NEW DELHI: England sent a strong statement ahead of the T20 World Cup with a hard-fought 11-run win over Sri Lanka in the opening T20I at Pallekele on Friday, with the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method coming into play.

Sam Curran was the star of the show, taking a hat-trick to derail Sri Lanka as they were bowled out for 133 in just 16.2 overs. Opener Phil Salt, ranked second in the world for T20Is, played a polished 46 off 35 balls, anchoring England's chase and giving them a 1-0 lead in the three-match series - a perfect dress rehearsal for the upcoming World Cup.

"Our execution was good tonight. We are happy with the progress we have made and it's all about building up nicely for the World Cup. Sam Curran was awesome. He had a tough start tonight, but he bounced back so well," England captain Harry Brook said.

Sri Lanka had raced to 76 for 1 inside the first seven overs, but the introduction of spin tilted the game in England's favour. Leg-spinner Adil Rashid ran through the middle order, claiming three crucial wickets and earning the Man of the Match award.

Sam Curran then produced a moment of magic, becoming only the second England player to take a T20I hat-trick after Chris Jordan, dismantling Sri Lanka's innings just as they looked set for a competitive total.

Curran's hat-trick began with skipper Dasun Shanaka being caught at mid-off, followed by Maheesh Theekshana skying a shot straight to long-on. He completed the trio by bowling Matheesha Pathirana with a sharply swinging delivery.

The final pair managed just four runs before Jamie Overton dismissed Wanindu Hasaranga for 14, leaving Sri Lanka reeling from 129 for 6 to 133 all out in a stunning collapse across just five deliveries.

In response, Phil Salt anchored England's innings with authority, while Tom Banton provided the fireworks, blasting a quick 29 off just 15 balls, including three fours and two towering sixes.

Sri Lanka's fielding let them down at key moments, with two straightforward catches going down, but their modest total never gave them a realistic chance against a dominant England line-up.

When rain interrupted the match with England needing just nine runs from the final two overs and six wickets in hand, the visitors were comfortably ahead on the DLS method and were declared winners. The encounter had earlier been shortened to 17 overs per side due to the weather.