ENG vs SL Fantasy Prediction, 1st ODI: England vs Sri Lanka Fantasy Team, Playing XI, Pitch Report, Chester-le-Street

England swept the T20I leg of this tour 3-0 and now move into the one day series full of confidence. The ENG vs SL 1st ODI Fantasy Team will be closely watched as both sides begin the ODI series. Harry Brook captains England, who also just beat India 2-1 in a high scoring ODI series, including a total of 387 in the decider. Kusal Mendis is nominally Sri Lanka’s ODI captain, but he missed the entire T20I series with a hamstring injury picked up in the LPL, and whether he is fit to return for this exact match should be confirmed at the toss.

ENG vs SL 1st ODI Match Details

Match: England vs Sri Lanka, 1st ODI
Series: Sri Lanka Tour of England 2026
Date: Tuesday, 22 September 2026
Time: 11:30 AM Local Time
Venue: Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street
Live Streaming: Sony LIV
Live Telecast: Sony Sports Ten Network

A Note on Sri Lanka’s Captaincy

Kusal Mendis was named in Sri Lanka’s ODI squad for this tour, but he missed the entire T20I series recovering from a right hamstring injury sustained during the Lanka Premier League. Charith Asalanka captained the T20I side in his absence, and England won that series 3-0. Reports at the time said Mendis’s return for the ODI leg was possible but not guaranteed, and no confirmation of his fitness for this specific match was available at the time of writing. If he is not fit, Asalanka would be the likely candidate to lead the side again.

Recent Form

England have won four of their last five. They beat India 2-1 in a recent ODI series, including a 387/3 total in the third match, and swept Sri Lanka 3-0 in the T20I leg of this tour. Their only defeat in that stretch came in the first match of the India series.

Sri Lanka have won two of their last five. They lost all three T20Is of this tour, but did beat West Indies in the first ODI of a separate recent series. Their overall form in ODIs specifically has been more competitive than their T20I results here suggest.

ENG vs SL Head to Head Record

England lead the head to head 6-4 over the last 10 meetings. The two sides met in Sri Lanka earlier this year, with England winning the series 2-1, including a huge 357 run total in the third match.

ENG vs SL Squads

England: Harry Brook captains the side. Jos Buttler and Joe Root add further experience to the batting, and Jofra Archer and Adil Rashid lead a bowling attack with real depth.

Full squad: Harry Brook (c), Tom Banton (wk), Jos Buttler, Jordan Cox, Joe Root, Ben Duckett, Rehan Ahmed, Liam Dawson, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Sonny Baker, Henry Crocombe, Josh Tongue.

Sri Lanka: Squad details were not available on this page. Kusal Mendis is the nominal ODI captain, with his return from a hamstring injury unconfirmed for this specific match. Charith Asalanka, Pathum Nissanka, Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana were all part of the touring party for the T20I leg and would be expected to feature in the ODI squad too.

Pitch Report

Riverside Ground favours the team bowling first, winning 60 percent of matches across 15 tracked games against 33 percent for the team batting first. The average first innings score is 267, dropping to 209 in the second.

Pace and spin are closely matched here, with 72 wickets for pace and 69 for spin over the last 10 matches. The highest total at the ground, 338 by West Indies against Sri Lanka, and the lowest, 99 by Sri Lanka against England, show conditions here can swing widely between matches.

Weather Report

Tuesday in Chester-le-Street is forecast for mostly clear conditions, 92 percent humidity, a temperature around 14.5°C, and just a 15 percent chance of rain. A full match looks likely, though it will be cold.

Probable Playing XIs

England (Probable): Ben Duckett, Tom Banton (wk), Joe Root, Harry Brook (c), Jos Buttler, Jordan Cox, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Jofra Archer, Josh Tongue.

Sri Lanka (Probable): Not fully available. Final XI, including Kusal Mendis’s involvement, is confirmed at the toss.

Key Player Battles

Jos Buttler vs Sri Lanka’s bowling attack: Buttler has been in outstanding recent form across formats, and a fast start from him could set the tone for the whole innings.

Harry Brook vs Sri Lanka’s top order: Brook led England to a clean sweep in the T20Is and will want the same start in this format.

Kusal Mendis vs England’s bowling attack: If fit, Mendis returning as captain and top order batter would be a significant boost for Sri Lanka after a difficult T20I series.

ENG vs SL Fantasy Team

Wicketkeepers: Jos Buttler (C)

Batters: Harry Brook (VC), Charith Asalanka, Joe Root

All-Rounders: Wanindu Hasaranga, Kamindu Mendis, Dasun Shanaka

Bowlers: Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Dushmantha Chameera, Gus Atkinson

Buttler is captain as the most destructive batter in the match, playing for a side that has scored heavily across multiple recent series. Brook is vice captain as England’s captain, who led the side to a clean sweep in the T20I leg of this tour.

This team is built mostly from England, given the uncertainty around Sri Lanka’s exact squad and Kusal Mendis’s fitness for this match.

Also Read- LMP vs NWD Fantasy Prediction, 1st Match: Limpopo Impalas vs North West Dragons Fantasy Team, Playing XI, Pitch Report, CSA T20 Challenge 2026

Match Prediction

England should win this comfortably. They swept the T20I series, just beat India in an ODI series of their own, and their batting order has scored heavily and consistently across multiple recent assignments.

Sri Lanka will hope a fit Kusal Mendis can provide the stability their T20I side lacked, and their ODI record has generally been more competitive than their recent T20I results.

England are the clear favourites to take an early lead in this series.

ENG vs SL 1st ODI Fantasy Team FAQs

Q. Who will win the ENG vs SL 1st ODI today?
A. England are strong favourites. They swept the T20I series 3-0 and just beat India in an ODI series, while Sri Lanka’s squad situation, including Kusal Mendis’s fitness, remains uncertain.

Q. Is Kusal Mendis playing in this ODI?
A. This was not confirmed at the time of writing. He is Sri Lanka’s nominal ODI captain but missed the entire T20I series with a hamstring injury, and his return for this match should be confirmed at the toss.

Q. What is the ENG vs SL Fantasy prediction for the 1st ODI?
A. Jos Buttler is the top captaincy pick given his recent form. Harry Brook is the top vice captaincy pick as England’s captain.

Q. What is the head to head record between England and Sri Lanka?
A. England lead 6-4 over the last 10 meetings, including a 2-1 series win in Sri Lanka earlier this year.

Q. Is there a rain threat for the ENG vs SL match?
A. Not much. The forecast shows only a 15 percent chance of rain, though it will be cold.