England have appointed Dan Lawrence to replace Jos Buttler for the third and final One Day International against Sri Lanka at The Oval on September 27, with the series level at 1-1. Jos Buttler has been ruled out of England’s third and final ODI against Sri Lanka at The Oval on September 27, 2026, following a left hamstring injury he suffered while running between the wickets in the second ODI at Headingley on September 24.
Buttler scored 31 in England’s first ODI win and was instrumental in the second game, batting at number four. According to the ICC website, he began a counter-attacking innings after England lost three wickets for 157 runs while chasing 322.
However, Buttler sustained a left hamstring injury in the 38th over while attempting his second run after scoring 66 runs. He stepped away from the field briefly and came back later, but managed only three additional runs before England fell 16 runs short. England will receive more details about the severity of Buttler’s injury early next week after an MRI scan. At 36, he has a recent history of soft-tissue issues, such as a comparable left hamstring problem during the 2024 IPL season.
Lawrence, who has not yet earned an international cap in either white-ball format, was removed from Surrey’s County Championship game against Somerset following his sixth century of the season, scored on September 24. He will train with the ODI squad at The Oval on Saturday in preparation for the final match.
At 28, Lawrence provides England with an additional choice as the team reshapes its squad in preparation for the 2027 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup. He has not yet played a limited-overs match for England, though he has appeared in 17 Tests. In his latest match against Pakistan, Lawrence scored 65 runs and claimed two wickets using his off-spin.
ESPN quotes Kevin Pietersen saying, “[We need to] have certain players in certain positions, in order for us to know that if something like this happens to Jos in, say, the final round of whatever game in South Africa, and you’ve got to go and play a quarter-final, that somebody can step up into Jos’s boots – like we’re going to need to have on Sunday.”
