The India national cricket team vs Sri Lanka national cricket team timeline has an enriched cricket history with important games, legendary moments, and spectacular performances. From the 1980s when the two first played against each other, this cricketing rivalry between them emerged to be one of the most storied in the history of Asian and World cricket. Both teams have tested each format, Test matches, One-Day Internationals (ODIs), and Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is).
The face-off between Sri Lanka and India is one of a kind not just because of their geographical proximity but also due to mutual respectability and good sportsmanship. Let’s now discover the history related to matches played between the Sri Lanka national cricket team vs India national cricket team timeline, knowing which games made a difference in redefining their rivalry.
Early Encounters: India Vs Sri Lanka
1979: First ODI
Sri Lanka has been a full-time member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) since 1981. The team played their first official One Day International(ODI) game against India, during the World Cup.
- Venue: Old Trafford, England
- Result: Sri Lanka won by 47 runs.
- Significance: This was Sri Lanka’s first victory against a Test-playing nation in an ODI.They are not a Test team Sri Lanka’s victory over India in the World Cup proved too much of a promising concern for their growing dominance in international cricket.
1982-83: Sri Lanka, First Tour for India
Sri Lanka gained Test status in 1982, and their first official Test series was against India in Sri Lanka in 1982. India was the very first team to play Sri Lanka in their first test series.
- Venue: India
- Result: Draw
- Significance: This series marked the beginning of regular cricketing ties between India and Sri Lanka. India dominated the series, but the seeds of the rivalry were being sown.
SL vs IND: Beginning of Battle of T20
The first match was played between Sri Lanka and India, held in Sri Lanka.
- Venue: Sri Lanka
- Result: India Won by 3 wkts
India National Cricket Team vs Sri Lanka National Cricket Team Timeline: Key Matches & Historical Moments
India vs. Sri Lanka: 1996 World Cup Semi-Final
A remarkable event in the history of the team’s Sri Lanka national cricket team vs India national cricket team timeline was also witnessed during the 1996 ICC Cricket World Cup. The event saw Sri Lanka, which had assisted in co-hosting the tournament, win that year’s first and until now only World Cup title. However, the semifinal match against India remains to this day the most controversial game in cricketing history.
Date: March 13, 1996
Venue: Eden Gardens, Kolkata
Result: Sri Lanka won by default (crowd trouble)
Note: Sri Lanka went all the way to the final and won the World Cup. This game, however, is popular for being one of the most thrilling moments in the aisles of cricketing rivaliries between the two nations
1997 Colombo Test: Sri Lanka vs. India
Sri Lanka’s cricket reached new heights in 1997 during a Test match with India, wherein the team recorded a new world record remains the highest total in Test Cricket till date.
- Date: August 1997
- Venue: R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
- Result: Match drawn
- Key Players: Sanath Jayasuriya (Sri Lanka), Roshan Mahanama (Sri Lanka), Sachin Tendulkar (India)
Posting an enormous score of 537/8 declared by India, Sri Lanka responded with a marvellous 952/6 declared that still remains the highest aggregate run by any team in the history of Test cricket. Sanath Jayasuriya was ably assisted by Roshan Mahanama and scored mammoth 340, while Mahanama scored 225. This match clearly showed that Sri Lanka could hold its own against the best and remains evidence of their general cricketing skill.
READ THIS: IND vs SL Head to Head in Test
1997 Independence Cup:
India and Sri Lanka played out an exciting final in the Independence Cup. India chased down a massive total of 315, thanks to Sourav Ganguly’s brilliant century.
- Venue: India
- Result: Sri Lanka won the final.
- Significance: Sri Lanka became Masters of the subcontinent with a well-deserved victory over India in the final making them an unassailable cricketing giant in the 90s.
2000: Coco-Cola Champions Trophy
Sri Lanka played a wonderful game, the final at Sharjah on October 29, 2000.
