In a dress rehearsal for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026, England's men's cricket team is scheduled to tour Sri Lanka for a white-ball series. The England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has officially announced the full schedule of the white-ball series. Notably, England and Sri Lanka will be playing three ODIs and as many T20Is in a build up to the marquee T20 World Cup 2026.
England to tour Sri Lanka right before T20 World Cup 2026
The series will get underway with the 50-over matches, scheduled for January 22, January 24, and January 27. The teams will then transition to T20Is, with matches to be played on January 30, February 1, and February 3. The specific venues for these matches have not yet been announced.
This upcoming tour will mark England's first white-ball series in Sri Lanka in more than seven years. The last time the two sides met on the island was in 2018, when England dominated the series, winning the five-match ODI series 3-1 and also claiming victory in the sole T20I match.
The most recent T20I encounter between England and Sri Lanka was during the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia. England won that group stage match by four wickets, a crucial victory on their path to ultimately winning the championship.
Looking ahead, Sri Lanka's next series is a three-match T20I tour in Zimbabwe in September. England's next engagement is a home series, hosting South Africa for a three-match T20I series that begins on September 10 in Cardiff.
This T20I series will serve as a crucial part of England's preparations for the World Cup, which is co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. As two-time T20 World Cup champions, England will be looking to build momentum after their semi-final exit in the previous edition held in the West Indies and the USA.
Here is the full schedule of England's white-ball series against Sri Lanka:
1st ODI - 22 January, 2026
2nd ODI - 24 January, 2026
3rd ODI - 27 January, 2026
1st T20I - 30 January, 2026
2nd T20I - 1 February, 2026
3rd T20I - 3 February, 2026