Colombo, February 22 – Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to field against England in the second match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Super Eights, held at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.
The two teams had recently played a series at the same venue, which was affected by rain. England won 3-0, with the DLS method being used multiple times. This factor could again prove relevant.
Since then, however, the momentum has shifted towards Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka has performed consistently well throughout the tournament, except for a minor setback against Zimbabwe, and were particularly dominant in their victory over Australia in Pallekele. They have also managed to cope with the absence of key players like Wanindu Hasaranga and Matheesha Pathirana, with Pathum Nissanka leading a batting unit characterized by clarity and composure.
In contrast, England has struggled to find its rhythm, with its top order yet to perform consistently. Given England's strong track record in major tournaments, the match could significantly impact both teams' performance in the Super Eights.
Speaking after winning the toss, Sri Lankan captain Dasun Shanaka said, "We have been successful in chasing targets in the past few matches. We are confident in our ability to do so." He also acknowledged the impact of injuries, while praising the performances of the replacements. "We have made a couple of changes. Chameera returns for Pramod Madushan, and Kamil Mishara replaces Kusal Perera."
Meanwhile, England captain Harry Brook said, "We would have also preferred to bat first. This is a new competition, and we need to be brave and take the opposition on. We had a great series here against those teams. And we are confident after playing three matches on this pitch already. We look forward to the challenge today."
Playing XIs:
Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Kusal Mendis (wk), Pavan Rathnayake, Kamindu Mendis, Dasun Shanaka (c), Dunith Wellalage, D Hemantha, Dushmantha Chameera, Maheesh Theekshana, D Madushanka
England: Philip Salt, Jos Buttler (wk), Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Harry Brook (c), Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Liam Dawson, Jamie Overton, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid
