A Rivalry Renewed in Foreign Conditions — England and Sri Lanka Meet Again, This Time in Rawalpindi
Three weeks after England beat Sri Lanka 2-1 in England, the two sides meet again — but the script has changed. The venue is Rawalpindi, not The Oval. Phil Salt and Jos Buttler are absent from England's squad; Pathum Nissanka and Wanindu Hasaranga are missing from Sri Lanka's. Both teams carry fresh scars from the first two matches of this tri-series. Only two of the three can make the final, and a loss here makes the arithmetic uncomfortable.
This is the third match of the Pakistan ODI Tri-Series. Pakistan set the standard in Match 1, beating Sri Lanka by 37 runs — Salman Agha's 107 off 90 balls powering the hosts to 305 before Sri Lanka collapsed from 210 for 4 to 268 all out. The format is unforgiving: each team plays the other twice, and only the top two qualify for the final on October 31 in Lahore.
Harry Brook captains an England squad stripped of several familiar names. Jos Buttler is out with a hamstring injury, Jofra Archer has been rested, and Phil Salt is not in the touring party. What remains blends experience with opportunity: Joe Root, Ben Duckett, and Adil Rashid provide the backbone, while Will Jacks — Player of the Series in the 2-1 win over Sri Lanka in September — and Tom Banton (209 runs in that series) represent the next generation.
The pace attack features Gus Atkinson, Josh Tongue, Jamie Overton, and Sam Curran's left-arm variations. Mason Crane's leg-spin gives Brook a second wrist-spin option alongside Rashid.
Sri Lanka's squad has been hit by three significant absences. Pathum Nissanka is out with a hamstring injury, Wanindu Hasaranga is similarly sidelined, and Charith Asalanka has been dropped after scores of 1, 11, and 7 against England in September.
Kusal Mendis captains a squad that showed fighting qualities against Pakistan before collapsing in the final 15 overs. Pavan Rathnayake (79) and Janith Liyanage (60) suggest the batting has depth. The bowling was impressive: Eshan Malinga took 4 for 46, Asitha Fernando 3 for 59, and Dunith Wellalage's left-arm spin adds variety through the middle overs.
England are marginal favourites — their batting runs deeper, their recent 2-1 series win provides a psychological edge, and Rashid's leg-spin on a surface that slows through the afternoon could be decisive. But Sri Lanka have the bowling to exploit early Rawalpindi conditions, and if Kusal Mendis provides the top-order platform that was missing against Pakistan, this could be closer than the September series suggested.
England vs Sri Lanka, 3rd Match, Pakistan ODI Tri-Series 2026, Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium — Thursday, October 22, 10:00 AM IST. Unlock CricIntel Pro for ODI projections and tri-series analytics.
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