Sri Lanka vs England ODI Series tips and predictions – Copybet
A comprehensive 4-1 Ashes defeat in Australia has cast a long shadow over English cricket and the ODI team are aiming to bounce back in their three-match series in Sri Lanka.
Coach Brendon McCullum and white-ball captain Harry Brook lead England in three ODIs and three Twenty20 internationals as they build up to next month's T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka vs England
England lost 3-0 in their most recent 50-over series in New Zealand just before the Ashes and they look vulnerable favourites for Thursday's first ODI in Colombo.
They were bowled out for 223, 175 and 222 in their three defeats in New Zealand and have had limited preparation for the totally different conditions they face in Sri Lanka.
The Lankans have a terrific recent record at the R Premadasa Stadium and they should be backed to take a 1-0 lead on Thursday.
Sri Lanka lost their last ODI at the venue against Bangladesh in July 2025 but had won seven and tied one of their previous eight.
That run included two victories apiece against Australia and India, who met in the 50-over World Cup final in 2023, and they can make the most of home advantage in the first ODI.
Sri Lanka vs England
Adil Rashid turns 38 next month but the leg-spinner remains a crucial part of England's white-ball plans.
Rashid looks a worthy favourite to be the tourists' top bowler in the first ODI, having claimed 17 wickets in six home matches against the West Indies and South Africa last summer.
His 2025 highlights reel also includes a haul of 4-64 against India in Ahmedabad, where he took the wickets of Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer and Hardik Pandya.
And the veteran has also had success in Sri Lanka, picking up four scalps in five overs during a rain-reduced ODI victory in Pallekele in October 2018.
Sri Lanka vs England
Jacob Bethell's sizzling second-innings 154 in the fifth Ashes Test in Sydney was a rare bright spot during England's chastening tour of Australia.
The 22-year-old looks set for a long run at number three in the Test batting line-up and he has already showcased his white-ball qualities.
Bethell became the youngest man to captain England when he led them in September's T20 series in Ireland, having played some eye-catching ODI innings earlier in the year.
The left-hander made 51 against India in Nagpur, where Jos Buttler pipped him to top-batter honours with 52.
Bethell followed up with a blistering 82 off 53 balls against the West Indies at Edgbaston before scoring 58 and 110 against a strong South Africa bowling attack in September.