Sri Lanka National Cricket Team vs India National Cricket Team Timeline: Head-to-Head Record and Recent Matches

Last Updated: September 12, 2026

The Sri Lanka National Cricket Team vs India National Cricket Team rivalry is one of the most enduring contests in Asian cricket. Separated by the Palk Strait, India and Sri Lanka have shared the cricket field for more than four decades across Test matches, One Day Internationals (ODIs), T20 Internationals (T20Is), Asia Cups and ICC tournaments.

The rivalry has gone through several distinct phases. India dominated the early years after Sri Lanka gained Test status; Sri Lanka then enjoyed a golden period during the 1990s and early 2000s, and India gradually established a significant advantage from the mid-2010s onward.

Some of the most memorable moments in the rivalry include Sri Lanka’s 1996 World Cup semi-final victory over India, Sri Lanka’s record-breaking 952/6 declared in the 1997 Test series, India’s 2011 World Cup final triumph, Rohit Sharma’s record 264 in 2014, India’s 317-run ODI victory in 2023, and Mohammed Siraj’s six-wicket haul in the 2023 Asia Cup final.

This Sri Lanka vs India cricket timeline covers the major milestones in the rivalry, its changing balance of power, head-to-head statistics, and the 10 most recent encounters between the two teams.

India vs Sri Lanka Cricket Rivalry: The Beginning, 1982–1995

India and Sri Lanka first met in Test cricket in September 1982 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. The match ended in a draw and marked the beginning of what would become one of the most frequently played rivalries in Asian cricket.

Sri Lanka had only recently received Test status, while India had already been playing Test cricket for several decades. As a result, India entered the early contests with considerably greater experience.

Sri Lanka, however, quickly demonstrated that it could compete with established Test nations.

Sri Lanka’s First Test Win Over India

One of the earliest major turning points came in August 1985, when Sri Lanka defeated India by 149 runs at the P Sara Oval in Colombo.

The victory was particularly significant because Sri Lanka was still a relatively young Test side. Defeating India at home gave the island nation confidence and established the foundation for a much more competitive rivalry.

During the late 1980s and early 1990s, India and Sri Lanka increasingly played bilateral series as well as matches in the Asia Cup.

India enjoyed considerable success during this period. In the 1990-91 season, India defeated Sri Lanka by an innings and eight runs in Chandigarh. India’s 1993 tour of Sri Lanka also produced a 3-0 Test series in which India won one match and the other two were drawn.

India vs Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup

The two teams also became regular opponents in the Asia Cup, adding another important dimension to the rivalry.

India won the Asia Cup finals against Sri Lanka in 1988, 1990-91 and 1995. The 1995 final in Sharjah was particularly notable, with India winning by eight wickets after Sri Lanka posted 230, powered by an 85 from Asanka Gurusinha.

By the middle of the 1990s, however, the balance of power was about to change dramatically.

Sri Lanka’s Golden Era: 1996–2003

The year 1996 transformed Sri Lankan cricket and changed the India-Sri Lanka rivalry forever.

Sri Lanka entered the 1996 Cricket World Cup with an aggressive new approach to limited-overs cricket. Openers Sanath Jayasuriya and Romesh Kaluwitharana revolutionised the way teams approached the first 15 overs, while players such as Arjuna Ranatunga, Aravinda de Silva and Muttiah Muralitharan formed the backbone of a formidable team.

1996 World Cup Semi-Final: One of Cricket’s Most Infamous Matches

The 1996 World Cup semi-final between India and Sri Lanka at Eden Gardens in Kolkata remains one of the most controversial matches in World Cup history.

Sri Lanka scored 251/8, but India’s chase collapsed dramatically after a promising start. India fell to 120/8 as wickets continued to tumble.

The atmosphere at Eden Gardens deteriorated as sections of the crowd threw bottles and other objects onto the field. With the situation becoming impossible to control, match referee Clive Lloyd awarded the match to Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka progressed to the final and defeated Australia in Lahore to win their first men’s ODI World Cup.

The semi-final became one of the defining moments of the India-Sri Lanka rivalry and a symbol of Sri Lanka’s emergence as a world cricket powerhouse.

Sri Lanka Dominates India

Sri Lanka continued its strong run against India during the late 1990s.

In the 1997 Asia Cup final in Colombo, Sri Lanka defeated India by eight wickets after chasing India’s 239/7. Marvan Atapattu scored 84 and Sanath Jayasuriya added 63 as the hosts comfortably completed the chase.

The 1997 Test series was even more remarkable.

At the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo, Sri Lanka produced the highest team total in Test cricket history, scoring an extraordinary 952/6 declared against India.

Sanath Jayasuriya scored 340, while Roshan Mahanama made 225. The innings remains one of the most extraordinary achievements in Test cricket.

Muttiah Muralitharan vs India

One of the defining individual battles of this era was the contest between India’s batting stars and Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan.

Muralitharan’s exceptional control, variations and ability to extract turn made him a major threat to India’s batsmen across Test and limited-overs cricket.

