Donald earned his England call-up after an impressive Vitality Blast campaign. The Derbyshire batter scored 489 runs in 12 matches, including four half-centuries.
More importantly, he produced 37 sixes during the tournament. That tally ranked as the highest in this season’s Vitality Blast.
As a result, Donald will now make his international debut in Southampton. The first T20I starts at 6.30pm UK time and will be shown live on Sky Sports.
Meanwhile, Buttler’s usual opening partner Phil Salt will miss the three-match series. The England batter is recovering from a quad injury.
Nice combination
McCullum told Sky Sports: “Aneurin will open the batting with Jos, which is very exciting.
“He is a cricketer that has been on our radar for quite some time.
“From ball one, he can attack the opposition. That approach is probably quite similar to Salty. Furthermore, he has raw power and an incredible amount of talent.
“I am looking forward to seeing how he goes on the big stage. It is great to see him take that step up.
“Hopefully, he and Jos will form a nice combination.”
Archer given a rest
Jofra Archer will not feature in the T20I series after his starring role in England’s recent Test campaign against Pakistan.
Instead, Josh Tongue gets the opportunity to switch to white-ball cricket. The fast bowler also impressed during the 3-0 Test series win over Pakistan.
At the Utilita Bowl, Harry Brook will captain England. Tongue is expected to lead the pace attack alongside the rest of the selected bowlers.
However, England could rest Tongue for the second T20I in Cardiff on Thursday, September 17. The management team wants to avoid putting too much pressure on the fast bowler.
McCullum explained: “We are trying to be smart around player management.
“After a busy schedule, we appreciate that the players need careful handling. At the same time, we want to make sure we have our best team out there.”
England XI for first T20 vs Sri Lanka: Aneurin Donald, Jos Buttler, Harry Brook (captain), Tom Banton, Jordan Cox, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Liam Dawson, Josh Tongue, Sonny Baker, Adil Rashid.
Finally, the third and final T20I will take place at Emirates Old Trafford in Manchester on Saturday, September 19.
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