The Sri Lanka Tour of England 2026 is one of the major white-ball series on England’s September cricket calendar.
Sri Lanka are playing six internationals against England—three T20Is followed by three ODIs—from September 15 to September 27, 2026. The series is being staged across Southampton, Cardiff, Manchester, Chester-le-Street, Leeds and London.
The T20I portion has already concluded, and it was dominated by England.
Harry Brook’s side won all three matches, beating Sri Lanka by 119 runs in Southampton, six wickets in Cardiff and eight wickets in Manchester to complete a 3-0 clean sweep.
Attention now turns to the three-match ODI series, which starts at Chester-le-Street on September 22, continues at Headingley on September 24 and concludes at The Kia Oval on September 27.
Sri Lanka Tour of England 2026 Overview
| Series Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Tour | Sri Lanka Tour of England 2026 |
| Teams | England vs Sri Lanka |
| Formats | T20I and ODI |
| T20Is | 3 |
| ODIs | 3 |
| Total International Matches | 6 |
| Start Date | September 15, 2026 |
| End Date | September 27, 2026 |
| England Captain | Harry Brook |
| Sri Lanka T20I Captain | Charith Asalanka |
| Sri Lanka ODI Captain | Kusal Mendis |
| T20I Series Result | England won 3-0 |
| ODI Series | Starts September 22 |
Harry Brook was named captain of both England white-ball squads. Sri Lanka initially named Kusal Mendis captain across both formats, but a hamstring injury ruled him out of the T20Is, resulting in Charith Asalanka taking charge for that portion of the tour. Kusal remained part of Sri Lanka’s ODI squad.
Sri Lanka Tour of England 2026 Full – Schedule and Results
| Date | Match | Venue | Time (IST) | Result/Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 15 | 1st T20I | Utilita Bowl, Southampton | 11:00 PM | England won by 119 runs |
| Sep 17 | 2nd T20I | Sophia Gardens, Cardiff | 11:00 PM | England won by 6 wickets |
| Sep 19 | 3rd T20I | Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester | 7:00 PM | England won by 8 wickets |
| Sep 22 | 1st ODI | Banks Homes Riverside, Chester-le-Street | 5:00 PM | Upcoming |
| Sep 24 | 2nd ODI | Headingley, Leeds | 5:00 PM | Upcoming |
| Sep 27 | 3rd ODI | The Kia Oval, London | 3:00 PM | Upcoming |
The official ECB and Sri Lanka Cricket schedules confirm the three T20Is followed by three ODIs, with the final match at The Kia Oval on September 27.
England vs Sri Lanka 1st T20I 2026
Date: September 15, 2026
Venue: Utilita Bowl, Southampton
Result: England won by 119 runs
Score
England – 254/4 (20 overs)
Sri Lanka – 135 all out (19 overs)
The tour began with an emphatic England victory.
Captain Harry Brook produced one of the finest performances of the series, smashing an unbeaten 114 from only 49 balls.
Brook struck 10 fours and six sixes while sharing a huge 128-run partnership with Jos Buttler, who scored 80. England’s Powerplay alone produced 90 runs for the loss of one wicket.
The hosts eventually finished with an imposing 254/4.
Sri Lanka needed an extraordinary batting performance to chase the target, but England’s bowlers prevented them from developing meaningful partnerships.
Sonny Baker Takes Three Wickets
Young fast bowler Sonny Baker was particularly impressive, returning figures of:
3 wickets for 12 runs
Sri Lanka were dismissed for 135 in 19 overs, giving England a massive 119-run win.
Player of the Match
Harry Brook – 114 from 49 balls*
The result put England 1-0 ahead in the three-match T20I series.
England vs Sri Lanka 2nd T20I 2026
Date: September 17, 2026
Venue: Sophia Gardens, Cardiff
Result: England won by 6 wickets
Score
Sri Lanka – 145/9 (20 overs)
England – 146/4 (12.1 overs)
Sri Lanka produced a brighter start in Cardiff, with Pathum Nissanka scoring 37 from 21 balls.
However, England gradually regained control.
Experienced spinner Liam Dawson took 3/32, while England’s attack restricted Sri Lanka to 145/9.
A target of 146 proved far too small for England’s powerful batting lineup.
Tom Banton Smashes Unbeaten Fifty
Tom Banton led England’s chase with an aggressive unbeaten innings.
He scored:
52 not out from 24 balls
England required only 12.1 overs to reach 146/4 and complete the chase with 47 deliveries remaining.
The six-wicket win gave England an unassailable 2-0 series lead.
