Hosts Sri Lanka went down to England in rain reduced game in Pallekele as England outplayed them virtually in all facets of the game to win the contest via the DLS method as the rain had the final say towards the end of the match. It was a 17-over contest in which Sri Lanka promised a lot it has to be said but failed under pressure and wilted away. There were several areas where Sri Lanka were found wanting and we will try and list out three reasons for their loss in first T20I.
Losing 5/22 in the middle phase of the innings from 7.1 to 11.4 overs completely derailed the innings
Sri Lanka put into bat first, got off to a decent start despite losing Kamil Mishara inside the powerplay. He too gave a positive start alongside Pathum Nissanka who in turn combined well with Kusal Mendis. The duo started things well for Sri Lanka and maintained a healthy run rate. The powerplay score are 5.1 overs was 51/1 and they went beyond that as they put on 52 for the second wicket to lay the foundation for others to chip in.
But once Nissanka fell at the start of the 8th over to Adil Rashid, the floodgates opened as wickets started to fall at regular intervals. Charith Asalanka came and went cheaply to Liam Dawson while Kusal Mendis the set batter also fell for 37 off 20 balls to Rashid yet again. Liyanage too fell cheaply to Dawson before de Silva fell to Rashid as well as the hosts collapsed from 76/1 in 7 overs to 98/6 in 11.4 overs to leave them in tatters as the middle phase went in favour of England.
These collapses are nothing new in Sri Lankan cricket. But they must learn quickly and strive to do better in the coming games. The collapses can come back and haunt Sri Lanka in the big ICC event coming our way. Sri Lanka may be co-hosts but they struggle against spin and it played a part in the middle phase of the game. With two matches to go before the tournament begins, Sri Lanka will aim to iron this flaw out and perform to the ability we know they can perform in ICC events.
Inability to prevent Sam Curran’s hat-trick in the 16th over sealed the fate for Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka were in trouble at 98/6 in 11.4 overs when Wanindu Hasaranga joined Dasun Shanaka at the crease. The duo played the ball on the merit and built another rebuilding stand in which they could launch in the end overs. The duo put on 31 for the 7th wicket and took the score to 129/6 in the 16th over as 150 looked within reach at this stage, the way Sri Lanka were batting. England and Sam Curran in particular had other ideas.
Curran was bowling his 3rd over and after the first three balls, Shanaka lofted it to extra cover region where Harry Brook took the catch. Thereafter, Maheesh Theekshana came out to bat next and he too fell first ball chipped the ball straight down the throat of long-on fielder. Matheesha Pathirana came to face the hat-trick ball where a searing yorker at the stumps knocked the stumps over as Sam became the second Englishman to take a hat-trick as Sri Lanka again collapsed from 129/6 to 129/9 in a matter of three balls and the game was as good as over here.
Sri Lanka had no answers to Sam Curran as some wickets were given away as well. In order to do well, Sri Lanka needs to get their act together and prevent such occurences from happening over and over again. Losing wickets in clusters in two different phases is just not on. To do well in the last 2 T20Is, Sri Lanka must avoid the losing of wickets in clusters to challenge this great English side. They have the capability but now must put mind over matter.
Wanindu Hasaranga & Maheesh Theekshana going wicketless hurts Sri Lanka
Defending a small score on the board of 133 runs in 17 overs, Sri Lanka needed wickets from the start but they didn’t get the start they were after. Maheesh Theekshana who bowled with the new ball were taken to the cleaners by both Philip Salt and Jos Buttler. Theekshana had a rare off-day as he generally bowls in the powerplay and does well. But that was not the case in the first match as he bowled too many loose balls at the English batters.
Wanindu Hasaranga may have contributed a little bit with the bat, but with the ball he was unimpressive to say the least. He came onto bowl late and went wicketless and also leaked runs. Yes, he bowled well in patches and in one particular over he did trouble England’s captain Harry Brook. But he was too inconsistent with his lines and lengths and so went the journey. Hasaranga went for 36 runs in 4 overs and he is the premier spinner for Sri Lanka at this stage. To put things into perspective, Hasaranga and Theekshana bowled 7 overs and gave away 67 runs and picked up 0 wickets. This was a crucial phase where the Lankans fell behind.
If we look at the rest of the bowlers, they managed to take a wicket and keep control of the proceedings, But Sri Lanka’s two premier and important spinners went the distance and that proved to be really costly. Both Hasaranga and Theekshana will look to up their game with the ball and deliver if Sri Lanka wants to do well in the coming two matches and World Cup. The form of these two talismanic spinners will be crucial for the co-hosts of the tournament.
What Lies Ahead
So, England lead the 3-match T20I series 1-0 with two games to spare. The next game takes place at the same venue on Sunday 1st February, 2026 from 7 PM IST onwards. We hope the rain stays away from that fixture. Can Sri Lanka bounce back and level the series 1-1? Or will England run away with the series in the format they love playing? Find out on Sunday evening in Pallekele.
Also Read: SL vs ENG: Sam Curran’s Hattrick Steers England To Win