4 players to watch out for in England-Sri Lanka ODIs
What's the story
England and Sri Lanka will clash in the first ODI of their three-match series on Tuesday. The match will take place at the Banks Homes Riverside Ground in Chester-le-Street. England will be led by Harry Brook while Charith Asalanka leads the Sri Lankan unit. On this note, we look at the players to watch out for in the upcoming series.
#1
Harry Brook
Brook has been in the form of his life across all formats.
The T20I leg of the ENG-SL series saw Brook smash a record-breaking 114* (49) in the opener.
His 215 ODI runs this year have come at an average of 43 and a stunning strike rate of 116.84, as per Cricinfo.
Brook's ability to score swiftly in the middle overs can give the Lankans a hard time.
#2
Joe Root
The second-highest run-getter in Test history, Joe Root, has also been on a roll in ODIs as well.
Since the start of 2025, he has scored 1,304 across 21 games in the format at a jaw-dropping average of 81.5.
No other batter has scored more runs in this period.
Moreover, Root has scored 60 or more in each of his last six ODI innings.
#3
Pathum Nissanka
Pathum Nissanka is arguably Sri Lanka's best all-format batter at the moment.
The opener, who owns a double-hundred in ODI cricket, has scored two fifties across four innings in the format this year.
Though Nissanka is known for his attacking display, he has also been mighty consistent in the 50-over format.
Having scored a Test hundred in England in 2024, Nissanka would be confident to deliver in seam-friendly conditions.
#3
Wanindu Hasaranga
Wanindu Hasaranga will have the onus to contain England's destructive batting order in the middle overs.
The leg-spinner, who owns four five-wicket hauls in the ODI format, is known to take wickets in a heap.
On top of that, Hasaranga can contribute with some handy runs lower down the order.
This makes him critical to Sri Lanka's success in this series.