Sri Lanka vs England T20I: Pathirana Out, Eshan Malinga Ruled Out

The Sri Lanka versus England T20I on February 22nd, 2026 at Pallekele isn’t simply a Super 8 game; it’s one which depends on which teams won’t be bowling at the very end. Matheesha Pathirana is out, and Eshan Malinga has been ruled out also – meaning Sri Lanka has lost two quick bowlers who were for the toughest overs.

For Indian cricket fans, the situation feels familiar: it’s the “death-overs bowler missing” story we’ve watched change IPL evenings in ten minutes. In T20 World Cups, those ten minutes determine which teams go through.

Sri Lanka’s strength is simple: their batting has proved it can control conditions at Pallekele, and their spin bowlers can still hold back sides which get too confident. The danger is also simple: England’s middle order loves the final overs, and they’ll be looking at overs 16 to 20 as if it’s an all-you-can-eat meal.

So, what’s the real effect, place by place, over by over, and who has to play a different part to keep Sri Lanka in this match?

In Depth

Why Pathirana Not Playing Hurts Sri Lanka’s Plan First

Pathirana is not just fast, and doesn’t only bowl yorkers – he is a plan. Sri Lanka’s best T20 plan in recent months has often been like this: take a couple of wickets in the powerplay, get through the middle with spin and difficult lengths, then give the last overs to Pathirana to remove whatever is still left on the scoreboard.

Take that away, and the whole innings has to be changed.

1) The “good score” changes.

With Pathirana playing, Sri Lanka can defend totals that seem one over short, because he makes one good over into two, and often gets a wicket whilst doing it. Without him, the safest score for Sri Lanka goes up. If 165 was defendable on a difficult night, it now begins to feel like 175 or more – especially against England.

2) The middle overs become more stressful.

If you trust your death bowler, you can allow a slightly loose 9th or 12th over. Without that safety, every over has to be bowled to the correct length, and captains react more. That’s where a side like England jumps on you, not always with a great over, but by causing one mismatch.

3) Getting wickets at the end is less likely.

Death overs are not just about economy – they’re about taking the batter out of the game. Pathirana’s angle, pace, and late drop make big hitters mis-hit even when they’ve guessed correctly. Without him, Sri Lanka needs someone else to create that same “wrong contact” under pressure.

Eshan Malinga Ruled Out Impact

Eshan Malinga being ruled out is important as he is not only a reserve player. He’s a particular style: quick pace, strange angles, and the ability to hurry batters who start early.

When both Pathirana and Eshan aren’t available, it causes two problems at the same time:

• Sri Lanka lose variety. England’s best batters do well when the pace options are easy to guess. One right-arm quick at 135–140 with a similar length pattern is easy to deal with. A mix of sling, quick release, and late yorkers is not.
• Roles get mixed up. A bowler who should be an enforcer in the middle overs suddenly has to bowl the 18th. A new-ball bowler gets pulled into the 20th. In T20, confusion over roles is where things go wrong.

This is also where England’s research is simpler. If Sri Lanka’s options get fewer, England can map out matches: who they want to attack, which side they want the hitters to target, and when to send which batter.

The Likely Replacement: Madushanka Change

Sri Lanka’s replacement option points to a more normal seam style. Dilshan Madushanka brings a left-arm angle, a strong new-ball spell when he’s at his best, and the ability to hit the pitch hard.

That’s useful, yet it’s different to what Pathirana offers.

In the powerplay, Madushanka can swing it back in and make right-handers play. Against England’s top order, that’s a real chance to get early movement and force them into rebuilding.

At the death, the skill needed is different. Left-arm pace helps because of angle, but unless the yorker is consistent, England will trust their hitters to pick the length.

Sri Lanka’s best use of Madushanka is probably to bowl his overs early: two early, one in the middle if the match-up needs it, then see if he’s your 18th-over option depending on grip, dew, and which batters are in.

England’s Batting Plan For Overs 16 to 20

England’s Super 8 qualification has come with a warning: times of being great, mixed with top-order starts that haven’t always set the pace. Still, the plan remains the same.

• Powerplay aim: survive without losing more than one wicket, even if the run rate is only good rather than fast.
• Middle overs aim: keep wickets in hand for a late push. Aim at the end: either make 155 into 180, or make 175 into a death-overs period that seems normal.

England’s confidence at the end of the innings goes up when playing Sri Lanka without Pathirana – and this could make them take more chances earlier on. If they think the last five overs are easy to get runs from, they can play more carefully from the seventh to the twelfth over, but still finish strongly.

Look at England’s batting line-up, which has a lot of right-handed players. If Sri Lanka bowl too many short, quick balls which are easy to predict, England will sit back and hit the ball straight. But if Sri Lanka bowl too full to try and deal with that, England’s players will hit the ball with an open face and score behind the point fielder.

The Pallekele Factor In T20 Games

Pallekele often gives rewards to teams that think in parts, rather than trying to find one ‘best’ length for the whole innings. The pitch can give good bounce at the start, then offer grip later, and at night the dew can change how the ball comes off the pitch.

