Sri Lanka unveil 17-member ODI squad against England, Asalanka to lead

Sri Lanka announced a 17-member squad for the home ODI series against England, retaining Charith Asalanka as captain. The squad backs its core group despite a recent series loss, adding experience with Dhananjaya de Silva and Dunith Wellalage.

Sri Lanka on Wednesday unveiled a 17-member squad for the upcoming three-match ODI series against England, set to begin on January 22 at the RPICS Stadium in Colombo. Charith Asalanka will continue to lead the side in the white-ball assignment, with Sri Lanka largely backing a familiar core from their previous ODI outing, as per the ICC website.

Team Composition

As many as 14 players who featured in their last ODI series against Pakistan have retained their places, underlining the team management's intent to maintain continuity despite the 3-0 defeat in that series. The squad does see a few notable additions, including Dhananjaya de Silva, Dunith Wellalage, and Milan Rathnayake, to bolster the squad's experience.

Squad Breakdown

The Asalanka-led unit features a strong batting line-up of Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Kamil Mishara and Sadeera Samarawickrama, while the middle order also includes Kamindu Mendis and Janith Liyanage. Sri Lanka's bowling attack offers a balanced mix of pace and spin. The pace department will be led by Asitha Fernando, Pramod Madushan and Eshan Malinga, while the spin options include Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana and Jeffrey Vandersay, alongside Wellalage's left-arm spin.

Future Outlook

With the next ICC Men's Cricket World Cup on the horizon in 2027, Sri Lanka will be keen to bounce back strongly on home soil. The ODI series will also be followed by a five-match T20I series, coming just days before the start of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka ODI squad vs England

Charith Asalanka (c), Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Kusal Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Pavan Rathnayake, Dhananjaya de Silva, Janith Liyanage, Kamindu Mendis, Dunith Wellalage, Wanindu Hasaranga, Jeffrey Vandersay, Maheesh Theekshana, Milan Rathnayake, Asitha Fernando, Pramod Madushan, Eshan Malinga. (ANI)

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