Player of the Match
Liam Dawson’s bowling played a major role in restricting Sri Lanka before Banton’s explosive batting completed the victory.
England vs Sri Lanka 3rd T20I 2026
Date: September 19, 2026
Venue: Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester
Result: England won by 8 wickets
Score
Sri Lanka – 124 all out (18.5 overs)
England – 126/2 (9.4 overs)
Sri Lanka entered the final match hoping to avoid a whitewash, but England delivered another commanding performance.
Pathum Nissanka scored 36 from 24 deliveries, while Kamindu Mendis contributed 35 from 28.
However, Sri Lanka collapsed to 124 all out.
Sonny Baker, Jofra Archer and Will Jacks each claimed two wickets.
Jos Buttler Finishes the Series in Style
England then made extremely light work of the chase.
Jos Buttler smashed an unbeaten:
62 from 32 balls
Harry Brook added 33 from 21 deliveries.
England reached 126/2 in only 9.4 overs, winning with an extraordinary 62 balls remaining.
The result completed a 3-0 T20I series clean sweep.
England Win T20I Series 3-0
England’s results were remarkably convincing.
| Match | England’s Winning Margin |
|---|---|
| 1st T20I | 119 runs |
| 2nd T20I | 6 wickets |
| 3rd T20I | 8 wickets |
| Series Result | England 3-0 Sri Lanka |
The third victory was England’s 15th consecutive T20I win against Sri Lanka. It also returned England to the top of the men’s T20I world rankings.
Harry Brook Named Player of the Series
England captain Harry Brook was named Player of the Series after playing a central role with the bat and leading the hosts through another successful T20 campaign.
His defining contribution was the unbeaten 114 from 49 deliveries in Southampton.
Brook followed that performance with another important contribution of 33 during England’s final-match chase at Old Trafford.
England coach Brendon McCullum also praised Brook’s development as captain after the series victory.
England Return to No.1 in T20I Rankings
One of the biggest outcomes of the series was England’s return to the summit of the men’s T20I rankings.
Their eight-wicket victory in Manchester moved England ahead of India following the 3-0 sweep.
The achievement capped an excellent T20I campaign for Harry Brook’s team and demonstrated the depth of their batting and bowling options.
ENG vs SL ODI Series 2026
The tour is not over.
England and Sri Lanka now switch to the 50-over format for three ODIs.
1st ODI – Chester-le-Street
Date: September 22, 2026
Time: 12:30 PM BST / 5:00 PM IST
Venue: Banks Homes Riverside, Chester-le-Street
This will be Sri Lanka’s first opportunity to respond after the disappointing T20I series.
The switch to the longer white-ball format could suit the visitors, particularly players such as Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Charith Asalanka, Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana.
2nd ODI – Headingley
Date: September 24, 2026
Time: 12:30 PM BST / 5:00 PM IST
Venue: Headingley, Leeds
Headingley will stage the second ODI.
England’s ODI side features Harry Brook, Jos Buttler, Joe Root, Jofra Archer and Adil Rashid, alongside several younger white-ball players.
3rd ODI – The Kia Oval
Date: September 27, 2026
Time: 10:30 AM BST / 3:00 PM IST
Venue: The Kia Oval, London
The third and final ODI will bring the tour to a close in London.
The Kia Oval fixture could become a series decider depending on the results of the opening two matches.
England Squad for Sri Lanka Series 2026
England selected separate 16-player squads for the T20I and ODI portions of the tour.
England T20I Squad
| Player |
|---|
| Harry Brook (Captain) |
| Jofra Archer |
| Gus Atkinson |
| Sonny Baker |
| Tom Banton |
| Jos Buttler |
| James Coles |
| Jordan Cox |
| Liam Dawson |
| Aneurin Donald |
| Ben Duckett |
| Will Jacks |
| Saqib Mahmood |
| Jamie Overton |
| Adil Rashid |
| Josh Tongue |
Aneurin Donald received his first senior England call-up, while Jamie Overton returned following injury.
England ODI Squad
| Player |
|---|
| Harry Brook (Captain) |
| Rehan Ahmed |
| Jofra Archer |
| Gus Atkinson |
| Tom Banton |
| Sonny Baker |
| Jos Buttler |
| Jordan Cox |
| Henry Crocombe |
| Liam Dawson |
| Ben Duckett |
| Will Jacks |
| Jamie Overton |
| Adil Rashid |
| Joe Root |
| Josh Tongue |
Uncapped seamer Henry Crocombe received a place in England’s ODI squad, while Joe Root returned for the 50-over leg.
