During the English summer earlier this year, England comprehensively banished Sri Lanka in the three-match T20I series without breaking a sweat. Sri Lanka’s performance went from bad to worse as England flexed their bench strength. Doomed to be on the brink of collapse, Sri Lanka has been able to find some sort of resurgence and stand back on its feet. The former undisputed T20 champions of the world are set to battle it out in what is being considered a do-or-die match for the Lankans. The following article gives an in-depth preview of the England vs Sri Lanka T20 World Cup Match.
Head-to-Head Records
The two nations have locked horns in 12 different T20 encounters in the past with their last encounter happening in June of 2021. England has vastly dominated the rivalry with 8 wins under their belt and a win percentage of 66.67. The Englishmen also dominate their opponents when it comes to squaring off in the T20 World Cups. England and Sri Lanka have faced each other in 4 matches and 3 of which have been won by Eoin Morgan’s lads. Despite the impressive record, England cannot afford to take the Lankan Lions lightly as they have the habit of punching above their weight.
| Rank | Highest Run Scorer | Highest Wicket Taker |
| 1 | Jos Buttler (256) | Chris Jordan (15) |
| 2 | Mahela Jayawardene (213) | Lasith Malinga (13) |
| 3 | Eoin Morgan (213) | Nuwan Kulasekara (7) |
Journey in the Tournament
Eoin Morgan’s side has had a perfect start to their campaign in the tournament with three defining victories. Their run rate of +3.948 gives a slight indication of the carnage they’ve left behind in their previous matches. England made a statement when they ran through Australia with a phenomenal 8-wicket victory in just 12 overs. Considered to be tournament favorites by many, England is keen on keeping its momentum upright. On the other hand, Sri Lanka has had a journey full of ups and downs thus far. They kicked off their campaign by beating fellow qualifiers Bangladesh. However, a humbling 7-wicket loss at the hands of the mighty Australians derailed all their momentum. Sri Lanka had the game at the palm of their hands against South Africa but David Miller’s heroics at the end cost them yet another 2 points.
Also Read: Top Five Highest Totals in T20 World Cup History
Players to watch out for
English openers Jason Roy and Jos Buttler have been in prolific form as of late. Both the openers are quintessential to England’s batting supremacy in this tournament thus far. Buttler’s 72* off 31 and Roy’s 38 ball 61* are examples of such knocks. The dismissal of the dangerous openers becomes Sri Lanka’s key to success because if the pair gets going at the start, Sri Lanka will be playing catch throughout the course of the game. In addition to this, the raw pace of Dushmantha Chameera could also be a deciding factor for SL as he troubled the English batters all summer.
England vs Sri Lanka T20 World Cup Preview
The unmissable encounter is reminiscent of a battle between pride and survival. The group of death hasn’t been kind to Sri Lanka as they try to shrug off their demons from the past and gear up for a virtual knock-out match against England. On the other hand, England would like to continue the ball rolling as they walk into Sharjah with their heads held high. Who’s going to come out on top? Our guess is as good as yours. One thing’s for sure that we are in for an absolute barn-burner of a contest.
Squads
Sri Lanka Squad: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Perera(w), Charith Asalanka, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Avishka Fernando, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dasun Shanaka(c), Chamika Karunaratne, Dushmantha Chameera, Maheesh Theekshana, Lahiru Kumara, Dhananjaya de Silva, Akila Dananjaya, Binura Fernando, Dinesh Chandimal
England Squad: Jason Roy, Jos Buttler(w), Dawid Malan, Jonny Bairstow, Eoin Morgan(c), Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Chris Jordan, Adil Rashid, Tymal Mills, David Willey, Tom Curran, Mark Wood, Sam Billings
