England and Sri Lanka will lock horns in Match 42 of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 Super Eights at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Sunday, February 22.

England finished second in Group C with three wins from four games. They began with a narrow four-run win over Nepal, stumbled against the West Indies by 30 runs, but bounced back strongly. Comfortable victories over Scotland (by five wickets) and Italy (by 24 runs) sealed their Super Eights berth. 

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka impressed in Group B, winning three of their four matches. They defeated Ireland by 20 runs, crushed Oman by 105 runs, and chased down Australia’s 181 with eight wickets in hand. Despite a late loss to Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka topped 750 runs in the group stage.

Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Pallekele Pitch Report

The Pallekele International Cricket Stadium is generally considered a batting-friendly venue, where scores in excess of 150 are quite common in T20 cricket. The surface offers good pace and carry, allowing batters to play their shots freely once they settle in. Bowlers will need to maintain disciplined lines and lengths, as any inconsistency is likely to be punished. While there may be some assistance for the pacers early on, the conditions overall tend to favour the batters.

ENG vs SL Head-to-Head Record in T20s

ENG vs SL Predicted Playing 11s England (ENG):

Philip Salt, Jos Buttler(w), Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Harry Brook(c), Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Liam Dawson, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid

Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis(w), Pavan Rathnayake, Dasun Shanaka(c), Kamindu Mendis, Dunith Wellalage, Dushan Hemantha, Maheesh Theekshana, Dilshan Madushanka, Pramod Madushan

Sri Lanka's star opener, Pathum Nissanka, could be the best batter in the upcoming game against England. The right-handed batter currently occupies the second position in the run-scoring list, having amassed 199 runs in four innings, including a brilliant ton against Australia and a 62-run knock against Zimbabwe.

Right-arm quick Jamie Overton has been England's best bowler in the ongoing tournament. Overton has taken the responsibility to lead the attack solidly and will look to continue that in the Super Eights. In three games, he has bagged six wickets at an economy rate of 6.16.