Sri Lanka has not won a T20I against England in its last eleven outings
Sri Lanka and England will go head-to-head in the second match of the Super Eight Stage of the T20 World Cup. Both teams will look to get off to a winning start in order to gain confidence for the matches to come.
If we talk about the form of both teams, England got the better of Italy to qualify for the next round of the tournament, courtesy of some intelligent bowling in the final five overs by Sam Curran.
Co-host Sri Lanka, on the other hand, is coming into the game after a loss against Zimbabwe, who topped the points table of that particular group with that win and would hope to get back to winning ways by getting the better of the 2022 T20 World Cup winners.
Captain’s Corner
Dasun Shanka, the Sri Lankan captain, said that the team will field first after winning the toss, given that it chased well against Australia and would like to replicate the same performance in this particular contest.
When asked about the performance of Sri Lanka, Shanaka said the players are very confident with the way they have performed in the competition till now. Shanka admitted that injuries have been quite damaging, but at the same time, he also acknowledged the fact that the players who have come in as replacements have stood up and done well.
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Harry Brook, the English captain, was of the opinion that they would have bowled first as well. Brook said that they will now treat this as a new competition and will have to get the opposition under pressure. Brook was confident of putting ona strong show, having played three matches on this pitch in a bilateral series against Sri Lanka not too long ago.
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Playing XI
England: Philip Salt, Jos Buttler (wk), Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Harry Brook (c), Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Liam Dawson, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid
Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Kusal Mendis (wk), Pavan Rathnayake, Kamindu Mendis, Dasun Shanaka (c), Dunith Wellalage, Dushan Hemantha, Dushmantha Chameera, Maheesh Theekshana, Dilshan Madushanka
Pitch Report and Conditions
The pitch at the Palekele International Cricket Stadium for the second game of the Super Eight leg of the T20 World Cup 2026 between England and Sri Lanka is expected to assist spin, with it being under covers before the game, meaning that moisture will be present on the surface, which will also help the pacers if they pitch the ball in the right areas.
As faras the batters are concerned, they will have their task cut out and will have to get used to the pace and bounce of the wicket before going for their shots.
Also Read: T20 World Cup 2026: Top 5 Highest Run-Scorers In The Group Stage