The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced the change on Monday, 5 October, as it unveiled the squads for the upcoming T20I series and a subsequent ODI tri-series involving England and Sri Lanka.
Farhan takes over T20I captaincy
Farhan, a right-handed opening batter, will lead Pakistan in the three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka.
The 28-year-old recently captained Pakistan at the 2026 Asian Games, guiding a second-string side to the silver medal after a 19-run defeat to India in the final.
He was also Pakistan's leading run-scorer at the 2026 T20 World Cup, strengthening his case for the leadership role.
Farhan becomes Pakistan's fourth T20I captain in the space of two and a half years, underlining the continued changes within the country's white-ball setup.
Salman Ali Agha dropped from T20I squad
Agha has lost both the T20I captaincy and his place in the squad for the Sri Lanka series.
Pakistan did not give a specific reason for the decision. However, the change comes after Pakistan's disappointing performances at the Asia Cup and 2026 T20 World Cup.
Under Agha, Pakistan won 31 of their 50 T20Is but failed to reach the semi-finals of this year's T20 World Cup.
Agha's international career is not over, however. He has been retained in Pakistan's 16-man ODI squad, with Shaheen Shah Afridi continuing as the team's ODI captain.
Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi left out of T20I squad
The changes extend beyond the captaincy.
Former T20I captain Babar Azam and ODI captain Shaheen Shah Afridi are both absent from the T20I squad for the Sri Lanka series, while Haris Rauf has also been omitted.
Shaheen remains central to Pakistan's ODI plans and will captain the side in the upcoming tri-series against England and Sri Lanka. Babar and Agha have also been included in the ODI squad.
Hasan Nawaz and Naseem Shah return to the T20I squad, while Razaullah receives his first white-ball call-up after an impressive Test debut against England last month.
Sri Lanka T20I series begins on 9 October
Farhan's first assignment as Pakistan's T20I captain will be the three-match series against Sri Lanka at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
• First T20I: Pakistan vs Sri Lanka — 9 October
• Second T20I: Pakistan vs Sri Lanka — 11 October
• Third T20I: Pakistan vs Sri Lanka — 13 October
The series will be followed by a seven-match ODI tri-series involving Pakistan, England and Sri Lanka.
The ODI tournament begins on 18 October, with the final scheduled for 31 October at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.
Pakistan T20I squad
• Pakistan: Sahibzada Farhan (captain), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Arafat Minhas, Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Nawaz, Khawaja Nafay (wicketkeeper), Maaz Sadaqat, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Muhammad Imran Randhawa, Naseem Shah, Razaullah, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan and Sufiyan Moqim.
The appointment gives Farhan an opportunity to establish himself as Pakistan's long-term T20I leader as the team begins preparations for the next phase of its white-ball programme.