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England Sweep Sri Lanka 3‑0, Defend 129, and Gear Up for World Cup

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  • Image caption, England took nine wickets with spin, having only previously taken seven in a T20 innings
    Image: BBC
    Image caption, England took nine wickets with spin, having only previously taken seven in a T20 innings Source Full size
  • Image caption, Sam Curran took his hat-trick in his 65th T20 international appearance for England
    Image: BBC
    Image caption, Sam Curran took his hat-trick in his 65th T20 international appearance for England Source Full size
  • Image caption, The lowest score England had previously defended in T20s was 129 against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi in 2012
    Image: BBC
    Image caption, The lowest score England had previously defended in T20s was 129 against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi in 2012 Source Full size
  • Image caption, Sam Curran made his second half-century in T20 internationals
    Image: BBC
    Image caption, Sam Curran made his second half-century in T20 internationals Source Full size
  • Image caption, Sam Curran took his hat-trick in his 65th T20 international appearance for England
    Image: BBC
    Image caption, Sam Curran took his hat-trick in his 65th T20 international appearance for England Source Full size

England clinches 3‑0 T20 series in Sri Lanka England completed a clean‑sweep of the three‑match series in Pallekele, winning the final game by 12 runs after defending a modest 129 – the lowest total ever successfully defended in a T20 international [1]. The match on 3 February 2026 saw Sri Lanka fall short at 128‑9, handing England the series victory and confirming their unbeaten run ahead of the T20 World Cup [1]. Coach Brendon McCullum highlighted the upcoming World Cup opener against Nepal on 8 February as a key next step [1].

Sam Curran delivers hat‑trick and career‑best half‑century After returning from a long absence, Curran claimed England’s second T20I hat‑trick on 30 January 2026, dismissing three Sri Lankan batsmen in the 16th over to secure an 11‑run DLS win [3]. He followed that performance with a career‑best 58 off 48 balls in the series‑deciding match, rescuing England from 34‑4 and anchoring the chase [1]. Curran’s new “moon ball” and his role after a strong Hundred campaign were cited as pivotal to England’s momentum [3].

Spin attack dominates Sri Lankan chase England’s spin duo of Will Jacks (3‑14) and Jacob Bethell (4‑11, including three wickets in a single over) dismantled Sri Lanka’s batting line‑up, accounting for the bulk of the nine wickets taken [1]. Sri Lankan pacer Dushmantha Chameera recorded a five‑for (5‑24) but could not prevent the low‑score defence [1]. The spin‑led bowling effort complemented England’s overall dominance, extending their streak of consecutive T20I wins over Sri Lanka to nine [3].

World Cup warm‑ups highlight India A’s batting firepower In a parallel warm‑up, India A posted 238/3 at DY Patil Stadium on 2 February 2026, propelled by Narayan Jagadeesan’s 104 off 55 balls and a rapid 38 from Tilak Varma returning from injury [2]. The United States were bowled out for 200 in 19.4 overs, falling 38 runs short despite notable contributions from Andries Gous and Sanjay Krishnamurthi [2]. India A’s bowlers, led by Ravi Bishnoi’s 3/37, secured the win, underscoring both teams’ preparation ahead of the World Cup in India and Sri Lanka [2].

Sources

Timeline

Dec 10, 2025 – India crushes South Africa by 101 runs in Cuttack, posting 176 and bowling the visitors out for 74; Hardik Pandya reaches 99 T20I wickets and 100 six‑hit milestones, underscoring his all‑round impact [15][16].

Dec 14, 2025 – India clinches a seven‑wicket win in Dharamsala, chasing 117 in 15.5 overs to take a 2‑1 series lead as Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana spark early pressure and Kuldeep Yadav seals the South African innings with two wickets in the final over [13].

Dec 15, 2025 – In New Chandigarh, Arshdeep Singh endures a nightmare 11th over that concedes 18 runs from 13 balls with seven wides, finishing with 0/54 in four overs and prompting concerns ahead of the World Cup [14].

Dec 20, 2025 – India eyes a 12th Under‑19 Asia Cup title, having topped Group A and beaten Sri Lanka in the semifinals; the final against Pakistan is set for Dec 21 in Dubai [11].

Dec 21, 2025 – Jemimah Rodrigues anchors India’s eight‑wicket chase of 122 in Visakhapatnam, remaining unbeaten on 69 off 44 balls and cementing her claim for the No. 3 slot ahead of the T20 World Cup [10]; the same day the Under‑19 Asia Cup final is scheduled versus Pakistan [11].

Dec 27, 2025 – India leads the women’s T20I series 3‑0 against Sri Lanka, having chased every target without batting past 14.4 overs and relying on toss advantage to field first, while Deepti Sharma and Renuka Singh dominate with wickets [9].

Dec 28, 2025 – Chamari Athapaththu becomes the first Sri Lankan woman to play 150 T20Is, marking a historic milestone in the five‑match series against India [8].

Dec 30, 2025 – Harmanpreet Kaur’s 68 runs guide India to a 15‑run victory, completing a 5‑0 whitewash over Sri Lanka; Deepti Sharma’s 152nd wicket passes Megan Schutt, making her the all‑time leading T20I wicket‑taker [7].

Jan 3, 2026 – India U‑19 posts 301 after a 67/4 collapse, with Harvansh Pangalia (93) and RS Ambrish (65) forging a 137‑run partnership to secure a 25‑run DLS win over South Africa in Benoni [6].

Jan 22, 2026 – Sri Lanka defeats England by 19 runs in Colombo, posting 271/6 and bowing England out for 252, giving the hosts a 1‑0 lead in the three‑match ODI series [4].

Jan 24, 2026 – England chases 220 for five wickets in Colombo, with Harry Brook calling the surface “probably the worst” and Joe Root describing it as “very difficult, not a good wicket for ODI cricket if I’m being brutally honest”; England also bowls a record 40.3 spin overs [3].

Jan 30, 2026 – Sam Curran delivers England’s second T20I hat‑trick, dismissing Shanaka, Theekshana and Pathirana in the 16th over to secure an 11‑run DLS win and showcases his newly honed “moon ball” after a long absence [2].

Feb 2, 2026 – India A thumps USA by 38 runs in a warm‑up for the T20 World Cup, with Narayan Jagadeesan blasting a 104 off 55 balls and Tilak Varma adding a brisk 38 after returning from a month‑long layoff [5].

Feb 3, 2026 – England completes a 3‑0 T20 series sweep in Sri Lanka, defending a record‑low 129 runs thanks to Sam Curran’s career‑best 58 and a dominant spin display by Will Jacks (3/14) and Jacob Bethell (4/11); the side now prepares to open the T20 World Cup against Nepal on Feb 8 [1].

Feb 8, 2026 (future) – England opens the T20 World Cup against Nepal, marking the tournament’s first match for the defending champions [1].

Feb 2026 (future) – India finalises preparations for the T20 World Cup co‑hosted by India and Sri Lanka, with strategies to avoid pairing Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav in dew‑prone conditions and relying on Arshdeep Singh for early breakthroughs and death‑over control [12].

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