We are just a couple of weeks away from the T20 World Cup 2026, and all the participating teams are in the ending stages of the preparation. The two-time champion, England, will also play three T20Is in Sri Lanka. But before that, they will take on Sri Lanka in three ODIs. This series is also important for Sri Lanka, as they are a top white-ball side, and it will be pretty good for them and their players.
The first ODI between Sri Lanka and West Indies will be live at 2:30 PM IST at R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on January 22 (Thursday). Harry Brook hasn't had a great start as captain in the white-ball format. But winning the ODIs will be a good start ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026. For Sri Lanka, Charith Asalanka is back as captain after getting sacked from the T20I captaincy. But Sri Lanka also look good to challenge England in this series.
SL vs ENG: Match Info.
·Series: Sri Lanka vs England ODI Series 2026
·Match: Sri Lanka vs England, 1st ODI
·Venue: R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
·Time: 2:30 PM IST
·Date: January 22, 2026 (Thursday)
Sri Lanka vs England: Head-to-Head: SL (37) – ENG (38)
The upcoming game will be the 80th ODI between these two sides. England are very marginally ahead with 38 wins, whereas Sri Lanka have managed 37 wins. One game between two games has been tied, and three have been abandoned.
SL vs ENG: Pitch Report
The wicket in Colombo is expected to be more in favor of bowlers. Fast bowlers can get seam movement early on, and as the game goes on, the wicket will get dry. That will help the spinners, as the ball will grip more. The average score here should be around 250-260, and chasing will be hard here.
SL vs ENG: Live Streaming Details
·TV: Sony Sports Network
·Digital: Sony LIV and FanCode (App or Website)
SL vs ENG: Weather Report
The weather forecast for Thursday in Colombo will be sunny and clear. The highest temperature will reach up to 29°C with a humidity index crossing 60 percent and an average wind speed around 60 percent.
SL vs ENG: Last Five Results
England: L, W, L, L, L
Sri Lanka: W, W, L, L, L
Sri Lanka vs England: Predicted XIs:
Sri Lanka: K. Mendis (wk), S. Samarawickrama, P. Nissanka, C. Asalanka (c), D. de Silva, J. Liyanage, K. Mendis, W. Hasaranga, D. Chameera, M. Theekshana, E. Malinga
England: B. Duckett, Z. Crawley, H. Brook (c), J. Root, J. Buttler (wk), S. Curran, W. Jacks, J. Overton, B. Carse, A. Rashid, L. Wood
SL vs ENG: Players to Watch out for
England: Sam Curran has been in great form, and he is someone who can contribute with bat and ball. He has improved his death bowling and will be a crucial batter on this pitch.
Sri Lanka: Wanindu Hasaranga has been an X-factor in this team. He is very hard to pick as a bowler and then gives you useful runs with the bat.
Sri Lanka vs England Today’s Match Prediction:England have struggled to bat for the full quota of overs in ODIs against quality bowling. But do Sri Lanka have bowlers to do so? The wicket is in favor of the bowlers, and bowlers from both sides will surely love bowling here.
But England have a very exciting batting order, and they can surely outplay Sri Lanka in this department. Sri Lanka have a fragile batting unit. Nissanka and Mendis are not scoring runs; they are their top batters. But England have batters in good form. Hence, we believe England are slightly ahead of Sri Lanka to win this game.
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