England tour of Sri Lanka 2026: Match predictions and information on who will win today's match are provided for the first ODI of England's 2026 tour of Sri Lanka. This match will be played between Sri Lanka and England on January 22nd at 2:30 PM at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
SL vs ENG (Sri Lanka vs England) Match Details
| Match | Sri Lanka vs England (SL vs ENG) |
| Series | England tour of Sri Lanka 2026 |
| Date | Thursday, 22 January 2026 |
| Time | 02:30 PM (IST) - 09:00 AM (GMT) |
IND vs NZ Match Previews
England is coming off a heavy defeat in the Ashes in Australia. And although it's a different format, England's ODI team features mostly the same players who recently played in the Ashes, with Jos Buttler replacing Ben Stokes.
Sri Lanka's last two international series were in the T20I format. In their last ODI series, which was against Pakistan in Rawalpindi in November, Sri Lanka suffered a 3-0 defeat.
SL vs ENG 1st ODI Pitch Report
The first ODI between Sri Lanka and England will be played on January 22, 2026, at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. The pitch at this ground is balanced, initially flat but deteriorating later, which benefits the spinners.
The black soil wicket offers consistent bounce early on, but it becomes slow and grippy in the middle overs, with considerable grip and variable bounce. Fast bowlers get very little seam or swing, especially in day-night matches, making it a paradise for spinners.
Both Sri Lanka and England will rely heavily on their spinners, such as Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana for Sri Lanka, and Adil Rashid for England. Sri Lanka has a formidable record at home, having won 9 out of 10 ODIs against England at this venue.
The average first innings score is around 231 runs, and due to the pitch slowing down, teams batting first tend to win more often.
Who will win today 1st ODI match between Sri Lanka vs England?
Aaj ka ENG vs SL match kon jeetega: Sri Lanka has a slight edge in the first ODI against England at the R. Premadasa Stadium, thanks to home advantage and a pitch that is expected to assist spinners.
Sri Lanka's strong spin attack is perfectly suited to the slow pitch, and they also have a better record against England at this venue in Colombo. However, if England's top-order batsmen get off to a good start, their batting depth and ability to chase down targets could pose a challenge.
Many analyses favor Sri Lanka due to their familiarity with the ground and the presence of quality spinners like Hasaranga and Theekshana. However, some consider England to have a slight advantage based on their head-to-head record (38-37 wins).
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