England to tour Sri Lanka for white-ball series ahead of 2026 T20 World Cup
LONDON: England’s men’s cricket team will tour Sri Lanka in early 2026 for a white-ball series as part of their build-up to the T20 World Cup co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed the itinerary on Wednesday, which includes three One-Day Internationals (ODIs) on January 22, 24 and 27, followed by three Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) on January 30, February 1 and February 3. Venues are yet to be announced.
The series will serve as crucial preparation for the T20 World Cup, giving England valuable exposure to subcontinental conditions.
England, champions in 2010 and 2022, will be aiming for a third T20 crown after falling short in the semi-finals of the last edition held in the West Indies and USA.
This will be England’s first white-ball tour of Sri Lanka in more than seven years, with their previous visit in 2018 seeing them win the ODI series 3-1 and the one-off T20I.
The two sides last met in a T20I during the 2022 T20 World Cup, where England defeated Sri Lanka by four wickets in the group stage before going on to lift the trophy.
It is pertinent to mention that England will have a packed schedule throughout the 2025 season. They will tour South Africa from September 2–14 for a white-ball series comprising three ODIs and three T20Is.
Following that, they will travel to Ireland for a three-match T20I series from September 17–21, before heading to New Zealand for a three-match ODI and T20I series from October 18 to November 1.
England will wrap up the year with a five-match Ashes Test series in Australia, which will be part of the ongoing ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025–27, running from November 21, 2025, to January 8, 2026.
England Men tour of Sri Lanka Schedule:
- 1st ODI – 22 January, 2026
- 2nd ODI – 24 January, 2026
- 3rd ODI – 27 January, 2026
- 1st T20I – 30 January, 2026
- 2nd T20I – 1 February, 2026
- 3rd T20I – 3 February, 2026