England will square off against Sri Lanka in the first T20I match of the England tour of Sri Lanka 2026, scheduled to be played on Friday, 30th January at 7:00 PM IST. The match will take place at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Pallekele. Check out the best Dream11 team tips, player stats, pitch report, top fantasy picks and dream11 prediction team for today’s SL vs ENG clash.
Match Preview
England have bounced back strongly on this tour after losing the opening ODI, going on to win the next two matches to seal the series. They will now turn their attention to the shorter format as they take on Sri Lanka in the T20I series, which also serves as their final assignment ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
The two sides have faced each other 14 times in this format, with England enjoying the upper hand, registering 10 wins, while Sri Lanka have managed just 4 victories.
Sam Curran, who has been in excellent form in recent times and has scored 450 runs while also picking up 57 wickets in this format, stands out as the top choice for the captaincy role. Wanindu Hasaranga, a key figure for Sri Lanka, who has amassed 792 runs and claimed 151 wickets, remains the leading option for the vice captaincy role.
Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Pallekele Pitch Report
*The stats are based on the T20I matches played at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium.
| Pitch type – Generally balanced / batter-friendly |
| Batting 1st Won – 14 matches |
| Batting 2nd Won – 10 matches |
| Average 1st innings score – 167 runs |
SL vs ENG Probable Playing XI
Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis (wk), Janith Liyanage, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dasun Shanaka (c), Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Matheesha Pathirana, Dushmantha Chameera
England: Phil Salt (wk), Jos Buttler, Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook (c), Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Brydon Carse, Adil Rashid, Josh Tongue, Luke Wood
SL vs ENG Dream11 Player Stats
| Player Name | T20I Stats |
|---|---|
| Jos Buttler | 3869 runs |
| Pathum Nissanka | 2357 runs |
| Adil Rashid | 145 wickets |
| Sam Curran | 450 runs & 57 wickets |
| Wanindu Hasaranga | 792 runs & 151 wickets |
| Dhananjaya de Silva | 879 runs & 17 wickets |
SL vs ENG Dream11 Team
