![England team celebrating [Source: AFP]](https://onecricketnews.akamaized.net/parth-editor/oc-dashboard/news-images-prod/1792565113255_Englandteam(1).jpg?type=hq)
England team celebrating [Source: AFP]
England will be facing Sri Lanka for the third ODI in the Pakistan tri-series 2026. The match will take place at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on October 22, and the match will be live for fans from 1:30 PM IST.
Led by captain Harry Brook, England would be a wounded team after getting beaten by the hosts by a huge margin in the second ODI. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka too have lost their first match against Pakistan, with Kusal Mendis trying to regroup a squad formidable enough for England at the Rawalpindi ground.
Hence, with names like Tom Banton, Jordan Cox, and Sam Curran in the squad, England will be trying to field their best possible playing XI against Sri Lanka in the third ODI. Ahead of the England vs Sri Lanka clash, let's take a look at England's predicted playing XI.
Openers and Top Order: Tom Banton, Ben Duckett, Joe Root
The opening and top order of England will comprise names like Tom Banton, Ben Duckett, and Joe Root. The three veterans have been the three top scorers for England in the tri-series, with Banton bagging a 57 in the first clash against Pakistan, while Ben Duckett has secured 45 runs, with Root scoring 33.
Tom Banton has had a solid season so far this year, averaging 66.50 in the ODIs, and hence it is likely that he will retain his place at the top alongside Ben Duckett. Notably, Duckett has slammed eight boundaries in the first match, underlining his attacking approach, which will be the same intent he would like to carry into the third ODI against Sri Lanka.
Meanwhile, Joe Root, the veteran England cricketer, also had a decent 2026, with 606 runs from the 10 matches he played this year, averaging 101.00. More importantly, Root averages 62.58 against Sri Lanka in ODIs and hence will be responsible again for taking care of any top-order crumbles.
Middle Order and All-rounders: Harry Brook (c), Sam Curran, Jordan Cox (wk), Will Jacks, Jamie Overton
England captain Harry Brook carries an average of 30.00 against Sri Lanka in ODIs. He was dismissed abruptly in the first match against Pakistan for just five runs. However, he has been performing consistently in ODIs this year, bagging 558 runs, and will come in at number four to begin the middle order.
All-rounder Sam Curran has scored 27 runs in the first ODI against Pakistan, while having a strike rate of 69.23. Although he failed to make a mark with the bat, his bowling skills make him an irreplaceable part of the playing XI for the upcoming clash. Given his attacking approach in every match, Curran will be a crucial cog at number five.
Jordan Cox will follow Sam at number six. The wicketkeeper-batter has scored only 18 runs in the first clash but boasts an average of 76.00 against Sri Lanka and averages 47 in ODIs this year.
Spin-bowling all-rounder Will Jacks will follow Cox to carry the attacking intent he usually displays with the bat. Against Sri Lanka, Jacks has an average of 65.50 and a strike rate of 95.62, with him scoring 200 runs this year from nine ODI games.
Following Jacks, Jamie Overton, the seam-bowling all-rounder, will assist with the bat in case any anchoring is required in the lower middle order. Overton is a sensible batter with decent scoring ability, although he failed in the first clash, scoring just one run. He will likely retain his place in the playing eleven.
Notably, all-rounders Liam Dawson and James Coles are also on the bench. However, at Rawalpindi, Overton is likely to be preferred by the management.
Bowlers: Gus Atkinson, Adil Rashid, Sonny Baker
The bowling department will be led by pace-bowling sensation Sonny Baker, who picked up three wickets in the first clash against Pakistan at an average of 21.66.
Assisting him will be Gus Atkinson, who, with his pace-bowling skills, picked up two wickets at an average of 17.5 and a solid economy rate of 5.00.
Adil Rashid, meanwhile, will be leading the spin department, having taken one wicket in the first game. Assisting Rashid will be Will Jacks with his spin, while Sam Curran and Jamie Overton will be the third and fourth pace-bowling options for England against Sri Lanka at Rawalpindi.
England Playing XI vs Sri Lanka- 3rd ODI, 2026
Tom Banton, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Harry Brook (c), Sam Curran, Jordan Cox (wk), Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Gus Atkinson, Adil Rashid, Sonny Baker
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