Sri Lanka will face England in the first ODI match of the England tour of Sri Lanka 2026 at R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, on Thursday, January 22. This match is scheduled to begin at 2:30 PM IST (2:30 PM local time). Stay tuned with our SL vs ENG prediction, team preview, pitch report, player stats and winner prediction ahead of this exciting match.
This will be the first match of the three-match ODI series, and both teams will look to win this match and start the series on winning notes. While Sri Lanka will look to take advantage of their home conditions to put pressure on England.
On the other hand, England’s players have consistently performed well, making it difficult for any team to defeat them. Apart from this, if we look at the past records, then excellent matches have been seen between the two teams and a tough match can be expected here.
Head-to-Head Record: Till now, a total of 79 ODI matches have been played between these two sides, in which England performed well and won 38 games, while Sri Lanka has won 37. Moreover, both teams won two matches each of the last five head-to-head games.
ALSO READ: IND vs NZ 1st T20I 2025: Match Preview, Probable XIs, Pitch Report and Winner Prediction
Sri Lanka Preview
Sri Lanka can prove to be very dangerous for any team in their home conditions, although their ODI form has not been particularly good and they had to face a 3-0 defeat in the last ODI series played on the Pakistan tour. But still, she has the potential to perform brilliantly at home soil.
Most of the Sri Lankan players have been in excellent form with the bat, especially captain Charith Asalanka, who has scored 490 runs in the last nine matches at an average of 61.25. Apart from him, Kusal Mendis is also performing consistently well, who has scored 442 runs in the last 10 matches at an average of 44.2.
Moreover, Sri Lankan fans also expect good performances from Kamil Mishara, Pathum Nissanka, and Sadeera Samarawickrama.
In bowling, Sri Lanka have world-class spinners in their squad. Wanindu Hasaranga, who has taken 16 wickets in the last seven matches, can prove to be a very big threat to any opponent. Apart from him, Asitha Fernando has also been performing consistently well, taking 19 wickets in nine matches at an economy of 5.6. While supporting them in bowling, Maheesh Theekshana, Dunith Wellalage, Pramod Madushan, Eshan Malinga will also be there.
| Player | Tip | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Charith Asalanka | Over 34.5 Runs | 1.85 |
Charith Asalanka has been in outstanding form, scoring 490 runs in his last nine matches at an average of 61.25. He remains Sri Lanka’s most reliable batter, especially in home conditions, and is well placed to cross this mark again.
England Preview
England also did not perform well in their last tour of New Zealand where they lost the ODI series by 3-0. However, the conditions in Sri Lanka will be different for them and they will be eager to perform better. All eyes will be on Joe Root and captain Harry Brook, who will decide England’s fate in this series by their performance.
England have some very good batsmen in the batting department, especially Joe Root, who has scored 508 runs in the last 10 matches at an average of 56.44 and is in excellent form.
Moreover, Harry Brook has also been in consistent form, scoring 373 runs in his last 10 matches at an average of 41.44. Apart from them, England has a strong batting lineup which can destroy any good bowling attack.
In bowling, Adil Rashid can do well on Sri Lanka’s spin tracks and is in excellent form. He has taken 21 wickets in the last 10 matches at an economy rate of 5.82. Apart from him, Brydon Carse has also taken 10 wickets in the last 9 games. England fans will have good expectations from him too.
Tip
| Player | Tip | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Joe Root | Over 32.5 Runs | 1.85 |
Joe Root has scored 508 runs in his last 10 matches and looks in excellent touch. His experience against spin makes him England’s key batter in Sri Lankan conditions and a strong pick to cross this line.
SL vs ENG Probably Playing XI
Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Kusal Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka (C), Dhananjaya de Silva, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Asitha Fernando, Eshan Malinga.
England: Ben Duckett, Will jacks, Joe Root, Harry Brook (C), Jacob Bethell, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Jamie Overton, Brydon Carse, Luke Wood, Adil Rashid.
SL vs ENG Pitch Report
The pitch at R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, offers a balanced surface. This surface provides a good contest between bat and ball. However, pacers have a slightly upper hand in the early stages of the game as they can get some movement from the surface. Spinners will also play an important role in the match as the game progresses. Apart from this, the batsmen will have to play carefully in the beginning after which they can make an impact. Generally, teams that win the toss may choose to bowl first at this venue.
The weather on Thursday at R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium, Colombo is expected to be mostly sunny, around 29°C with a 10% chance of rain, moderate 58% humidity and strong winds near 29 km/h.
Venue ODI Statistics
| Stats | Details |
|---|---|
| Total Matches | 184 |
| Matches won batting first | 102 |
| Matches won bowling first | 70 |
| Average 1st innings Score | 230 |
| Average 2nd innings Score | 188 |
| Highest total recorded | 375/5 (50 Ovs) – IND vs SL |
| Lowest total recorded | 50/10 (15.2 Ovs) – SL vs IND |
| Highest score chased | 292/4 (48.3 Ovs) – SL vs AUS |
| Lowest score defended | 170/10 (49.2 Ovs) – WIW vs SLW |
SL vs ENG Prediction
England have a strong batting line-up which can prove a threat for any opponent. Moreover, their players are consistently performing brilliantly. Hence, England will be favourites to win this match. It will also be important for England to perform well in these conditions as it will give them an idea about the conditions here before the upcoming T20 World Cup.
Sri Lanka’s performance hasn’t been great recently, but they beat many major teams in their home conditions in the past. They also have the ability to give England a tough fight. Therefore, underestimating them by any means could prove to be a big mistake for England.
Our Prediction: England
ALSO READ: AFG vs WI 2nd T20I 2025: Match Preview, Probable XIs, Pitch Report and Winner Prediction
Code: TOPBK
