Sri Lanka vs England, 22 October ODI: time, squads and Rawalpindi preview

Sri Lanka and England are scheduled to meet at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Thursday, 22 October 2026, in the third match of Pakistan’s ODI tri-series. The Pakistan Cricket Board lists a 1 pm Pakistan start, which is 1:30 pm IST for Indian viewers, with the toss scheduled half an hour earlier. Harry Brook leads England’s announced squad and Kusal Mendis leads Sri Lanka’s. These are confirmed schedule and squad details, not a confirmed playing XI or a prediction of the result. [1] [2]

Key information for Indian readers

• Fixture: Sri Lanka vs England, third tri-series ODI.
• Date and venue: 22 October 2026, Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi.
• Scheduled start: 1 pm Pakistan time / 1:30 pm IST.
• Scheduled toss: 12:30 pm Pakistan time / 1 pm IST; the toss result is not known yet.
• Captains in the announced squads: Kusal Mendis and Harry Brook.
• Status: upcoming; no score, result or playing XI is reported here. [1] [2]

Why this fixture matters in the tri-series

This is the last of the opening three matches scheduled in Rawalpindi before the tournament moves to Lahore. Pakistan opened against Sri Lanka on 18 October and faced England on 20 October; the Sri Lanka–England meeting completes the first set of pairings. Both the PCB’s 17 October tournament announcement and the ECB’s original schedule identify the same 22 October date and Rawalpindi venue. That agreement makes the fixture a useful planning reference, while any later official rescheduling notice would take priority. [1] [2]

The board presents the competition as preparation for the ODI World Cup, with teams testing how they adapt across a seven-match tournament rather than a one-off bilateral game. England’s captain Brook discussed finding different ways to win in conditions away from home, while Sri Lanka’s captain Mendis welcomed competing against strong opposition. Those published pre-tournament positions explain the purpose of the series. They do not establish who will win this game, which players will be selected on Thursday, or what the latest points table looks like after matches not analysed here. [1]

England’s announced squad: options, not a playing XI

The PCB lists England’s 16-player squad as Harry Brook, Gus Atkinson, Sonny Baker, Tom Banton, James Coles, Jordan Cox, Mason Crane, Henry Crocombe, Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Joe Root and Josh Tongue. This is the announced tournament group, not an eleven selected for 22 October. Root is named among the batters to watch in the PCB’s release, but a place in that squad does not itself confirm his match-day selection or current fitness. [1]

For readers assessing England’s approach, the useful next information is the officially named XI and the roles actually assigned to the selected batters and bowlers. Publishing a speculative team as “confirmed” would hide the difference between available squad options and the side that takes the field. This preview therefore keeps the full announced group separate from any possible combination and does not turn an archive training photograph into evidence of a current practice session in Pakistan. [1] [3]

Sri Lanka’s announced squad and leadership

Sri Lanka’s group in the same release is Kusal Mendis, Sahan Arachchige, Dushmantha Chameera, Sachindu Colombage, Avishka Fernando, Asitha Fernando, Janith Liyanage, Dilshan Madushanka, Eshan Malinga, Kamindu Mendis, Kamil Mishara, Lahiru Udara, Pavan Rathnayake, Dasun Shanaka, Maheesh Theekshana and Dunith Wellalage. Mendis is listed as captain. The board also identifies him as a batter to watch across the series, a tournament-level assessment rather than a promised innings or an individual target for this match. [1]

The squad gives Sri Lanka several batting and bowling choices, but the announcement alone cannot answer how they will balance the XI on this particular surface. The sensible checkpoint is the match-day selection and any fresh official availability announcement, followed by the toss. No player is described here as injured, recovered, ruled out or certain to play unless a current source establishes that claim. The 17 October squad date is retained so readers can distinguish the original announcement from a later change. [1]

The next dates after Rawalpindi

The ECB schedule sends the tournament to Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore after this fixture: Pakistan–England on 25 October, Pakistan–Sri Lanka on 27 October, and another Sri Lanka–England meeting on 29 October. The top two sides are scheduled to contest the final in Lahore on 31 October. Those dates explain the tournament path; they are not all part of the immediate 22–23 October research window, and a place in the final has not been assumed for either team. [2]

What is still unknown before the first ball?

The date and venue are corroborated by both boards, while the scheduled start time comes from PCB. This preview does not claim a pitch inspection, a match-specific weather forecast, a toss outcome or a playing XI. It also avoids converting a historical ground reputation into a guaranteed score or betting recommendation. The useful next updates are an official schedule change, the toss and selected teams, followed by genuine live scoring through the existing match service. Until then, this is an upcoming ODI preview with dated sources, not a simulated live-score page. [1] [2]

What time does Sri Lanka vs England start in India?

The scheduled 1 pm Pakistan start on 22 October converts to 1:30 pm IST on the same date. The scheduled toss is 1 pm IST. These conversions use Asia/Karachi and Asia/Kolkata, and remain subject to an official scheduling change. [1]

Is the Sri Lanka–England playing XI confirmed?

No confirmed XI is included in this preview. The PCB release supplies the two 16-player tournament squads and their captains. The selected elevens and toss outcome need separate match-day confirmation; listing a squad is not the same as reporting the team sheet. [1]

See FairPlay’s upcoming-match listings for provider status and latest cricket news for source-checked developments. The existing API’s fixture lead was checked against the board announcements; it was not treated as the sole authority for this preview.