'We can take a lot of confidence' – Harry Brook as England look to exploit Pallekele experience in Super 8 clash against Sri Lanka

Published - 21 Feb 2026, 17:25 IST | Updated - 21 Feb 2026, 17:26 IST

England captain Harry Brook recalled his side’s impressive performance at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, the venue for their Super 8 clash against Sri Lanka on February 22 at the T20 World Cup 2026.

Back in January, England played a three-match T20I series at the same venue and emerged victorious in all three games. Although the series had low-scoring contests overall, several English batters, including Tom Banton, Phil Salt, Harry Brook and Sam Curran, made telling contributions. Adil Rashid was equally effective with the ball, exploiting the spin-conducive conditions smartly.

England’s fixture against Sri Lanka marks the first of their two Super Eight games in Pallekele, with a high-stakes clash against Pakistan scheduled on February 24. Brook admitted that returning to familiar territory can help his side psychologically.

“We can take a lot of confidence having played here and experienced this surface and this ground. We had a very good series against them here, so we can hopefully take that experience and use it in the game tomorrow,” Harry Brook was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.

However, Brook acknowledged that Sri Lanka are not the same side England faced earlier this year, particularly given Pathum Nissanka’s red-hot form. The opener struck a superb century against Australia at the venue in his team's dominant win.

“Some of their batters are batting really well. So hopefully we can get a few wickets in the powerplay. And Nissanka is on a bit of a heater at the minute, so it would be ideal if we can get him out early,” he concluded.

Despite their strong record at Pallekele, England’s World Cup campaign so far has been far from smooth. They narrowly escaped an upset against Nepal and suffered a heavy defeat to West Indies. They also needed crucial lower-order efforts, including from Will Jacks, to overcome Italy and Scotland.

With the Super Eight stage now underway, England will be eager to rediscover consistency and build momentum at a venue where they whitewashed Sri Lanka not long ago.