Sri Lanka will be taking on England in the first ODI of the England Tour of Sri Lanka 2026, which will take place at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Thursday. In 10 ODI matches played between these two teams at R Premadasa Stadium, Sri Lanka has been completely dominant with 9 wins, while England has only won one match at this venue.
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SL vs ENG Dream11 Prediction: Dream11 Team Today, Fantasy Cricket Tips, Playing XI, Pitch Report, Injury Update - England Tour of Sri Lanka 2026, 1st ODI

SL vs ENG Match Preview
Sri Lanka will be hosting England for the opening match of the ODI series. Sri Lanka, led by Charith Asalanka, has a balanced squad. They have the home advantage and will be looking to put up a good performance in this series.
On the other hand, Harry Brook has taken over the ODI captaincy and has a huge responsibility on his shoulders to lead his team against Sri Lanka on their home soil. The English skipper will have to take some tough calls while selecting the best playing 11 at the start of the series.
Sri Lanka vs England Match Details
| Series | England Tour of Sri Lanka 2026 |
|---|---|
| Match | Sri Lanka vs England, 1st ODI |
| Toss | To be updated |
| Venue | R. Premadasa Stadium |
| City | Colombo |
| Match Start Time | 2:30 PM IST, 22nd January, 2026 |
| Scorecard | Sri Lanka vs England Scorecard |
| Live Streaming | Fancode |
SL vs ENG Dream11 Team Today Stats
- England all-rounder Jamie Overton was the top run scorer for his team in the last match against New Zealand. He scored 68 runs off 62 balls and will be an excellent pick for the SL vs ENG Dream11 team prediction.
- One of the best all-rounders in the world, Sam Curran, was the standout for England in the last match against New Zealand. He took two wickets in a 9-over spell. He is expected to be a key player in today's SL vs ENG Dream11 prediction.
- Sri Lanka's middle-order batsman Sadeera Samarawickrama was the leading run scorer for his team in the previous match against Pakistan. He scored 48 runs off 65 balls. He will be a great choice for the SL vs ENG Dream11 Prediction team.
- The right-arm leg-spinner Jeffery Vandersay was the top bowler for the Sri Lanka team in their previous game. He took three wickets in a 10-over spell. He will be an excellent pick for the SL vs ENG Dream11 Prediction today match.
| Player | Player's Stats (Last Match) |
|---|---|
| Jamie Overton (ENG) | 68 Runs |
| Sadeera Samarawickrama (SL) | 48 Runs |
| Jeffery Vandersay (SL) | 2 Wickets |
| Sam Curran (ENG) | 3 Wickets |
SL vs ENG Injury Update Today
This is the opening match of the series, and there are no injury concerns for either the Sri Lanka or England squads. The players in both lineups are fit and prepared to compete in the first ODI match.
SL vs ENG Toss Prediction
We are expecting Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka to decide to bat first after winning the toss. The surface slows down as the game progresses, making it hard to score runs at this venue in the 2nd innings.
Record of Chasing Teams at R. Premadasa Stadium
Batting 1st is preferred at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, as the pitch gets slower and more difficult to score runs as the game moves forward. Teams batting first have won 86 matches in the 155 ODI matches played at this venue, while teams that chase have won 59 matches.
| Chasing Record | Winning % |
|---|---|
| Average | 38% |
SL vs ENG Playing 11 (Probable)
Sri Lanka and England have both announced strong teams for this ODI series. England will have Harry Brook as their leader, while Charith Asalanka will be the captain of the host team.
| Sri Lanka Playing XI | England Playing XI |
|---|---|
| Pathum Nissanka | Ben Duckett |
| Kamil Mishara | Will Jacks |
| Kusal Mendis (wk) | Joe Root |
| Charith Asalanka (c) | Harry Brook (c) |
| Kamindu Mendis | Jacob Bethell |
| Dunith Wellalage | Jos Buttler (wk) |
| Wanindu Hasaranga | Sam Curran |
| Dhananjaya de Silva | Jamie Overton |
| Milan Rathnayake | Rehan Ahmed |
| Asitha Fernando | Adil Rashid |
| Maheesh Theekshana | Brydon Carse |
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Highest Run Scorers and Highest Wicket Takers
This is the opening match of the England tour of Sri Lanka in 2026, so there are no stats available. Let's take a look at the top contenders who can score the highest number of runs and take the most wickets in this upcoming game.
| Highest Run Scorers | Pathum Nissanka and Joe Root |
|---|---|
| Highest Wicket Takers | Wanindu Hasaranga and Adil Rashid |
SL vs ENG Captain and Vice Captain Choices
- According to the SL vs ENG Dream11 Prediction, Wanindu Hasaranga and Joe Root are the most popular captaincy choices because of their outstanding one-day international records.
- Sam Curran and Charith Asalanka are the perfect choices for the vice-captainship. Both players have impressive all-round capabilities and are ideal for spin-friendly pitches.
| Captain | Wanindu Hasaranga and Joe Root |
|---|---|
| Vice-Captain | Sam Curran and Charith Asalanka |
Top Picks for SL vs ENG Dream11 Prediction
- Sri Lankan batter Kusal Mendis has scored 4751 runs in his ODI career and will also give points with his wicketkeeping.
- Joe Root will be a top pick in this SL vs ENG Dream11 prediction. He scored 7330 runs at an average of 48.54 in 186 ODI matches.
| Players |
|---|
| Kusal Mendis |
| Joe Root |
Budget Picks for SL vs ENG Dream11 Prediction
- Sam Curran has scalped 35 wickets in his ODI career and can also be handy with the bat lower down the order.
- Wanindu Hasaranga is the best option for these spin-friendly conditions, so he will be a budget pick in this SL vs ENG Dream11 prediction.
| Players |
|---|
| Sam Curran |
| Wanindu Hasaranga |
Best Team for Dream11 Today's Match
Keeper: J Buttler, K Mendis
Batters: J Root, C Asalanka, H Brook, P Nissanka
All-rounders: W Hasaranga, K Mendis, S Curran
Bowlers: J Overton, M Theekshana

