Sri Lanka are the co-hosts for T20 World Cup 2026 alongside India.
Retained by Delhi Capitals for IPL 2026, Dushmantha Chameera has found a perfect rhythm just in time for the T20 World Cup 2026, starting February 7. Chameera ripped apart England strong batting lineup with an impressive five-wicket haul in the SL vs ENG 3rd T20I at Pallekele, which also marked the final T20 World Cup 2026 preparations for both teams.
Even though England had already secured a 2-0 lead in the three-match series, the inspiring burst from Dushmantha Chameera gave Sri Lanka a boost just days before the tournament. He played his first game of the series after taking the place of the injured Eshan Malinga, who is likely to be ruled out of the T20 World Cup due to a shoulder injury. The experienced bowler finished with figures of 4-0-24-5, as England managed 128/9 in their allotted 20 overs.
Dushmantha Chameera quickly made his mark with the new ball, dismissing opener Ben Duckett on a golden duck after the left-hander replaced Phil Salt in the England playing XI. Bowling with pace and intent, Chameera consistently hit hard lengths, making it tough for the batsmen on a pitch that had previously favoured set batters.
The damage was done in his second spell when he took down England’s lower order. Sam Curran, who scored a fifty, fell while trying to up the ante, followed by Will Jacks and Liam Dawson. Jamie Overton was the last wicket as England lost momentum late in the innings.
While England’s depth has been a hot topic during the series, Chameera’s performance revealed some weaknesses in the absence of their regular power hitters. This ability of Chameera to pick wickets and put breaks on the scoring rate across all phases makes him an X-factor for Sri Lanka heading into the T20 World Cup 2026.
ALSO READ:
Earlier, England won the toss for the third straight game and opted to bat in SL vs ENG 3rd T20I. However, they had to make a last-minute change as Phil Salt was ruled out due to a back spasm he suffered during the warm-up. Ben Duckett, who had just recovered from a finger injury sustained during the ODI series, and Luke Wood filled in for Jofra Archer, who was rested after England clinched the series. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, made three changes to test new combinations, with Chameera, Maheesha Theekshana and Kamindu Mendis returning to the playing XI.
England never got off to a good start as they kept losing wickets at regular intervals. Only two batters reached the 15-run mark. Buttler showed some resilience at the top, scoring 25 off 21 balls. After that, Sam Curran took charge, hitting 58 off 48 balls, but he didn’t get any support. Duckett was out for a golden duck, Jacob Bethell managed three, Tom Banton scored seven, Harry Brook got four, and Will Jacks also scored four. Liam Dawson added 14 runs at the end as England finished with 128/9 in their 20 overs.
For Sri Lanka, apart from Chameera, Matheesha Pathirrana returned figures of 27/2, while Dunith Wellalage and Kamindu Mendis picked up a wicket each.
For more updates, follow CricXtasy on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