For the bowlers, this means:

• Hard lengths can work well for the first two overs, but then turn into easy balls to hit if the dew comes.
• Spin bowlers can be very good one night, but then find it hard to control a wet ball the next.

Sri Lanka usually know this ground better than most teams who visit, but the injuries have taken away two fast-bowling options that would work even if the conditions change. England, though, usually keep things simple: slow the pace down when the pitch grips, speed the pace up when the pitch is smooth, and look for chances to hit boundaries instead of trying to take risky singles.

Sri Lanka’s Best Way: Win Middle Overs

Because they don’t have a bowler who is good at the end of the innings, Sri Lanka can’t think of the final five overs as being a different world. The best way for them to protect the end of the innings is to get to it having done less damage earlier on.

That starts with the middle overs.

If Sri Lanka can make England’s established batters hit the ball to the longer parts of the field, and keep the run rate at 7-8 runs per over between the seventh and fifteenth overs, the end of the innings can be defended even without Pathirana. But if England easily score 9 runs per over in that part of the game, the last five overs will be very difficult.

This is where Wanindu Hasaranga is very valuable. He doesn’t just take wickets; he breaks up the speed of the game. If he takes a wicket in his first over, England often have to change their plans. If he doesn’t, Sri Lanka need other spin bowlers and bowlers who can make the ball change direction to share the work.

Sri Lanka should also think about using a spin bowler earlier than usual if England’s opening batters look to be doing well. One over of spin in the powerplay is risky, but it can make a batter make a mistake if they are trying to ‘win the powerplay’ instead of just surviving it.

England’s Bowling: Quiet Advantage

While Sri Lanka’s injuries are the main news, England’s bowling team quietly matches up well at Pallekele.

• Adil Rashid is still a problem when batters try to hit him straight. If the pitch grips at all, he can make the middle overs into a period of not giving up runs, and putting pressure on the batters.
• Sam Curran brings a left-arm angle and different types of delivery that suit these conditions, and also the calm to bowl to set plans at the end of the innings.
• Jofra Archer, even when he isn’t at his very best, changes how batters choose their shots just by being fast and accurate.

England will probably target Sri Lanka’s middle order with slower balls and wide lines, making them hit the ball into the bigger areas of the field. If Sri Lanka depend on getting speed up at the end, England’s plans with slower balls can stop that.

Sri Lanka’s Batting: Where Match Turns

Sri Lanka aren’t in this Super 8 stage by chance. Their top order has shown it can make a score that decides the match, and their left and right-handed batters can make it hard for captains to decide on one plan.

For Sri Lanka, the aim for the batting should be to bat as if they’re missing Pathirana, because they are. This means:

• Start well, but don’t lose wickets. A powerplay of 50 for 1 is better than 62 for 3 against England’s bowling.
• Target certain overs, not every over. Rashid’s overs could well be about getting through with a limit on runs, but the over from the fifth bowler is when you’ll get your rewards.
• Don’t give up the chance to finish strongly. Sri Lanka are still able to win – even without a proper bowler to bowl at the end – if they set a score that makes England have to take chances sooner than they’d like.

If Sri Lanka get a good start, the stress goes on to England’s top batting order; they haven’t always done well in this tournament. When you’re two wickets down early on, and the rate needed is already almost nine, a chase gets a lot harder.

Captain Tactics: 18th And 20th Overs

This game will most likely turn on one thing the captain does: which bowlers bowl the 18th and 20th overs.

If Sri Lanka use two bowlers for those overs, they run the risk of both being hit for runs. If they trust one bowler to do both, they run the risk of one poor over losing them the game. As Pathirana is out, there isn’t a perfect solution – only the one that looks least dangerous, depending on what happens during the game.

Important things to look for at the start:

• Is there swing or pace off the pitch for the seam bowlers in the first two overs?
• Does the ball turn for the spin bowlers in the 5th and 6th?
• Are the batters hitting straight drives cleanly, or hitting them into the fielders?

Sri Lanka have to decide what’s happening, and quickly. If they keep looking for the ‘right time’, England will pick the time for them.

Fantasy And Odds Talk Effects

If you’re choosing a fantasy XI, Pathirana being out changes how good Sri Lanka’s other bowlers are, as the wickets at the end are now there for anyone to get, and weren’t kept for one specialist. It also gives England’s strong end-of-innings batters a boost, because the type of bowling they’ll face in overs 16 to 20 isn’t as tough.

If you watch how the betting changes when teams announce their sides, you’ll often see the biggest changes around when a bowler is missing. If you’re into that side of the game, a quick look at Fair Bet 7 can show you how recent news is being priced, without it being the main thing you think about for the match.

Biggest Effect: One Part Of Game

Pathirana being out is the main news as he’s a well-known specialist at bowling at the end. Eshan Malinga being ruled out is what makes the news worse.

Together, they don’t just stop wickets being taken, they stop things being clear. Sri Lanka’s bowling now needs more from everyone: a tighter start, bolder middle overs, and cleverer bowling plans at the end.

England’s benefit is that they can keep to their plans. Sri Lanka’s problem is that they have to make a new plan quickly, and then carry it out when the pressure is at its highest in T20 cricket.

And that’s the main thing to think about going into the Pallekele match.