Hosts England take on Sri Lanka in the first T20 of the 3-match series at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff on Wednesday evening.

England returns to the T20 action for the first time since their series in India back in March. Having lost that 5-match series, they will be eager to respond here against Sri Lanka over these three matches. Chris Woakes makes a surprise return to the T20 setup following a six-year absence while there are also recalls for David Willey and Liam Dawson in what is a strong squad with plenty of options in both departments. The biggest absentees will be the injured duo of Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer. 

The visitors face a tough task as they come up against the world’s number one ranked T20 team. They are coming here on the back of the 2-1 ODI series defeat by Bangladesh. The team from the island nation has struggled for a long period in white-ball cricket and is in for a tough time in this series too. Having named a big squad, players will be rotated to find some long-term options especially with the T20 World Cup on the horizon. Most of the players have been retained from the recent Bangladesh series and will be eager to come good on the backing of the management here.

With England being the stronger and clear favorites heading into the game, Sri Lanka can not be taken for granted by any means. Expect a highly entertaining game of T20 cricket, keeping in mind the long-term goals for the T20 World Cup at Sophia Gardens.

Match Details

• Match: England vs. Sri Lanka, 1st T20
• Venue: Sophia Gardens, Cardiff
• Date & Time: June 23, 2021, at 11 PM IST/6.30 PM Local

Probable Playing XI

England

Jos Buttler (WK), Jason Roy, Dawid Malan, Jonny Bairstow, Eoin Morgan (C), Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Chris Woakes, Chris Jordan, Mark Wood, Adil Rashid 

Sri Lanka

Danushka Gunathilaka, Kusal Perera (C & WK), Avishka Fernando, Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Isuru Udana, Akila Dananjaya, Dushmantha Chameera

Weather and Pitch Report

Cardiff is expected to have sunny and clear conditions during the match. The temperature will be around 18 degrees during the game. 

Cardiff has generally been a good batting wicket with a possibility of a high-scoring game on the cards. Batters will dominate despite some early help on offer for the bowlers from the surface. The pitch will slow down as the match progresses, bringing the spinners into play in the second innings. The average first-innings score at this venue in the six T20I matches has been 150 runs. 

The team batting second has a good record here at this venue, winning 4 out of the 6 games played. The captain winning the toss is likely to opt to field first. A score of around 190 runs should be a competitive one here.

Top Fantasy Picks

England

• Dawid Malan is the typical power hitter in this format of the game. His game is based on consistency, making him the number 1 ranked T20I batter. Malan has scored 1003 T20I runs at an average of 50.15 with 10 half-centuries and 1 century in 24 matches.
• Jonny Bairstow is in red-hot form in the English T20 Blast, scoring 261 runs in 3 innings with 2 half-centuries and a century. Overall, Bairstow has scored 1050 runs in 51 matches at an average of 29.16 and a strike rate of 139.25. 
• Mark Wood is one of the fastest bowlers in the England team, with 23 wickets in 15 innings at a strike rate of 14.5 and an average of 21.26 runs per wicket. He has the best figures of 3 for 9 against the West Indies in 2019.

Sri Lanka

• Danushka Gunathilaka has scored 542 runs in 26 T20I innings at an average of 20.84 and a strike rate of 121.79 which includes 3 half-centuries. He was in decent form in the recent series against Bangladesh and West Indies making 271 runs in 6 innings.
• Kusal Perera was in top form in the recent series against Bangladesh. He was the top scorer for Sri Lanka with 164 runs in 3 innings at an average of 54 and a brilliant 120 in the final ODI. He will be key with the bat at the top of the order.
• Wanindu Hasaranga has been good for Sri Lanka in T20Is. The leg-spinner has picked up 24 wickets in 16 matches at an average of 14 and an economy rate of 6.76. He is good with the bat in hand and already has 3 half-centuries to his name in international cricket.

Howzat Dream Team

• Wicketkeepers: J Bairstow, K Perera
• Batsmen: D Malan, D Gunathilaka, A Fernando
• All-rounder: M Ali, S Curran, W Hasaranga
• Bowlers: A Rashid, M Wood, D Chameera

• Captain: J Bairstow/M Ali
• Vice Captain: W Hasaranga/D Gunathilaka

NOTE: The Howzat dream team above is just a suggestion. You can make your match prediction and play fantasy cricket matches. Also, don’t forget to make any necessary changes to your team once the actual playing 11 is announced by each team (30 minutes before the start of the match) as some players you have selected might not be part of the team suggested.

Get fantasy cricket tips on your favorite fantasy sports app and select your own team, Howzat!