Tom Banton's fifty seals T20I series for England as Buttler overtakes Rohit Sharma and Brook makes history

Tom Banton's fifty seals the series as England's landmark night ends with Kevin Pietersen back in the fold

Tom Banton's blistering fifty powered England to a six-wicket thrashing of Sri Lanka that sealed the T20I series 2-0 — but the win was merely the warm-up act on a landmark stretch for English white-ball cricket.

Jos Buttler broke Rohit Sharma's record to become the second-highest run-scorer in men's T20I history, underlining his extraordinary longevity at the top of the format, while Harry Brook scripted history of his own by becoming the first cricketer to achieve the feat in T20Is.

Pietersen back in the England setup

There has been an eye-catching off-field addition too, with Kevin Pietersen returning to the England setup as a mentor working alongside coach Brendon McCullum. McCullum has revealed the dramatic phone call that convinced Pietersen to come back — a conversation the former captain apparently did not take seriously at first.

"He thought I was joking," McCullum said of the call that brought Pietersen back.

Pietersen's remit is clear: he has been asked to challenge McCullum and push the coaching group out of its comfort zone.

Test captain Ben Stokes has already delivered his verdict on what Pietersen's return means for Brook in particular, making a huge comparison between the young Yorkshireman and England's most flamboyant batter of the 2000s.

"Even KP couldn't come close," Stokes said of Brook.