Sri Lanka vs England, 2nd T20I, England tour of Sri Lanka 2026 - Commentary

That makes it 10 consecutive T20I wins for England against Sri Lanka. Not an ideal record for Sri Lanka, especially with the T20 World Cup less than a week away on home soil. They showed massive improvement from the last game, but will be hoping to translate performances into results in the final match at the same venue on Tuesday. As for England, they will be eager to complete a 3-0 clean sweep. Let’s see how it unfolds in the third and final T20I. Until then, cheers and goodbye!!

Harry Brook | England skipper: I thought we were outstanding tonight. We adapted really well to the conditions, especially with the bat, and to get over the line and win the series is awesome. The more time the boys get out in the middle, the better it sets us up for the World Cup. The spinners have been excellent, which is why we went with two frontline spinners - they controlled the middle overs and even bowled in the powerplay at six or seven an over. Our depth is a big strength. Even after Tom Banton’s innings, we still had Will Jacks to come in, who’s an opening batter with world-stage experience. We backed ourselves to chase that total every time.

Dasun Shanaka | Sri Lanka skipper: We did a lot of things right, so I wouldn’t blame the rain. Eshan Malinga’s injury played a part - he’s a very good death bowler and losing him midway affected us. I’m happy with the batting performance. Rathnayake was very impressive, Asalanka finished well, and everyone got starts - Kusal Mendis, Hasaranga, Kamil and Nissanka, all contributed. There were a few overs where we could have capitalised more, but Adil Rashid bowled well and maybe we needed to respect him a bit more. We know spin is a challenge here because of the conditions and home advantage. Run rates are generally low, even for visiting teams, but it’s something we’d like to improve.

Tom Banton | Player of the Match: For most of my career I’ve been opening, so this has been a new role for me with England, which has been really exciting. Batting in the middle, you’ve got to give yourself a chance and assess the wicket early. There was a bit of turn and hold, and they’ve got very good spinners who keep it straight, so you have to take an early risk and hope it comes off. It was a great night and brilliant to get the series win. I just want to try and play all formats and take my chances when I get them. On wickets like this, sweeping becomes an essential shot, but if you miss it against these Sri Lankan spinners, you’re in trouble. We came here to win the series and we’ve done that, which is really pleasing.

23:34 local, 18:04 GMT, 23:34 IST: Chasing 190, England needed a strong powerplay. While Buttler showed early intent, he lost momentum in the latter half, and Jacob Bethell’s rusty stay didn’t help. Both Buttler and Banton found it difficult against changes of pace and spin before a heavy downpour interrupted play for 75 minutes. After the break, Sri Lanka lost the control they had built, with bowlers struggling to grip the wet ball and frequently missing their lengths. The loss of Eshan Malinga to a dislocated shoulder soon after the resumption only aggravated matters further. That said, England only needed one solid cameo to chase the revised target of 168 in 17 overs, and skipper Harry Brook delivered in style with a sensational 12-ball 36, smashing 4 sixes and 2 fours while at it. Banton played the responsible role at the other end, remaining unbeaten on 54 to guide England home. While 189 looked a competitive total at the halfway stage, the arrival of rain and the wet conditions that followed clearly tilted the game in England’s favour. Let's see what the captains have to say...

Janith Liyanage switches to round the wicket ...