- Venue: Sharjah
- Result: Sri Lanka won by 245 runs
- Significance: Sri Lanka all-out the team in the score of 54
2002 ICC Champions Trophy Final: India vs. Sri Lanka
The final of the 2002 ICC Champions Trophy was shared by India and Sri Lanka, as the game on both days was affected by rains.
- Venue: Colombo, Sri Lanka
- Result: Final Trophy shared due to rain (India and Sri Lanka declared joint winners).
- Significance: the most eagerly awaited final witnessed the interference of rain, and both teams shared the title. It was a match that will be remembered in fans’ heads as a missed chance by either side to take a big ICC trophy outright.
2008 Asia Cup Final: India vs. Sri Lanka
The 2008 Asia Cup final is a key event in the timeline of the Sri Lanka national cricket team vs India national cricket team, where Sri Lanka won the tournament.
- Venue: Karachi, Pakistan
- Result: Sri Lanka won by 100 runs
- Significance: Sri Lanka outplayed India in the final, with Ajantha Mendis’ mystery spin baffling Indian batsmen. His six-wicket haul remains one of the most memorable performances in Asia Cup history.
2011 ICC World Cup Final
This match stands out as one of the most iconic moments in the India National Cricket Team vs Sri Lanka National Cricket Team Timeline.
- Venue: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, India
- Result: India won by 6 wickets.
- Significance: India, led by MS Dhoni, chased down Sri Lanka’s total to win their second World Cup. Dhoni’s match-winning 91* and Gautam Gambhir’s crucial knock secured India’s victory, ending Sri Lanka’s hopes of a second title.
2014 ICC T20 World Cup Final
Sri Lanka finally won the ICC T20 World Cup after two losses in the finals.
- Venue: Dhaka, Bangladesh
- Result: Sri Lanka won by 6 wickets.
- Significance: Lasith Malinga’s death bowling and Kumar Sangakkara’s unbeaten 52 in the final were crucial to their victory. This win stands as a defining moment for Sri Lankan cricket in the modern era.
READ MORE: IND vs SL Head to Head in T20
2015 Test Series: India in Sri Lanka
The closest contest so far for India was in 2015 when they won their first test series victory in Sri Lanka after 22 long years.
- Venue: Karachi, Pakistan
- Result: Sri Lanka won by 100 runs.
- Significance: Sri Lanka outplayed India in the final, and the spin of Ajantha Mendis left the Indian batsmen baffled. His six-wicket haul ranks among some of the most memorable performances in Asia Cup history.
Nidahas Trophy 2018 Final: India vs. Sri Lanka
The Nidahas Trophy 2018 T20I tri-series involving India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh provided another memorable clash between India and Sri Lanka, of one of the most dramatic finishes in T20I history.
- Venue: R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
- Result: India won by 4 wickets
- Key Players: Dinesh Karthik (India), Rohit Sharma (India), Kusal Perera (Sri Lanka)
Recent ODIs and T20Is (2019-2024)
In recent years, the rivalry between India and Sri Lanka has remained healthy and prosperous across all formats, where both teams produced competitive games. India has had the upper hand in ODIs and T20Is, but in T20 cricket and some innings, Sri Lanka has shown glimpses of their potential in world cricket.
- 2019 ODI Series in India: India won the three-match series 2-0, losing one match due to rain.
- 2021 T20I Series in Sri Lanka: They won the series 2-1, but here also, signs of blossoming young talent were visible, such as Wanindu Hasaranga.
- Asia Cup 2022: India and Sri Lanka clashed in the Super 4 stage, where Sri Lanka won a closely contested match by 6 wickets.
- Asia Cup 2023: Co-hosts Sri Lanka lost to India by a crushing 10 wickets at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, Sri Lanka, as they lost the 2023 Asia Cup. Mohammed Siraj took his best return of 6/21, as Sri Lanka were bowled out for just 50 runs, with four wickets falling off an over.
- World Cup 2023: Again India repeated the same feat against Sri Lanka in World Cup 2023, but in this India hosted the World Cup event. India all-out Sri Lanka in 55 runs and India won that match by 302 runs.
