Familiar foes, higher stakes in Pallekele

Sri Lanka faces England again in Pallekele, this time in a Super Eights clash. The teams played a preparatory series at the same venue recently, where England won 3-0, but momentum has shifted toward Sri Lanka.

Barring a slip-up against Zimbabwe, the co-hosts have been clinical, notably dismantling Australia in Pallekele. They enter with confidence despite losing key bowlers Wanindu Hasaranga and Matheesha Pathirana during the tournament.

England's path to the Super Eights has been less assured, with their batting unit struggling for fluency. While their finishing power has secured wins, top-order form remains a concern.

Sri Lanka's campaign has been built on clear roles and situational awareness. Their batting has been measured, led by Pathum Nissanka, with Kusal Mendis, Pavan Rathnayake, Kamindu Mendis, and captain Dasun Shanaka contributing at key times. Their bowling has found ways to apply pressure despite personnel changes.

The match presents a contrast: Sri Lanka with sharp recent form and home advantage, against England's tournament pedigree and a batting lineup hoping to peak at the right time.

When: Sunday, February 22, 3:00 PM Local Time
Where: Pallekele International Cricket Stadium

What to expect: Evening rain and a thunderstorm affected practice on Saturday. The forecast for Sunday suggests earlier showers, raising the possibility of a delayed start, interruptions, a shortened game, or even shared points.

Head to head: England lead 13-4 in T20Is, winning the last 11 meetings since 2016—including three at this venue ahead of the tournament. In T20 World Cups, England lead 5-1; Sri Lanka's sole win came at this venue in 2012.

Team News:

Sri Lanka: Dilshan Madushanka, who replaced Pathirana, is set to play again. Pramod Madushan, who featured against Zimbabwe, is likely to make way for the returning Dushmantha Chameera.

Probable XI: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis (wk), Pavan Rathnayake, Dasun Shanaka (c), Kamindu Mendis, Dunith Wellalage, Dushan Hemantha, Dushmantha Chameera, Maheesh Theekshana, Dilshan Madushanka

England: They are likely to be unchanged from their last three matches. However, Jacob Bethell cannot bowl due to a finger injury, as protective strapping is not permitted.

Captain Harry Brook stated, "The rule with the strapping on your finger isn't quite helping… If there's some way we can get around that then we'd like to bowl him. But at the minute, I don't think it's possible."

Probable XI: Phil Salt, Jos Buttler (wk), Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Harry Brook (c), Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Liam Dawson, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid

Key Stats:

• Jos Buttler vs Spin (T20Is): From 2022-2024: 519 runs at avg 47.18, SR 165.28. Since 2025: 225 runs at avg 18.75, SR 139.75.
• Harry Brook vs Spin (T20Is): Averages 19.29 at a strike rate of 128.25, with 24 dismissals to spinners.
• Pathum Nissanka (T20Is since Jan 2024): Chasing: 1057 runs in 22 inns, avg 58.72, SR 157.52. Batting first: 481 runs in 24 inns, avg 20.04, SR 122.70.

Quotes:

"We obviously had a very good series against them here… so we can take some experiences from that… They're obviously a strong side with a lot of confidence… if we stick to our guns and play our best cricket there's no reason why we can't beat them." – Harry Brook, England captain.

"Whoever it is, when you're playing a Super Eight game, you will not play with the same freedom… The pressure will be same for both teams. The teams which do the things correctly under pressure, the team which makes lesser mistakes is the team that is likely to go through." – R Sridhar, Sri Lanka fielding coach.