The wait is finally over as the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 gets underway in England. The 10th edition of the tournament begins with the hosts, England Women, taking on Sri Lanka Women at Edgbaston in Birmingham in the opening fixture.
Sri Lanka won the toss
Chamari Athapaththu-led Sri Lanka won the toss and opted to bowl first. Their side will feature key players such as Vishmi Gunaratne, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Kavisha Dilhari, and Nilakshika de Silva.
The Islanders have opted for a bowling attack comprising three specialist bowlers – Malki Madara, Sugandika Kumari Dassanayake and Mithali Ayodhya – with the rest of the bowling responsibilities expected to be shared by their all-rounders. Notably, experienced batter Hasini Perera has missed out on selection for the tournament opener.
Here’s what Chamari Athapaththu said after winning the toss: “I’m pretty confident about my bowling unit, I don’t know this condition, and yesterday it rained, so we decided to bowl first.” Athapaththu further said, “We are going with young players because we need to build a good team in the future, so we give opportunities for the youngsters. So selectors and the board officials decided to bring new team, and yeah, I accept that, and we are going with this team.”
Here’s what Nat Sciver Brunt said after the toss, “I was gonna bowl as well. So, yeah, looking forward to getting out there with the bat first.” She further spoke about the playing XI and said, “Selecting the first XI, I suppose, the pieces sort of fell into place during the two series. And yeah, really excited with the XI that we’ve got. Three spinners, Sophie, Charlie and Linsey in, and both all-rounders in as well.”
Team News and Updates
England’s skipper, Nat Sciver-Brunt, will play as a pure batter for the first few games as a precautionary measure due to her calf injury. On the other hand, Sophie Ecclestone is set to play her 200th international match tonight.
Sri Lanka’s skipper Chamari Athapaththu will also match the record by Harmanpreet Kaur to play the most matches as a captain in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.
ENG vs SL : Head-to-Head
Matches played: 3
England Women won: 2
Sri Lanka Women won: 0
Abandoned: 1
Sri Lanka Women Playing XI: Vishmi Gunaratne, Chamari Athapaththu (c), Imesha Dulani, Harshitha Madavi Samarawickrama, Hansima Karunaratne, Kavisha Dilhari, Nilakshi de Silva, Kaushani Nuthyangana (wk), Sugandika Kumari, Malki Madara, Mithali Ayodhya
England Women Playing XI: Danielle Nicole Wyatt-Hodge, Amy Jones (wk), Nat Sciver-Brunt (c), Alice Capsey, Heather Knight, Freya Kemp, Danielle Gibson, Charlie Dean, Sophie Ecclestone, Linsey Smith, Lauren Bell
Ptich Report
Edgbaston has traditionally offered a fair contest between bat and ball, making it one of England’s most balanced white-ball venues. Fast bowlers are expected to enjoy some assistance with the new ball, particularly under overcast conditions, while batters who settle in can take advantage of the true surface and quick outfield.
The venue has hosted eight Women’s T20Is so far, with teams batting first enjoying considerably greater success. Three out of every four matches played here have been won by the side setting a target, highlighting the importance of putting runs on the board.
Recent trends at the ground indicate that pace bowlers have been more effective than spinners, accounting for the majority of wickets in the last 10 T20 matches. The highest team total recorded at Edgbaston stands at 221/5, while the lowest score is 90/5. The average first-innings score is around 175, compared to 145 in the second innings, suggesting that chasing can become challenging as the game progresses.
Also Read: 5 Young Players To Watch At Women’s T20 World Cup 2026
