England have kick-started their T20I campaign in Sri Lanka with a dominant victory in the first game. Currently, Sri Lanka are hosting England for the SL vs ENG three-match T20I series, which marks the final preparatory series ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
England started the ODI series by winning it 2-1, and they have also made a winning start to the T20I series at Pallekele. The Harry Brook-led side is one of the strongest teams in the ICC T20 World Cup, with the captain leading from the front. Sri Lanka have been placed in the same group alongside teams like Australia, Ireland, Oman and Zimbabwe for the T20 World Cup.
The article that follows includes a detailed preview of the SL vs ENG 2nd T20I, which includes the head-to-head record, their probable playing XI, a pitch report and live streaming details of the second match in the series.
SL vs ENG 2nd T20I Preview:
Match Date: The second T20I will be played on Sunday, February 1st.
Venue: The match will take place at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium
Time: The match is scheduled to start at 7:00 PM IST.
SL vs ENG Squads
Sri Lanka Squad: Dasun Shanaka (captain), Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Kusal Mendis, Kusal Janith Perera, Charith Asalanka, Janith Liyanage, Pavan Rathnayake, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushmantha Chameera, Dhananjaya De Silva, Pramod Madushan, Matheesha Pathirana, and Eshan Malinga.
England Squad: Harry Brook, Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell, Jos Buttler, Brydon Carse, Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Josh Tongue, Luke Wood.
SL vs ENG Probable XIs:
Sri Lanka Playing XI: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Kamil Mishara, Dhananjaya De Silva, Charith Asalanka, Janith Liyanage, Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Eshan Malinga and Matheesha Pathirana
England Playing XI: Phil Salt, Jos Buttler, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Will Jacks, Sam Curran, Tom Banton, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Liam Dawson, and Jofra Archer.
SL vs ENG 2nd T20I Key Battles
Phil Salt vs Maheesh Theekshana
The English batsman Phil Salt has often been coined as the most explosive batter of the modern era. He will be a major threat to any opposition, while England will depend on Phil Salt, who has proved time and again how stunningly a player can exploit the delivery restrictions in the powerplay.
Maheesh Theekshana, the Lankan spinner, has a reputation for bowling with the new ball in the powerplay. The Lankan trickster can only lead to Phil Salt’s struggle, as he has been struggling against slow spin bowling. Salt often loves pace on the ball.
Jos Buttler vs Eshan Malinga
Jos Buttler is the most experienced player on the English side. The former captain does not lead the England side any further, but is still the most reliable batter in the playing XI. Buttler recently had a promising season in the SA20 season.
Eshan Malinga, the Sri Lankan pacer, took up Nuwan Thusara’s role in the Sri Lankan playing XI. Malinga would be taking up the new ball and would be bowling against the English wicket-keeper batsman in the powerplay.
Pathum Nissanka vs Jamie Overton
Sri Lanka lacks somewhat in the batting department, despite having enough depth in their attack. For them, the opening has a crucial role to play, and Pathum Nissanka is just the right man to do the job. He has not been consistent for the Lankans, but whenever he delivers, the team is in the driver’s seat.
Jamie Overton has been one of England’s most dominating stars, and he has been very effective with the ball. Overton also picked 2 wickets in the previous match, which helped England to crash the Lankan innings. He was crucial for the Three Lions when they played against New Zealand ahead of the Ashes.
Dasun Shanaka vs Adil Rashid
Dasun Shanaka, the newly appointed captain of the Sri Lankan side, is a mighty hitter in the lineup. Shanaka brings in the power-hitting capability within the side and will be crucial to add on to the momentum provided by the batters who come ahead in the batting order.
Adil Rashid, the leg-spinner, might pose a huge challenge in front of the Sri Lankan captain. Rashid is a very clever spinner who does not depend upon the pitch conditions, but also manifests special things with his own brilliance.
SL vs ENG 2nd T20I Key Players:
England Key Players: Phil Salt, Harry Brook, Sam Curran, Adil Rashid and Jamie Overton
Sri Lanka Key Players: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Perera, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dasun Shanaka and Dusmantha Chameera
SL vs ENG 2nd T20I – Free Live Streaming and Telecast Details
TV Broadcast in India: The Second T20I between Sri Lanka and England will be broadcast live across India on the Sony Sports TEN Network.
Online Live Streaming in India: Fans from around the world can watch the match live on the SonyLIV app and website. An active subscription will be required.
How to Watch on Television: Cricket fans can tune in to the Sony Sports TEN Network channels for the live telecast of the ENG vs SL Second T20I.
How to Watch Online on Mobile and Web: Live streaming will only be done through the SonyLIV platform, and cricket fanatics can witness it from anywhere on their portable devices. FanCode will also have the live streaming facility for the match.
SL vs ENG 2nd T20I Weather and Pitch Report – Pallekele
SL vs ENG: Weather Report in Pallekele
According to Accuweather, the temperature is going to be moderate in the island nation. The sea-surrounded piece of land is likely to have a high wind speed, which will facilitate the seamers with the lighter new ball.
However, a cloud cover is likely to be prevalent over the region, and the afternoon period is suspected to have little drizzle. During the nighttime, temperatures are likely to be reduced to 18 degrees.
SL vs ENG: Pitch Report at Pallekele International Stadium
The pitch at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium is known to be a batting paradise, as teams have been facilitated to bat first. It is a high-scoring venue, and the average first innings total here has been nearly 175-180 runs.
The pitch is a balanced pitch, which does not always facilitate batting and hence, is known to be a balanced pitch, with some help offered to spinners. The square boundaries are shorter than the straight boundary.
SL vs ENG Head-to-Head Records
| Stats | Matches | SL Won | ENG Won | Draw | Tied | NR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 15 | 4 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| In Sri Lanka | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Last 5 T20Is | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
SL vs ENG Head-to-Head Records: Key Statistics
England and Sri Lanka do not meet often in the shortest format of the game; however, whenever they have met, it has been a neck-and-neck contest. England were the more dominant side, having won 11 times over to Sri Lanka’s 4 wins.
The last time England and Sri Lanka met in the shortest format of the game was back in the 2022 ICC T20 World Cup, and England won on that occasion as well. They have had a winning streak of over 7 years against the T20 World Cup 2026 co-hosts.
SL vs ENG Head-to-Head Records: The Last 5 Matches
Talking of the last five matches, the English Lions have been winning on every occasion. Be it in bilateral T20 formats or the ICC tournaments that have been played during this time phase, England have been dominant, and the Lankans are still in search of their 5th win against this opposition.
SL vs ENG Head-to-Head Records—Result of the Last 5 Games
- England won by 6 wickets on January 30th, 2026
- England won by 4 wickets on November 5th, 2022
- England won by 26 runs on November 1st, 2021
- England won by 89 runs on June 26th, 2021
- England won by 5 wickets (DLS method) on June 24th, 2021
SL vs ENG 2nd T20I – Conclusion
The SL vs ENG 2nd T20I will be crucial from either team’s point of view, and hence, both teams’ XI’s lock horns for the second match in Pallekele. Sri Lanka needs many of the players to shoot back to form ahead of the marquee World Cup competition.
Even England needs their batters, who were part of the SA20 and the BBL before arriving at the ICC T20 World Cup and the Sri Lankan series, to get their final opportunity to adapt to the conditions here in Sri Lanka.
