England arrange new white ball tour for preparation of T20 World Cup 2026

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has confirmed their white-ball trip to Sri Lanka in the lead-up to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka. The tour will consist of three 50-over clashes and as many T20Is from January 22, as the aim for the two-time champions will be to prepare their best to earn their third title.

England won their first two trophies of the event in 2009 and 2022, as most of their players will look to earn the best experience on the subcontinental conditions. The series will mark the Harry Brook-led side’s first-white-ball trip in more than seven years, with the last visit coming in 2018 when they clinched the ODI series by 3-1 and won the lone T20I.

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The last fixture between these two sides during the shortest format came during the victorious 2022 T20 World Cup event, where they beat Sri Lanka by four wickets in their group-stage clash. The Asian team’s upcoming T20I series comes against Zimbabwe away from home in September.

England to tour Sri Lanka for white-ball series in January 2026

The new white-ball captain of the Three Lions, Harry Brook, has shed light on his appointment to the position: “I am looking forward to getting started, moving us forward, and working towards winning series, World Cups, and major events for the future. England will also end their ongoing home summer with a white-ball series during the second week of September in Cardiff.

It's a hard reality for the players. The first ODI of the Sri Lanka trip starts just a couple of weeks after the scheduled fifth day of the fifth Ashes 2025/26 Test in Sydney. Most of their players will be drained after seven weeks of red-ball fixtures down under.

That could give some chances to the new players to get settled comfortably. However, most of the top World Cup players are expected to arrive in Sri Lanka for the three T20Is as preparation.

England’s white-ball series to Sri Lanka in 2026