England will go toe-to-toe with Sri Lanka in the first match of the three-game ODI series at Riverside Ground in Chester-le-Street on Tuesday, September 22.
Led by Harry Brook, England secured a 2-1 ODI series win over India at home in July 2026. On the other hand, Sri Lanka, led by Kusal Mendis, secured a 1-0 ODI series win over the West Indies away from home in June 2026.
ENG vs SL, ODI Series 2026, Match 1, Match Details
Match: England vs Sri Lanka, ODI Series 2026, Match 1
Time & Date: 5:00 PM IST, Tuesday, September 22
Venue: Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street
ENG vs SL, ODI Series 2026, Match 1 Pitch Report
The average first-innings score at this venue across the last three ODIs was 274. Interestingly, two out of three games saw the team batting first come out on top. On that note, we can expect the captain, who won the toss, to elect to bat first.
ENG vs SL, ODI Series 2026, Match 1 Probable XIs
England (Playing XI)
Tom Banton, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Harry Brook (c), Jos Buttler, Will Jacks, Rehan Ahmed, Jamie Overton, Gus Atkinson, Jofra Archer, Josh Tongue
Sri Lanka
Pathum Nissanka, Kamindu Mendis, Kusal Mendis (c) (wk), Pavan Rathnayake, Charith Asalanka, Janith Liyanage, Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushmantha Chameera, Asitha Fernando
ENG vs SL, ODI Series 2026, Match 1 Winner Prediction
Match Winner: England
These two sides have played against each other 79 times in this format. England secured 38 wins while Sri Lanka bagged 37 victories, with three encounters ending in a no result. With home advantage on their side, we can expect England to start the three-match ODI series on a winning note.
