Sri Lanka vs England 1st T20I Weather: Will rain play spoilsport in Pallekele?
The 2026 T20 World Cup will be hosted jointly by India and Sri Lanka. The tournament will start on February 7, and the first match will be played in Sri Lanka between Pakistan and the Netherlands. However, heavy rain in Sri Lanka before the World Cup caused the first T20 between England and Sri Lanka to be delayed. This rain could be a big concern for fans ahead of the tournament.
The first match of the three-match T20 series between England and Sri Lanka was scheduled to start on Friday, January 30, at 7 PM IST, but rain prevented it from starting on time. The toss was supposed to happen at 6:30 PM, but it has not taken place yet due to the weather.
Bad news from Sri Lanka… https://t.co/nDyM9iSQCU pic.twitter.com/p0j1FD151k
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) January 30, 2026
According to the latest update, it is raining continuously. The match hasn’t started yet, and there is no news about the toss either. India is scheduled to play a league stage match against Pakistan in Sri Lanka. The India vs Pakistan game will take place on February 15 in Colombo. This is expected to be the most exciting match of the tournament. Fans especially enjoy watching games between India and Pakistan.
The situation when we arrived at The Pallekele International Cricket Stadium this evening 😳 pic.twitter.com/eqhnDH79UB
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) January 30, 2026
Several matches of the upcoming T20 World Cup will be held in Sri Lanka. Pakistan will play all their games in Sri Lanka. If it rains during the tournament, it could make things difficult for Pakistan. It will be interesting to see what the weather is like in Sri Lanka during the World Cup.
In total, the World Cup matches in Sri Lanka will take place at three venues. Two of these are in Colombo, and one is in Pallekele.