ENG vs SL Fantasy Prediction, 2nd ODI: England vs Sri Lanka Fantasy Team, Playing XI, Pitch Report, Leeds

England lead this series 1-0 after an 89 run win in the opener, built on Will Jacks producing the first five wicket haul by an England spinner against Sri Lanka since 1983. Jacks finished with 5 for 22 and then added an unbeaten 46 with the bat to win Player of the Match. Harry Brook captains England, who have now won five of their last seven matches since the start of the year. Kusal Mendis, back from a hamstring injury, captained Sri Lanka and made 42 in the defeat. These performances will be important to consider when building an ENG vs SL 2nd ODI Fantasy Team for the next match.

ENG vs SL 2nd ODI Match Details

Match: England vs Sri Lanka, 2nd ODI
Series: Sri Lanka Tour of England 2026
Date: Thursday, 24 September 2026
Time: 11:30 AM Local Time
Venue: Headingley, Leeds
Live Streaming: Sony LIV
TV Broadcast: Sony Sports Ten Network

What Happened in the First ODI

This deserves proper coverage. England posted 265, built on Harry Brook’s 67 and Joe Root’s 44, an innings that ended a remarkable run of 404 ODI runs for Root without being dismissed. Will Jacks then produced the standout individual performance of the match, hitting an unbeaten 46 off 47 balls from number six to help push England to a defendable total.

Sri Lanka’s chase never got going. Kusal Mendis, playing his first match of the tour after recovering from a hamstring injury, made a composed 42, and Dunith Wellalage added some late resistance with 45 off 36 balls. But Jacks was outstanding with the ball, taking 5 for 22, the first five wicket haul by an England spinner against Sri Lanka since Vic Marks in 1983. Sri Lanka were bowled out for 176, an 89 run defeat.

Recent Form

England have won four of their last five. They beat Sri Lanka in the ODI opener, and before that beat India in a high scoring series that included a 387 run total in the third match. England have now won five of seven matches since the turn of the year under Harry Brook and Brendon McCullum.

Sri Lanka have won two of their last five. Their only win in that stretch came against West Indies, and their most recent result was the heavy defeat to England in the series opener here.

ENG vs SL Head to Head Record

England lead the head to head 6-4 over the last 10 meetings. They have now won four matches in a row against Sri Lanka across formats, including a 3-0 T20I sweep and the win in this series opener.

ENG vs SL Squads

England: Harry Brook captains the side. Will Jacks was the standout performer in the first ODI with both bat and ball, and Joe Root and Ben Duckett give the top order real depth. Jofra Archer and Adil Rashid lead the rest of the bowling attack.

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

Sri Lanka: Kusal Mendis captains the side and keeps wicket, back from injury and making 42 in his first match of the tour. Pathum Nissanka and Dunith Wellalage add further batting options, and Asitha Fernando could come into contention after Sri Lanka’s other quicks struggled in the T20I series.

Full squad shown on this page was not complete. Based on the first ODI, the squad includes Kusal Mendis (c, wk), Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Dhananjaya de Silva, Kamindu Mendis, Charith Asalanka, Janith Liyanage, Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Dunith Wellalage, Dushmantha Chameera, Asitha Fernando, Dilshan Madushanka, Pavan Rathnayake.

Pitch Report

Headingley has been fairly balanced this season, with the side bowling first winning 46 percent of matches across 24 tracked games against 42 percent for the side batting first. The average first innings score is 246, dropping to 224 in the second.

Pace and spin have been closely matched here, with 68 wickets for pace and 69 for spin over the last 10 matches.

Weather Report

This is a serious concern. Thursday in Leeds is forecast for cloudy conditions, 95 percent humidity, a temperature around 15.5°C, and a 55 percent chance of rain. Check the toss and any delay closely before finalising your fantasy team.

Probable Playing XIs

England (Probable): Ben Duckett, Tom Banton (wk), Joe Root, Harry Brook (c), Jos Buttler, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Josh Tongue.

Sri Lanka (Probable): Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Kusal Mendis (c, wk), Dhananjaya de Silva, Kamindu Mendis, Charith Asalanka, Janith Liyanage, Dunith Wellalage, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dushmantha Chameera, Asitha Fernando.

These are estimates. Final XIs are confirmed at the toss.

Key Player Battles

Will Jacks vs Sri Lanka’s batting order: Jacks has just produced a historic five wicket haul against this exact opponent, and Sri Lanka’s batters will want a much better plan against him this time.

Kusal Mendis vs England’s bowling attack: Mendis made a composed 42 on his return in the first ODI, and Sri Lanka need much more support around him if they are to compete in this second match.

Harry Brook vs Sri Lanka’s bowling: Brook has been in excellent form under this new captaincy role, and his form at the top continues to set the tone for England’s innings.

ENG vs SL Fantasy Team

Wicketkeepers: Jos Buttler, Kusal Mendis

Batters: Harry Brook (VC), Joe Root, Ben Duckett

All-Rounders: Will Jacks (C), Wanindu Hasaranga, Dunith Wellalage

Bowlers: Jofra Archer, Rehan Ahmed, Dushmantha Chameera

Jacks is captain on the back of his Player of the Match performance in the first ODI, a five wicket haul plus an unbeaten 46 with the bat, the standout individual display of the series so far. Brook is vice captain as England’s captain and in form leading batter.

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

Match Prediction

England should win again. Their bowling attack, led by Jacks’s historic performance, controlled Sri Lanka’s batting order comprehensively in the first match, and the top order has scored heavily and consistently across this series and the one before it against India.

Sri Lanka have shown some fight through Kusal Mendis and Dunith Wellalage, but their middle order has continued to struggle, and finding a way to build partnerships against this England attack remains the central problem.

England are the clear favourites to go 2-0 up in the series, though the 55 percent chance of rain means this match may not be settled in the conventional way.

ENG vs SL 2nd ODI Fantasy Team – FAQs

Q. Who will win the ENG vs SL 2nd ODI today?
A. England are strong favourites. They won the first ODI comfortably behind Will Jacks’s historic five wicket haul and lead the head to head 6-4 over the last 10 meetings.

Q. What happened in the first ODI of this series?
A. England won by 89 runs. Will Jacks took 5 for 22, the first five wicket haul by an England spinner against Sri Lanka since 1983, and also made an unbeaten 46 to win Player of the Match.

Q. Did Kusal Mendis play in the first ODI?
A. Yes. He returned from a hamstring injury to captain the side and made 42, though Sri Lanka were still bowled out for 176.

Q. What is the ENG vs SL Fantasy prediction for the 2nd ODI?
A. Will Jacks is the top captaincy pick after his Player of the Match performance. Harry Brook is the top vice captaincy pick as England’s captain.

Q. Is there a rain threat for the ENG vs SL match?
A. Yes, a significant one. The forecast shows a 55 percent chance of rain with cloudy conditions, so a shortened or interrupted match looks likely.