England Predicted Playing XI vs Sri Lanka- 2nd T20I, SL Tour of ENG 2026

England Team [Source: AFP]England will look to continue their strong start to the T20I series when they face Sri Lanka in the second match at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, on September 17. The hosts registered a dominant 119-run victory in the series opener, putting them 1-0 ahead with two games remaining. England’s batting unit produced a commanding total of 254/4 before their bowlers restricted Sri Lanka to 135. With another crucial game coming up, the team management could retain the winning combination while also considering a few changes based on conditions and workload. Here is the predicted England playing XI for the second T20I.Openers and Top Order: Jos Buttler (WK), Aneurin Donald, Harry Brook (C), Tom BantonThe top order will comprise opener Jos Buttler and Aneurin Donald. The 29-year-old batter produced a shaky five-ball 12 in his first outing against Sri Lanka in the T20I. Although he represented England A and scored an eight-ball 31 against Sri Lanka in the same series, his first T20I performance was not up to the mark. However, he will be given another chance to prove his worth with the bat alongside Jos Buttler, who is known for his explosive and aggressive batting style as a T20 player. Buttler scored considerably in the first T20I, bagging 80 runs from 44 deliveries at a strike rate of 181.82.Continuing the lineup at number three, Harry Brook will come in as the skipper to lead by example. He played a flamboyant knock of 114 off 49 balls to dismantle Sri Lanka's chances in the second T20I. His innings comprised 10 boundaries and six sixes, which underlines the form he is in to anchor the top order. Tom Banton will continue at number four, despite a disappointing 10-ball 10-run outing in the first T20I. His 24-ball 56 while representing England A was impressive enough for the ECB and team management to offer him another run against the Lankans at Cardiff.Also Read- England Players Who Can Pose Massive Threat To India In Upcoming T20IsMiddle Order And All-Rounders: Will Jacks, Jordan Cox, Jamie Overton, Liam DawsonThe middle order will comprise Will Jacks, who will come in to bat at number five. The spin-bowling all-rounder is capable of producing fiery and explosive knocks, as he did at a strike rate of 175 in the first T20I. He also slammed a 12-ball 30 during the tour game against Sri Lanka and has produced three wickets in the series so far with his bowling. Hence, he will be a valuable pick that the ECB cannot ignore as a middle-order option.Following Jacks, Jordan Cox will bat at number six. Cox hasn't proved himself in this Sri Lanka T20I series yet. However, his most recent exposure in The Hundred 2026 saw him score at a strike rate of 155.21, accumulating 149 runs from eight innings. He will be given another chance by the ECB to have a shot at playing in the second T20I as well.After Cox, Jamie Overton, a pace-bowling all-rounder, will take the helm to support the lower middle order. Overton's effectiveness with the bat and the ball has been extraordinary. In The Hundred 2026 tournament, he averaged 27.00 from six innings, while bowling on the Sri Lanka T20I tour and picking up two wickets in the very first T20I.After Overton, Liam Dawson will complete the all-rounder lineup, primarily as a spinner. Dawson is also frequently handy with the bat. However, in the Sri Lanka vs England tour, in the very first match, he bagged two wickets while giving away only 23 runs at an economy rate of 7.67, further underlining his spin-bowling abilities.Bowlers: Adil Rashid, Josh Tongue, Sonny BakerAdil Rashid, Josh Tongue and Sonny Baker will lead the bowling department, with Baker being the leading wicket-taker for the squad in the first T20I. He scalped three wickets from just four overs while bowling at an economy rate of 3.00. Meanwhile, Josh Tongue and Adil Rashid contributed with one wicket each to crumble Sri Lanka for just 135 runs in their chase of 255. Overall, with a strong bowling unit and all-rounder support, England looks formidable and will not need many changes to the playing XI unless any injury concerns or workload management are taken into account by the ECB.England Playing XI vs Sri Lanka- 2nd T20I, 2026Jos Buttler(WK), Aneurin Donald, Harry Brook(C), Tom Banton, Will Jacks, Jordan Cox, Jamie Overton, Liam Dawson, Adil Rashid, Josh Tongue, Sonny BakerAlso Read- Ajit Agarkar's Fails To Get BCCI’s Faith! Set To Pick Last India Squad vs West Indies