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3rd T20I | England vs Sri Lanka T20I Series | Old Trafford, Manchester | 19 September 2026
Adil Rashid has turned Sri Lanka into his favourite opponent almost by accident, taking 17 wickets in just 12 T20Is against them at an economy of 5.48, a number he has never come close to matching against anyone else he’s faced more than once in his career. Ahead of the third T20I at Old Trafford, that record alone explains why England keep trusting him with the ball whenever Sri Lanka are on the other side, series form or not.
Across his career, Rashid has taken 169 wickets in 150 T20Is at an average of 23.28. Against Sri Lanka specifically, that average drops to 13.76, with a strike rate of 15 and an economy of 5.48, comfortably his best figure against any team he’s faced more than once.
His 150th career wicket came against Sri Lanka at the 2026 T20 World Cup, and he was the leading wicket-taker in January’s bilateral series in Sri Lanka too, with five wickets across three matches, including a best of 3 for 19 at Pallekele. The year-by-year picture below shows just how consistently he has troubled Sri Lanka’s batters across a full decade of cricket.
| Year | Matches | Wickets | Economy | Note |
| 2016 | 2 | 0 | 9.33 | Wicketless across WT20 and bilateral T20I |
| 2018 | 1 | 3 | 2.75 | Best figures of 3 for 11 in Colombo |
| 2021 | 4 | 6 | 5.31 | Three home matches plus one at the World Cup |
| 2022 | 1 | 1 | 4.00 | Player of the match with 1 for 16 at the SCG |
| 2026 | 6 | 9 | 6.05 | Includes January tour, World Cup, and this September series |
| Career | 12 | 17 | 5.48 | Full head-to-head total through September 18, 2026 |
Adil Rashid England vs Sri Lanka T20I
No team-wide statistic captures exactly how Sri Lanka’s batters fare against leg spin over the last two years, but the proxy evidence keeps pointing in the same direction. Sri Lanka have lost ten of fifteen T20Is in 2026 and now sit thirteen matches deep into a losing streak against England alone.
ESPNcricinfo’s own preview called this matchup uncomfortable for the tourists, without offering a single number to soften the framing. In the first T20I of this series, Sri Lanka were bowled out for 135 in nineteen overs, with Rashid taking a wicket in his four overs at a cost well under his career average against this particular opponent.
There is no publicly available dismissal breakdown showing exactly how often Sri Lanka’s top order loses their wicket to wrist spin specifically, caught, bowled or leg before. What is available paints a consistent picture regardless: Pathum Nissanka is rated their best batter against pace, which by itself hints at where the bigger problem sits for the rest of the order.
Sri Lanka’s captain Dasun Shanaka has linked the side’s batting struggles to spin-friendly conditions more broadly, a pattern that showed up against West Indies in June and has followed the team all the way to England this September.
Wanindu Hasaranga entered this series with 29 T20 wickets at an economy of 7.95 for the year, numbers that look competitive next to Rashid’s overall figures on paper. The gap opens up considerably once you compare like for like across this specific matchup.
In the first T20I of this series, Hasaranga went for 34 runs in four overs at an economy of 8.50, more than three runs an over worse than Rashid’s career economy against this exact opponent. His second T20I figures were not confirmed in available reporting, but the direction of the contrast was already clear after game one of the series.
England go into the third T20I already 2-0 up in the series, which takes some pressure off Rashid personally, even if his own numbers rarely need protecting against this particular opponent. Manchester has not always been kind to visiting spinners, but his record against Sri Lanka suggests conditions matter less than the name on the team sheet standing across from him.
If history is any guide, whatever happens in this Adil Rashid England vs Sri Lanka T20I clash will end up adding to a body of work that already speaks for itself.
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What is Adil Rashid’s record against Sri Lanka in T20Is?
Rashid has taken 17 wickets in 12 T20Is against Sri Lanka at an economy of 5.48. That figure is his best economy against any opponent he has faced more than once in the format.
How many wickets does Adil Rashid have in T20I cricket overall?
Rashid has taken 169 wickets in 150 T20I matches at a career average of 23.28. His 150th wicket in the format came against Sri Lanka at the 2026 T20 World Cup.
Is Wanindu Hasaranga playing in the third T20I against England?
Yes, Hasaranga remains in Sri Lanka’s squad and played the series opener. He went for 34 runs in four overs in the first T20I, with no withdrawal reported since.
Who is Sri Lanka’s best batter against pace bowling right now?
Pathum Nissanka is rated Sri Lanka’s strongest current batter against pace. He scored a century against Australia at the 2026 T20 World Cup earlier this year.
Why is Sri Lanka struggling so much against spin in 2026?
Captain Dasun Shanaka has pointed to spin-friendly conditions exposing the batting order repeatedly this year. Sri Lanka have lost ten of fifteen completed T20Is in 2026, several to specialist spin bowling.
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