Best Dream11 Team Today
Keeper: J Buttler, S Samarawickrama
Batters: P Nissanka, J Root, B Duckett
All-rounders: W Hasaranga, S Curran, D de Silva, J Bethell
Bowlers: A Rashid, A Fernando

SL vs ENG Dream11 Prediction Today (1st ODI) England Tour of Sri Lanka 2026 Players to Avoid
- Opening batsman Zak Crawley is a member of the English squad, but he is unlikely to feature in the playing 11 and should not be included in your fantasy team.
- In your SL vs ENG Dream11 team prediction today, it may be advisable to skip Milan Rathnayake due to his failure to take any wickets in his last ODI match against Bangladesh.
| Players | Dream11 Credits |
|---|---|
| Zak Crawley | 7.5 credits |
| Milan Rathnayake | 7.5 credits |
SL vs ENG Weather & Pitch Report at R. Premadasa Stadium
- Thursday's weather in Colombo is predicted to be mostly sunny, with temperatures in the range of 28°C. Playing conditions are fairly pleasant with a 10% chance of precipitation and humidity at 57%.
- According to the R Premdasa Stadium pitch report, the surface will be on the slower side. Before they can start playing high-risk strokes, they must adjust to the conditions first.
| Temperature | 28°C |
|---|---|
| Weather Forecast | Clear Sky |
| Pitch Behaviour | Bowling |
| Best Suited To | Batters & Spinners |
| Average 1st Innings Score | 250 runs |
SL vs ENG Head-to-Head Records
England and Sri Lanka have played 79 ODI matches against each other. Out of these 79 games, England has won 38 out of them, while Sri Lanka has come out victorious on 37 occasions. 4 matches ended without a result
| Team | Matches Won |
|---|---|
| England (ENG) | 38 |
| Sri Lanka (SL) | 37 |
| No Result | 4 |
Disclaimer: This team is based on the analysis, calculated odds, and past experience of the author. While selecting your team, consider the analysis only as supporting data while making your own decision. Sportsdunia does not work with insider news and will not be responsible for any monetary loss to the users following the analysis.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who will win the 1st ODI of the England Tour of Sri Lanka 2026?
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Who will win the 1st ODI of the England Tour of Sri Lanka 2026?
Sri Lanka is expected to win the 1st ODI of the series.
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