Senior England players, including captain Nat Sciver-Brunt, will be allowed to miss a three-match T20I series in Sri Lanka if their franchises qualify for the final stages of WPL 2027 in India.

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) announced dates for England's tour on Wednesday, with the three T20Is in Pallekele scheduled from February 1 to 5 acting as preparation for the inaugural Women's T20 Champions Trophy, which runs from February 14 to 28 in India. England will then return to Sri Lanka for three ODIs in Dambulla from March 4 to 8.

The WPL runs from January 14 to February 7, and Cricinfo has learned that the ECB will allow England players to fulfil their franchise commitments even if it means missing the Sri Lanka T20Is. The approach is recognition that the WPL playoffs will provide players with good preparation for the Champions Trophy through high-stakes games in relevant conditions.

Sciver-Brunt (Mumbai Indians), Lauren Bell (Royal Challengers Bengaluru) and Sophie Ecclestone (UP Warriorz) have all been retained by their franchises for 2027. Only two English players - Sophia Dunkley and Kira Chathli - have entered next week's auction, with the majority opting to prioritise the Sri Lanka series.

No Sri Lankan players are affected by the date clash as things stand, though captain Chamari Athapaththu and Mithali Ayodhya have both entered auction scheduled for October 28.

The ECB has previously allowed players to miss bilateral T20Is to play in the WPL, with four players - Ecclestone, Sciver-Brunt, Alice Capsey and Danni Wyatt-Hodge - arriving late for a series in New Zealand due to their participation in the 2024 edition.

The inaugural Women's Champions Trophy was initially scheduled to be played in Sri Lanka in June-July 2027. The dates were moved forward earlier this year by the ICC, who then stripped Sri Lanka of hosting rights over government interference in their cricket administration and relocated the tournament to India.

England will also hold a red-ball training camp in India in January, selection for which will take place in the coming weeks.

The move follows head coach Charlotte Edwards' appraisal at the end of the home summer, saying her side would need to intensify their focus on Test cricket after India thrashed them by 270 runs at Lord's in July and with an Ashes series looming in the middle of next year.

"There will be a real focus on our red-ball cricket come December, January, February and leading into our English summer," Edwards said at the time. "Expect potentially some of the players to be removed from county cricket. I'll put that out there now because we've got a few best v best [planned]."

T20I series: February 1, 3, 5 (all Pallekele)
ODI series: March 4, 6, 8 (all Dambulla)