England’s white-ball tour of Sri Lanka continues with the start of the T20I series on Fridayat 1:30pm. It’s their final three games before their opening game of the T20 World Cup, and Harry Brook’s side will be looking to build on a strong finish in the ODI series in Colombo.
The team makes the four-hour journey into Kandy, where temperatures are set to be a little more tolerable, albeit humid, with all three games hosted at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium. T20 specialists Phil Salt and Tom Banton return to the squad, along with Josh Tongue and Brydon Carse, to bolster England’s seam attack in their final warm-up games before the T20 World Cup.
Sri Lanka vs England Betting Odds
The Three Lions may have slipped down to eighth in the ODI world rankings, but they’re still revered as one of the best T20 teams, ranked third, just behind India and Australia. They come into the first T20I as strong 4/7 favourites and have a good record against Sri Lanka, winning 10 from 14 T20Is.
| Sri Lanka to Win | England to Win |
|---|---|
| 11/8 | 4/7 |
Sri Lanka vs England T20I Betting Tips and Predictions
We’ve compared our picks across some of the best online betting sites and, for Friday’s T20I, found bet365 to be considerably the best priced. A £10 bet returns a whopping £150, plus you can cash in on a £30 free bet if you register a new account.
| Market | Bet | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| England Top Batter | Harry Brook | 5/1 |
| Bowler Milestone (Sri Lanka) | Wanindu Hasaranga 1+ Wicket | 2/9 |
| Total Sixes | Over 13.5 | 10/11 |
| Total Odds | 14/1 |
*Odds correct at 11:30 GMT on 29/01/2026. Odds subject to change.
No Expiry Date
Bet 1: Harry Brook Top England Batter
It’s hard to look past Harry Brook to spearhead England’s batting lineup once again. He’s priced at a massive 5/1 with the best cricket betting sites to be their top run scorer in Kandy and comes into the game in sensational form, dispatching the Sri Lankan bowling attack in the final ODI, scoring 136 from 66 balls. In doing so, he became just the third English player to score an ODI century with a strike rate above 200.
Brook looked in fine form in the rain-affected T20I series in New Zealand in October 2025. His 78 off 33 balls at Christchurch in the second T20I was devastating, helping his side to 236/4 and a comfortable 65-run victory. He’s a man in form right now and is well-priced to be England’s top batter once again.
Bet 2: Wanindu Hasaranga to Take 1+ Wicket
Wanindu Hasaranga is quickly moulding himself into one of the best leg spinners in world cricket. He bowled beautifully in the series against Pakistan at the start of 2026, taking 4/35 in three overs in the third T20I and becoming the first Sri Lankan to take 150+ in the format.
He featured just once in the ODI series, and to be fair, took a bit of stick once Harry Brook turned into prime Sir Garfield Sobers. But if Sri Lanka are to get anything from the game, he’ll need to be on top form.
We’ve gone a little conservative on the market, backing him to take 1+ wickets at 2/9. But given Brook’s generous price, it works well as part of the overall package. If you’re feeling adventurous, you could bump that to 2+ wickets at 11/10 or the top Sri Lankan bowler at 7/2.
Bet 3: Over 13.5 Total Sixes
Pallekele is right in the middle when it comes to the average number of sixes hit, hovering just above 10 per game. It’s about standard for T20I fixtures, but it’s worth noting that the over 13.5 line has been covered in 35% of all games played at the ground. Which is significant.
There are a couple of reasons why we’re taking the market over the average. The first is that England skews the numbers. They’ve covered this line in 14 of their last 20 T20I. And second, with the likes of Brook, Salt, Butler and Bethell, they’ve some of the best six-hitters on the planet right now, and they’re all solid against spin. Odds of 10/11 are just enough to get excited about here and round off the bet builder nicely.
