England wrapped up the T20I series against Sri Lanka, going up 2-0 after nailing a revised target of 169 in the rain-hit second match. This follows their ODI series win against Sri Lanka earlier.
In a match interrupted by rain, Tom Banton’s quick 54 off 33 balls and Harry Brook’s 36 off just 12, along with good batting from Jos Buttler and Sam Curran, helped England beat Sri Lanka by six wickets using the DLS method
Sri Lanka’s batting bounced back after a poor showing in the first T20I. After being asked to bat, they put up a good score of 189/5 in their 20 overs.
Pavan Rathnayake’s explosive 40 off 22 balls really boosted the innings at the end. Jofra Archer bowled well for England, taking 2 wickets for 42 runs in 4 overs.
England’s chase didn’t start great, with Phil Salt getting out early to Matheesha Pathirana, and Jacob Bethell following soon after, caught by Dasun Shanaka. But Jos Buttler (39 off 29) and Tom Banton got things stable with a 43-run partnership.
Even after Buttler was out, Banton smashed 54 off 33 balls, with four 4s and three 6s. When Pathirana got Harry Brook (36 off 12), Sri Lankan fans had a bit of hope, but Sam Curran shut it down fast. Curran’s 20 runs off 14 balls closed the deal for England with two balls left.
Sri Lanka and England play the third match on February 3, which is their last T20I before the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.