Derbyshire batter Aneurin Donald will make his first international appearance when England host Sri Lanka at the Utilita Bowl on Tuesday.
The 29-year-old steps in to open the batting alongside Jos Buttler after Phil Salt was sidelined with a minor quadriceps injury.
His selection brings him back to familiar territory, having spent four seasons with Hampshire at this stadium before transferring to his current county.
Donald forced his way into the setup through sheer striking volume, hitting a tournament-high 37 sixes during the Vitality Blast this season. He then reinforced that form by scoring 38 runs from 19 balls in the Hundred final last month.
McCullum Praises Raw Striking Power
England white-ball coach Brendon McCullum confirmed the decision, highlighting the batter’s aggressive approach to Sky Sports.
“Anerurin will open the batting with Jos, which is very exciting. He is a cricketer that has been on our radar for quite some time,” McCullum told the broadcaster.
“I am looking forward to seeing how he goes on the big stage. I am sure him and Jos will be a good combination.”
The national team are managing workloads as they begin this new series. Fast bowler Jofra Archer is rested following his efforts in the recent Test sweep over Pakistan, while Josh Tongue retains his place.
In other local sporting news, Southampton defender Mads Roerslev recently scored an under-21s goal to push for a first-team return.
England will assess their top-order combinations throughout these three matches before naming a squad for the upcoming one-day internationals.
