Sri Lanka host England in 1st ODI: Preview and stats
What's the story
The upcoming One Day International (ODI) series between Sri Lanka and England is more than just a cricketing contest. Both teams are struggling with their form, but this series holds the key to their World Cup dreams. The matches will be played at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. Here is the preview of the opening match, which will be played on January 22.
Team dynamics
Can England overcome from Ashes misery?
Team England is still reeling from its 1-4 Ashes defeat. Having not fared well in recent ICC white-ball events, the team would aim for a turnaround. Meanwhile, the Lankan side, which missed out on last year's Champions Trophy qualification, would be raring to improve their rankings. Notably, Sri Lanka boast home ODI series triumphs over giants like Australia and India in the last couple of years.
Qualification stakes
ODI series crucial for World Cup qualification
The ODI series is vital for both teams as they look to secure their spots in next year's World Cup. Currently, Sri Lanka sit fifth and England eighth on the ICC ODI rankings table. While neither team is in immediate danger of missing out, they would prefer to gain some ranking points from this series.
Match preview
Pitch conditions and team news
The Premadasa pitch usually favors spin throughout the year, but an unusually wet northeast monsoon may have freshened up the square. England have announced their XI for the first ODI, with six of the top seven having played in Sydney earlier this month. Sri Lanka will have to choose between Kamil Mishara and Sadeera Samarawickrama at the top of their order.
XIs
England's Playing XI and Sri Lanka's possible line-up
England (Playing XI): Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook (c), Jos Buttler (wk), Will Jacks, Sam Curran, Jamie Overton, Liam Dawson, Adil Rashid. Sri Lanka (Probable XI): Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Kusal Mendis (wk), Dhananjaya de Silva, Charith Asalanka (c), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Janith Liyanage, Wanindu Hasaranga, Eshan Malinga, Maheesh Theekshana, Matheesha Pathirana.
H2H
A look at the head-to-head record
As per ESPNcricinfo, England and Sri Lanka have faced each other on 79 occasions in ODI cricket. While the Brits have prevailed 38 times, 37 games landed in Sri Lanka's favour (Tied: 1, NR: 3).. However, since the start of 2016, England have eight wins and just three defeats versus Sri Lanka (Tied: 1, NR: 3). Meanwhile, England have nine ODI wins and 16 defeats in Sri Lanka against the home team.
Performers
Here are the key performers
Having hammered 808 runs at a remarkable average of 57.71, Joe Root topped the ODI run tally in 2025. Adil Rashid, the star English wrist-spinner, recorded 30 wickets from 15 ODIs last year at an average of 23.63. Both Kusal Mendis and Charith Asalanka scored 490-plus ODI runs in 2025 while averaging over 38 and striking at 90-plus. Wanindu Hasaranga clocked 18 ODI wickets at 19.66 in 2025 (ER: 4.69).