Phil Salt was unavailable due to a right quadriceps injury, while Jacob Bethell was recovering from knee surgery.
Sri Lanka T20I Squad
Sri Lanka’s updated T20I squad was:
| Player |
|---|
| Charith Asalanka (Captain) |
| Pathum Nissanka |
| Kamil Mishara |
| Lahiru Udara |
| Kamindu Mendis |
| Janith Liyanage |
| Dasun Shanaka |
| Dunith Wellalage |
| Wanindu Hasaranga |
| Maheesh Theekshana |
| Tharindu Rathnayake |
| Dushmantha Chameera |
| Eshan Malinga |
| Nuwan Thushara |
| Dilshan Madushanka |
| Pavan Rathnayake |
Kusal Mendis missed the T20I series with a right hamstring injury, while Binura Fernando was unavailable because of a back injury. Pavan Rathnayake and Dilshan Madushanka came into the squad as replacements.
Sri Lanka ODI Squad
Sri Lanka’s ODI squad for the England series was announced as:
| Player |
|---|
| Kusal Mendis (Captain) |
| Pathum Nissanka |
| Kamil Mishara |
| Kamindu Mendis |
| Charith Asalanka |
| Janith Liyanage |
| Pavan Rathnayake |
| Dasun Shanaka |
| Wanindu Hasaranga |
| Dunith Wellalage |
| Maheesh Theekshana |
| Sachindu Colombage |
| Dushmantha Chameera |
| Eshan Malinga |
| Asitha Fernando |
| Dilshan Madushanka |
Sri Lanka Cricket originally appointed Kusal Mendis as captain and Charith Asalanka as vice-captain for the ODI squad.
Key Players to Watch in the ODI Series
Harry Brook enters the ODI portion in excellent form after being named Player of the Series in the T20Is.
Joe Root provides England with significant experience in 50-over cricket, while Jos Buttler remains one of the team’s most dangerous middle-order batters.
For Sri Lanka, Pathum Nissanka will be important at the top of the order. Kusal Mendis, Charith Asalanka and Kamindu Mendis add batting depth, while Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana provide two high-quality spin options.
English conditions could also make the seam attacks important, with Jofra Archer available for England and Dushmantha Chameera, Asitha Fernando and Dilshan Madushanka among Sri Lanka’s pace options.
Sri Lanka Tour of England 2026 FAQs
When did the Sri Lanka Tour of England 2026 start?
The international series began on September 15, 2026, with the first T20I at the Utilita Bowl in Southampton.
How many matches are in the England vs Sri Lanka 2026 series?
England and Sri Lanka are playing six international matches—three T20Is and three ODIs.
Who won the England vs Sri Lanka T20 series 2026?
England won the T20I series 3-0.
What was the result of the first T20I?
England scored 254/4 before bowling Sri Lanka out for 135, winning by 119 runs. Harry Brook scored an unbeaten 114.
Who won the second T20I?
England won by six wickets, chasing Sri Lanka’s 145/9 in only 12.1 overs. Tom Banton scored an unbeaten 52 from 24 balls.
Who won the third T20I?
England won by eight wickets after dismissing Sri Lanka for 124 and reaching 126/2 in 9.4 overs.
Who was Player of the T20I Series?
Harry Brook was named Player of the Series.
When is the England vs Sri Lanka 1st ODI?
The first ODI is scheduled for September 22, 2026, at Banks Homes Riverside in Chester-le-Street.
When is the final ODI?
The third ODI will be played at The Kia Oval in London on September 27, 2026.
Who is England’s captain?
Harry Brook is captaining England in both white-ball formats.
Who is Sri Lanka’s ODI captain?
Kusal Mendis was named Sri Lanka’s ODI captain, with Charith Asalanka as vice-captain.
Final Words
The Sri Lanka Tour of England 2026 has already produced a one-sided but entertaining T20I series.
England opened with a huge 119-run victory in Southampton, won the second game by six wickets in Cardiff and completed the clean sweep with an eight-wicket victory at Old Trafford.
Harry Brook’s spectacular 114 not out in the opening match, Tom Banton’s rapid Cardiff fifty and Jos Buttler’s unbeaten 62 in Manchester were among the standout batting performances.
The 3-0 victory also lifted England back to No.1 in the men’s T20I rankings.
The focus now shifts to ODI cricket.
The three-match England vs Sri Lanka ODI series begins on September 22 at Chester-le-Street, continues at Headingley on September 24 and finishes at The Kia Oval on September 27.
Sri Lanka will be looking for a strong response after their difficult T20 campaign, while England will attempt to carry their excellent white-ball form into the 50-over series.
