Jos Buttler Withdrawn from England XI for Third ODI vs Sri Lanka at The Oval

On September 27, 2026, England omitted Jos Buttler from their playing XI for the third and deciding ODI against Sri Lanka at The Oval in London, naming Jordan Cox as his replacement for the series decider.

The three-match ODI series began on September 22 and is level at 1-1 going into the final game. In the opening fixture England batted first and were all out for 265, while Sri Lanka were dismissed for 176 as the hosts won by 89 runs. In the second match Sri Lanka posted 321 in 50 overs and England failed to chase, losing by 16 runs.

Buttler, who scored 69 runs off 49 balls in the second ODI, sustained a hamstring injury while England were chasing 322 at Headingley; he was forced to retire hurt in the 38th over and returned in the 48th over but could not take his side to victory. As a result of the hamstring issue he was ruled out of the third ODI and will undergo further assessment by the management.

At the toss England captain Harry Brook confirmed that Jordan Cox would step into the playing XI in place of Buttler. Dan Lawrence was added to England’s squad as Buttler’s replacement.

England made three changes for the decider, bringing in Jordan Cox, Liam Dawson and Sonny Baker in place of Jos Buttler, Rehan Ahmed and Josh Tongue, respectively. Harry Brook is leading the England men’s ODI team for the match.

With the series tied at 1-1, the Kusal Mendis-led Sri Lankan side have an opportunity to win the three-match series in Buttler’s absence, while Brook’s England will contest the decider at The Oval.

The third ODI at The Oval will settle the three-match series; England will field Jordan Cox with Dan Lawrence newly called into the squad, and Buttler remains under medical assessment for his hamstring injury.