Sri Lanka (SL) will look to seal the series when they take on England (ENG) in the second ODI at R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo on saturday, January 24, 2026. After their impressive 19-run victory in the opening match, the hosts are riding high on confidence and will be eager to clinch the series with another strong performance. England, on the other hand, find themselves in a must-win situation as they aim to bounce back and level the series. Both teams will be looking to fine-tune their strategies as the action shifts to Colombo for what promises to be an exciting contest. Let’s Break down with expert analysis, betting insights, team performance, pitch report, and our SL vs ENG 2nd ODI Match Prediction. Who will win today’s match?
Sri Lanka vs England | 2nd ODI Match
Series: England tour of Sri Lanka 2026
Date: 24 January 2026
Time: 2:30 PM LOCAL, 9:00 AM GMT, 2:30 PM IST
Venue: R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
Live Streaming: Fan Code & Sony Sports Network
Team Performance
Sri Lanka: Team Preview & Performance
Sri Lanka started this series with a fantastic victory in the first ODI match by restricting the chase given to the English batters. SL won the toss and chose to bat, scoring 271/6 in 50 overs. Despite losing their opening batters early, wicketkeeper-batsman Kusal Mendis took the initiative till the end and scored an impressive 93 not out, taking the team to a competitive score. Later, the Lankan bowlers showed their home ground advantage. They took early wickets, and then Vandersay broke a crucial partnership in the middle overs. The spinners took advantage of the surface, while Pramod Madushan took three wickets to restrict England’s chase and seal the victory. Now they look stronger to win the second ODI and lead the series.
England: Team Preview & Performance
England started this series with their first loss. They fought strongly with both bat and ball, but couldn’t stop losing wickets while chasing. Ben Duckett and Joe Root rebuilt the innings with a steady partnership – both reaching their fifties in the 25th over. However, both found it difficult against the Sri Lankan spinners. Overton pushed the game towards the end but couldn’t complete the chase, and England lost their first ODI match by 19 runs. Now they look stronger with their batting line-up and aim to bounce back in the series to level it up.
SL vs ENG – Probable Playing XI (2nd ODI Match 2026)
Sri Lanka Playing XI:
Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Kusal Mendis (wk), Dhananjaya de Silva, Charith Asalanka (c), Janith Liyanage, Pavan Rathnayake, Dunith Wellalage, Pramod Madushan, Jeffrey Vandersay, Asitha Fernando
England Playing XI:
Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook (c), Jos Buttler (wk), Sam Curran, Rehan Ahmed, Jamie Overton, Liam Dawson, Adil Rashid
Sri Lanka vs England – ODI Head-to-Head Records
Total matches played: 79
Sri Lanka won: 39
England won: 36
Tie / No Result: 4
First-Ever ODI Match (SL vs ENG)
Date: February 13, 1982
Venue: Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) Ground
Result: England won by 5 runs
Most Recent ODI Match (SL vs ENG)
Date: January 22, 2026
Venue: R. Premadasa Stadium
Result: Sri Lanka won by 19 runs
Player of the Match: Dunith Wellalage
SL vs ENG Today’s Match Pitch Report and Toss Factor:
The pitch at R. Premadasa Stadium for tomorrow’s 2nd ODI on January 24, 2026, is expected to be the typical slow, low turner that we’ve come to know at this venue. The black-soil wicket should offer some consistent bounce in the early stages, but as the game goes on, it’s going to get grippier and slower – making life tough for batters trying to play their shots freely.
This is where the toss becomes crucial. Teams batting first have won around 55% of matches here, and you can see why – setting a target before the pitch wears out under lights is far easier than chasing on a deteriorating surface. Given that first-innings scores at this ground usually sit somewhere between 193 and 236, most captains would prefer to bat first and put runs on the board. The last thing you want is to be chasing against quality spinners like Pramod Madushan and Adil Rashid when the pitch is at its worst.
SL vs ENG Today’s 2nd ODI Match Weather Condition:
- Temperature: 26.3°C
- Humidity: 84%
- Rain: 25% Rain of chance
- Wind direction: N
- Wind speed: 22.3KPH
Today match Prediction: Team batting first are favourites to win today’s SL vs ENG 2nd ODI Match 2026.
Sri Lanka vs England – 2nd ODI Match Prediction
Scenario 1
Match toss prediction: Sri Lanka to win the toss and opt to bat first
Sri Lanka scores: 285–295
Who will win today’s match: Sri Lanka to win today’s 2nd ODI match 2026
Scenario 2
Match toss prediction: England to win the toss and opt to bat first
England scores: 275–285
Who will win today’s match: England to win today’s 2nd ODI match 2026
Today Match Winning Percentage
Check Our Previous SL vs ENG 1st ODI Match Prediction & Accurate Match Insights
ODI Betting Insights for SL vs ENG 2nd ODI Match 2026
- Who will win the toss Today: SL to win the toss and elect to Bat first.
- Top Batter Performance: Joe Root
- Top Bowler Performance: Jeffrey Vandersay
- Today’s ODI betting tips: Team batting first are safe bet to play today’s SL vs ENG 2nd ODI match 2026.