tuned with our SL vs ZIM prediction, team preview, pitch report, player stats and winner prediction ahead of this exciting contest.
Both teams will enter this match with the intention of winning. Sri Lanka will definitely want to start this series with a win by overcoming the 3-0 defeat they suffered in the ODI against Pakistan. Sri Lanka has good experience of playing against Zimbabwe and their record is also very good, which will give them a psychological advantage. In the absence of captain Asalanka, Shanaka took over the captaincy of the Sri Lankan team.
Head-to-Head Record: Till date, a total of 9 T20 matches have been played between these two sides, in which Sri Lanka has won 7 matches while Zimbabwe has won twice. However, in the last five head-to-head clashes, Zimbabwe has performed exceptionally well and has won twice while Sri Lanka has won three matches.
Sri Lanka Preview
The Pakistan tour was not good for Sri Lanka and they had to face a 3-0 defeat against Pakistan in the ODI series. Despite this, they will try their best to play well in this T20 series. Like the other two countries in the tri-series, this T20 series holds great significance for Sri Lanka as well, as the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026 will also be played under the same conditions, which will also be co-hosted by them.
The best news for Sri Lanka is their top order batsman, Pathum Nishanka, who is currently in excellent form. He also scored a brilliant century in his last T20I match against India in the Asia Cup 2025. Nissanka has been impressive in his last 10 matches, scoring 403 runs. Apart from him, the Sri Lankan team will be expecting Kusal Mendis, Kusal Perera and Kamil Mishra to do well in the top order. Whereas in the middle order, captain Shanaka himself will have to perform well.
In the bowling department, Dushmantha Chameera and Hasaranga will be a big hope for Sri Lanka. Chameera has bowled brilliantly in the last nine matches, taking 15 wickets, while Hasaranga has taken eight wickets in the last six matches. In Pakistani conditions, Maheesh Theekshana also has the ability to perform well and make the team win.
Zimbabwe Preview
Zimbabwe has the ability to surprise any team in this tri-series. Recently, under the captaincy of Sikandar Raza, the team has improved its game a lot. They already secured their place in the T20-20 World Cup 2026 after performing well in the Africa qualifiers. Therefore, the team has excellent conditions for preparation for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026, taking advantage of which they can improve their game skills.
Talking about Zimbabwe’s batting, they surprised everyone with a strong start against Pakistan in the last match. From here, the team will once again be relying on both the opening batsmen for a good start and captain Sikandar Raza in the middle-order, while the experienced Brendan Taylor and Ryan Burl will also have to improve their game and play responsibly.
Brad Evans has been in excellent form for Zimbabwe, having caused problems for Pakistan in the previous match when he shocked the top order after taking two wickets in an over including in-form Babar Azam. Nagarwa, Mapusa and Cremer will also have to do well if they want to win this match.
SL vs ZIM Probably Playing XI
Sri Lanka: Dasun Shanaka (C), Kusal Perera (wk), Kusal Mendis, Kamindu Mendis, Janith Liyanage, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Mahesh Theekshana, Dushmantha Chameera, Eshan Malinga, Nuwan Thushara, Pathum Nissanka.
Zimbabwe: Sikandar Raza (C), Brendan Taylor (wk), Tadiwanashe Marumani, Brian Bennett, Ryan Burl, Brad Evans, Tashinga Musekiwa, Tony Munyonga, Graeme Cremer, Richard Ngarava, Tinotenda Maposa.
SL vs ZIM Pitch Report
The Rawalpindi Cricket Ground usually has a slight sheen on the pitch, but in the first match of the series, the ball stuck to the surface a bit. If dew settles at night, the ball is likely to come onto the bat a little better. It’s also quite cold there, so that will also have an impact. Usually, the pitch provides good pace and bounce, making it easy for batsmen to score aggressively. The spinners will definitely make an impact on a pitch.
The weather on Thursday at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium is expected to be sunny and pleasant, around 23°C, with 0% chance of rain, comfortable 45% humidity, and light winds near 5 km/h.
Venue T20I Statistics
| Stats | Details |
|---|---|
| Total Matches | 10 |
| Matches Won Batting First | 1 |
| Matches Won Bowling First | 7 |
| Average 1st Innings Score | 138 |
| Average 2nd Innings Score | 147 |
| Highest Total Recorded | 194/9 (20 overs) – SA vs PAK |
| Lowest Total Recorded | 90/10 (18.1 overs) – NZ vs PAK |
| Highest Score Chased | 194/4 (19.2 overs) – NZ vs PAK |
| Lowest Score Defended | 194/9 (20 overs) – SA vs PAK |
SL vs ZIM Winner Prediction
Looking at their past records, Sri Lanka are the favourites to win this match because of their past performance against Zimbabwe. Moreover, Sri Lanka has shown its strength against Zimbabwe by winning 7 out of 9 matches. Apart from this, the conditions in Pakistan are not much different from Sri Lanka, hence they will experience home conditions, which they will definitely want to take advantage of. Sri Lanka would like top order batsmen like Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Kamil Mishra and Kusal Perera to give the team a strong start.
On the other hand, Zimbabwe has also surprised Sri Lanka on many occasions by playing well, hence underestimating them may prove to be a mistake on Sri Lanka’s part. If Zimbabwe’s opening batsmen Brian Bennett and Tadiwanashe Marumani give the team a good start in this match as well, like in the last match, then it will definitely create problems for Sri Lanka. For Zimbabwe, Brendan Taylor, Ryan Burl, and captain Sikandar Raza will again be responsible for the excellent game in middle order.
Our Prediction: Sri Lanka
Pakistan vs Sri Lanka vs Zimbabwe T20I Tri-Series 2025 Live Streaming Details
| Region/Country | TV Channels | Streaming/OTT Platforms |
|---|---|---|
| Pakistan | PTV Sports | PCB YouTube, Tamasha app |
| India | None | Sports TV YouTube channel |
| Sri Lanka | ThePapare1, ThePapare1 HD, Supreme TV | Dialog ViU+ |
| Bangladesh | T Sports | Tapmad |
| United Kingdom | None | PCB Live OTT app |
| North America | Willow TV | – |
| Middle East, SE Asia | None | Cricbuzz (MENA), Astro (SE Asia) |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | SuperSport | – |
| Other Regions | – | Sports TV YouTube channel |
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