England Reclaims No. 1 T20I Ranking After Sri Lanka Whitewash

England completed a 3-0 series whitewash of Sri Lanka with an eight-wicket victory in the third Twenty20 international at Old Trafford in Manchester on Saturday, September 19, 2026, reclaiming the No. 1 position in the ICC T20I team rankings. Chasing a target of 125 runs after Sri Lanka were bowled out for 124, England reached the target in just 9.4 overs, with 62 balls to spare. Jos Buttler led the charge with an unbeaten 62 from 32 balls, while captain Harry Brook contributed 33 before being run out. The pair added 85 runs for the second wicket, steering England to victory. Sri Lanka's innings faltered early, with Pathum Nissanka top-scoring with 36 and Kamindu Mendis making 35. England's bowlers dominated, with Will Jacks, Jofra Archer, and Sonny Baker each taking two wickets. Baker, in particular, was named Player of the Match for his figures of 2 for 17 in 3.5 overs. The win secured England the series sweep and moved them ahead of India in the ICC rankings. Both teams are level on 269 rating points, but England now leads on a decimal calculation. This marks the third time England and India have traded the top spot in the past two months.