Sri Lanka Tour of England 2026 Schedule, Squad & Broadcast Info

England host Sri Lanka for a three-match T20I series starting 15 September 2026, with matches at Southampton, Cardiff and Manchester. The tour extends to include a three-match ODI series from 22 to 27 September.

England enter the series confident against this opponent, having won their most recent bilateral T20I series against Sri Lanka 3-0 earlier in 2026. Sri Lanka, by contrast, arrive after two nine-wicket warm-up losses to the England Lions, adding early pressure on a side already missing key personnel.

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Both squads have been hit by injury disruption heading into the series. England will be without Phil Salt, Jacob Bethell and Sam Curran, with Harry Brook handed the T20I captaincy in their absence. Sri Lanka will also be without regular option Kusal Mendis, who is managing a hamstring injury, and Binura Fernando, who has a back issue — both picked up during the Lanka Premier League 2026.

Pavan Rathnayake and Dilshan Madushanka have come into the Sri Lanka T20I squad as replacements, and Charith Asalanka has been named captain for the series in Mendis’s absence.

Sri Lanka’s build-up has not gone smoothly on the field either: they lost both their warm-up fixtures against the England Lions by nine wickets, at Chelmsford on 11 September and Beckenham on 13 September.

ENG vs SL 2026 Schedule

Venues

The series moves across three different England grounds: the Utilita Bowl in Southampton for the opener, Sophia Gardens in Cardiff for the second match, and Old Trafford in Manchester for the decider. All three are established international venues regularly used for England’s home T20I fixtures.

England vs Sri Lanka T20 Squad

England (T20I squad, key changes): Harry Brook (c), with Phil Salt, Jacob Bethell and Sam Curran all unavailable through injury. Tom Banton, James Coles, Aneurin Donald, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton and Saqib Mahmood have also been drawn from the England Lions setup into the senior T20I group, with Donald handed a maiden T20I call-up.

Sri Lanka (T20I squad, key changes): Charith Asalanka (c) replaces the unavailable Kusal Mendis. Pavan Rathnayake replaces Mendis in the squad, while Dilshan Madushanka comes in for the injured Binura Fernando.

Players to Watch

Harry Brook (England): Stepping into the T20I captaincy with several senior players unavailable, Brook’s leadership and his own form at the top of the order will both be under scrutiny across the series.

Charith Asalanka (Sri Lanka): Leading the side in Kusal Mendis’s absence, Asalanka will be central to Sri Lanka’s chances of a competitive series after two heavy warm-up defeats dented momentum before a ball has been bowled in the internationals.

Aneurin Donald (England): Handed a maiden T20I call-up on the back of strong domestic T20 Blast form, Donald’s introduction is one of the series’ more notable selection stories.

Jos Buttler (England): Statistically the leading run-scorer in the England–Sri Lanka T20I head-to-head, Buttler’s overall record against this opposition makes him a player Sri Lanka’s bowlers will be wary of whenever he’s in the side.

SL vs ENG Head-to-head

England hold a clear historical edge in T20Is between the two nations, having won 14 of their 18 meetings. Sri Lanka have won just four, and their most recent success against England in the format dates back to October 2012 — a gap of nearly 14 years.

England vs Sri Lanka 2026 Live Coverage / Broadcast Details

In India, the series will be shown on the Sony Sports Network, which holds live television broadcast rights for both the T20I and ODI legs of the tour.

Tapmad TV secured the digital media rights for the ENG vs SL T20 and ODI series matches in Pakistan.

Fans in the United Kingdom will get live coverage on Sky Sports Cricket. Meanwhile, Sky Now and the Sky Go app deliver the live stream via subscription.

Willow TV holds the broadcasting rights for the series in the United States and Canada.

Dialog TV is the official broadcast partner in Sri Lanka, offering both TV and digital coverage. In addition, the matches will be shown live on the SLRC television network.

India: Sony Sports

UK: Sky Sports Cricket

Sri Lanka: Dialog TV

Australia: Fox Sports

Pakistan: Tapmad TV

USA & Canada: Willow TV

MENA: Cricbuzz

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