Sri Lanka vs England First ODI LIVE commentary: Ball-by-ball coverage, team news, scorecard and how to follow

Jan 20, 2026 - 11:45

England’s cricketers will be back in action following their shambolic Ashes tour when they face Sri Lanka in an ODI series this week.

Seven of the 15 players selected by England were part of Ben Stokes‘ Test team that lost 4-1 to Australian this winter.

Harry Brook captains the white-ball team following a disappointing Test series

Joe Root, Zak Crawley and Brydon Carse are among the team to make the trip to Asia, with Harry Brook captaining the team.

And after an ill disciplined tour Down Under, the England players have been hit with a 12am curfew while in Colombo.

But with the T20 World Cup fast approaching, attention switches from Test cricket to limited-overs action, and England need to put in some more encouraging performances for their fans and for those watching at home.

Sri Lanka vs England First ODI: Date and how to follow

The First ODI of this three-match series will take place on Thursday, January 22.

The contest is being held at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo.

It is due to start at 9am UK time.

You will be able to catch every ball on talkSPORT 2 and the talkSPORT Cricket YouTube channel.

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TNT Sports and discovery+. are also showing the contest. For more information, head here.

Joe Root takes the acclaim after his 138 not out at The Gabba in the second Ashes Test — Root was one of the only players to come out of the Ashes with any credit

Sri Lanka vs England First ODI: Team news

As mentioned, seven players from that ill-fated tour of Australia are in the squad.

Jacob Bethell showed his talent near the end of the series when he came in for Ollie Pope, while Ben Duckett and Will Jacks need some runs.

Jofra Archer hasn’t made the trip, but he has been included in the provisional squad for the T20 World Cup. This is the same for Josh Tongue.

Experienced white-ball star and former captain Jos Buttler is part of the squad as are all-rounders Sam Curran and Jamie Overton.

There is much excitement around Tom Banton and Rehan Ahmed, and they are both in the squad as well.

England squad: Harry Brook (C), Rehan Ahmed, Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell, Jos Buttler, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Joe Root,
Luke Wood

Bethell made his mark near the end of The Ashes, and he has a chance to establish himself in all forms now

Sri Lanka vs England First ODI: What has been said?

Brook has yet to speak to the media, with England having only just arrived in Colombo.

But Brook was forced to issue an apology ahead of this series after an incident with a bouncer in New Zealand during the last white-ball tour.

In a statement, he said: “I want to apologise for my actions.

“I fully accept that my behaviour was wrong and brought embarrassment to both myself and the England team.

“Representing England is the greatest honour of all, which I take seriously and I am deeply sorry for letting down my team-mates, coaches and supporters. I have reflected on the lessons it has taught me about responsibility, professionalism and the standards expected of those representing your country.

“I am determined to learn from this mistake and to rebuild trust through my future actions, both on and off the field. I apologise unreservedly and will work hard to ensure this does not happen again.”