England have suffered a major setback ahead of the first ODI against Sri Lanka, with experienced leg-spinner Adil Rashid ruled out of the three-match series due to an injury to his bowling hand. Rashid was already a doubt for Tuesday’s series opener at the Riverside Ground after reports suggested he had picked up a niggle. However, further reports following the toss confirmed that the 38-year-old would miss the entire ODI series.
The exact nature and severity of Rashid’s injury have not yet been fully disclosed. According to reports, the spinner injured his right arm while fielding at Emirates Old Trafford on Saturday. As his right arm is also his bowling arm, England will be monitoring the situation closely.
England white-ball captain Harry Brook confirmed that Rashid would not feature in the series opener. However, he focused largely on the conditions at the Riverside Ground after winning the toss and deciding to bat first.
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“It looks dry. We’ve had a warm summer, so they probably haven’t been able to get as much water on it as they would have liked. But we’ll see how it plays in the first half,” Brook said. England have named Rehan Ahmed as Rashid’s replacement in the playing XI for the opening ODI. Ahmed provides a like-for-like spin option, but Rashid’s experience and consistency will be difficult to replace.
An update on Adil Rashid pic.twitter.com/uyaSjFa3us
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) September 22, 2026
The timing of the injury is particularly unfortunate for Rashid, who had recently featured in the three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka. He picked up two wickets across three matches while conceding 8.75 runs per over, bowling eight overs in total. Rashid appeared to have no obvious injury concerns during the T20I series, making the latest development somewhat unexpected. His absence now leaves England without one of their most experienced limited-overs bowlers for an important ODI assignment.
With the 2027 ODI World Cup approaching, England will be keen to manage Rashid’s recovery carefully rather than take unnecessary risks. The leg-spinner remains an important part of the team’s plans in white-ball cricket, and his availability will be closely watched in the coming weeks.
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For now, England will have to make do without their veteran spinner against Sri Lanka. The full extent of Rashid’s injury, and how long he may be sidelined, should become clearer once the England and Wales Cricket Board provides an official update. Rehan Ahmed’s inclusion gives the hosts another opportunity to assess their spin options, while Sri Lanka will look to exploit the absence of one of England’s key bowlers during the ODI series.
