Sri Lanka await for in-form Group 1 leaders England, as Eoin Morgan’s side target a win to effectively guarantee a semi-final spot.
England have been in stunning form so far in the tournament, demolishing West Indies first up and comfortably beating Bangladesh, before cruising to an emphatic win over Australia on Saturday to make it three from three.
Jason Roy starred with the bat in the win over Bangladesh, but his half-century was overshadowed by an extraordinary knock by his opening partner Jos Buttler against Australia, who slammed 71 off 32 balls in the innings of the tournament so far.
But Sri Lanka certainly have the calibre to trouble the group leaders.
Wanindu Hasaranga took a hat-trick in the loss to South Africa on Saturday, and has the quality to really trouble England. And the entire Sri Lankan outfit is much improved from the squad that were whitewashed 3-0 by Monday’s opponents earlier in 2021.
Sri Lanka know they need a win too, with only one more game against West Indies to come, and South Africa and Australia to overhaul if they want to snatch a qualification spot for the semi-final.
- The match: England v Sri Lanka, Match 29
- Time: 19:30 local time, Monday 1 November 2021
- Venue: Sharjah Cricket Stadium
The teams
Both teams are expected to be unchanged for the fixture in Sharjah. Sri Lanka’s combination of top-class spin and high pace has been an impressive feature of the tournament so far, while England’s dominance in their three matches to-date has allowed them to absorb the injury issues of Mark Wood.
Probable England XI: Jason Roy, Jos Buttler, Dawid Malan, Jonny Bairstow, Eoin Morgan (captain), Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Chris Jordan, Adil Rashid, Tymal Mills.
Probable Sri Lanka XI: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Perera, Charith Asalanka, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Avishka Fernando, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dasun Shanaka (captain), Chamika Karunaratne, Dushmantha Chameera, Maheesh Theekshana, Lahiru Kumara
Watch ICC Preview: https://www.t20worldcup.com/video/2319349