Sri Lanka’s golden generation — featuring Muralitharan, Jayasuriya, Ranatunga, Jayawardene and later Kumar Sangakkara — ensured that India faced one of its toughest Asian opponents throughout this period.

The rivalry also produced an inconclusive but memorable moment in the 2002 ICC Champions Trophy final. The final in Colombo was washed out, as was the reserve day, resulting in the trophy being shared by India and Sri Lanka.

India vs Sri Lanka Rivalry: The Pendulum Swings, 2004–2014

The middle years of the 2000s marked another transition.

India’s next generation of players began establishing themselves, with Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni and later Virat Kohli adding considerable depth to India’s batting and limited-overs teams.

Sri Lanka, meanwhile, remained a powerful side led by players such as Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene and Muttiah Muralitharan.

The rivalry became increasingly competitive, although both teams continued to experience periods of dominance.

2008 Asia Cup Final

Sri Lanka delivered one of its most emphatic victories over India in the 2008 Asia Cup final in Karachi.

Sanath Jayasuriya scored a spectacular 125, helping Sri Lanka post a formidable total. India was then dismissed for 173, giving Sri Lanka a 100-run victory and another major tournament triumph over its regional rival.

2011 World Cup Final: India vs Sri Lanka

The biggest match of the era came in the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup final at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.

Sri Lanka batted first and posted 274/6, with Mahela Jayawardene producing a magnificent unbeaten century.

India’s chase began badly when Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar departed early. Gautam Gambhir then played one of the most important innings of his career, scoring 97.

Virat Kohli contributed 35 before being dismissed, after which captain MS Dhoni promoted himself up the order.

Dhoni scored an unbeaten 91 and sealed India’s victory with one of the most iconic sixes in World Cup history.

India won by six wickets and lifted its second ODI World Cup title.

For Sri Lanka, the defeat was heartbreaking. For India, it became one of the defining nights in the country’s cricket history.

Rohit Sharma’s 264: An ODI Record Against Sri Lanka

Another landmark India vs Sri Lanka match took place at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, in November 2014.

India’s Rohit Sharma produced an extraordinary 264 runs, the highest individual score in men’s ODI cricket.

Rohit’s innings included 33 fours and nine sixes and remains the highest individual score in ODI history.

The fact that the record came against Sri Lanka further cemented the team’s place in the statistical history of this rivalry.

The decade also produced several enormous run chases, including India’s successful pursuit of a huge Sri Lankan total in Rajkot in 2009, demonstrating how frequently the fixture produced high-scoring ODI cricket.

India vs Sri Lanka Since 2015: India’s Modern Dominance

From the middle of the 2010s onward, India increasingly established itself as the stronger team across formats.

India’s domestic cricket structure, the emergence of the IPL, a deeper talent pool and the development of a strong pace-bowling attack all contributed to the team’s growing consistency.

Sri Lanka, meanwhile, entered a period of transition following the retirement of several members of its golden generation.

Administrative instability and frequent changes in personnel also made it difficult for Sri Lanka to maintain the consistency it had enjoyed during the 1990s and early 2000s.

India Whitewashes Sri Lanka 3-0 in Tests in 2017

India’s tour of Sri Lanka in 2017 produced one of the clearest examples of the changing balance of power.

India won all three Tests, recording a 3-0 series whitewash.

The victories included a massive 304-run win in Galle and an innings-and-171-run victory in Pallekele.

It was India’s first 3-0 Test series sweep in Sri Lanka and demonstrated the visitors’ growing dominance in the format.

The trend continued in the 2022 Test series, when India won the Mohali Test by an innings and 222 runs.

India’s Record 317-Run ODI Victory in 2023

One of the biggest statistical landmarks in India vs Sri Lanka ODI history came in January 2023.

India scored a massive total in Guwahati before dismissing Sri Lanka for a low score.

India eventually won by 317 runs, which was reported as the largest winning margin by runs in men’s ODI cricket at the time.

The match highlighted the widening gap between the two teams in one-day cricket.

2023 Asia Cup Final: Sri Lanka Bowled Out for 50

The 2023 Asia Cup final in Colombo produced another extraordinary India vs Sri Lanka result.

Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to bat, but India’s fast bowlers immediately took control.

Mohammed Siraj produced a sensational 6/21, including four wickets in one over.

Sri Lanka was dismissed for only 50 runs, its lowest ODI total.

India needed only 6.1 overs to complete the chase without losing a wicket and won the Asia Cup final by 10 wickets.

The result represented one of the most dominant performances ever produced in an Asia Cup final.

Sri Lanka’s ODI Comeback in 2024

Despite India’s overall dominance, Sri Lanka demonstrated in 2024 that the rivalry remained capable of producing major surprises.

During India’s tour of Sri Lanka, the first ODI ended in a tie before Sri Lanka won the second ODI by 32 runs and the third by 110 runs.

The result gave Sri Lanka a 2-0 ODI series victory and marked its first bilateral ODI series win over India in 27 years.

Spin played a major role in the series, with Jeffrey Vandersay and Dunith Wellalage causing significant problems for India’s batting order.

The third ODI was particularly memorable as Wellalage took five wickets while Sri Lanka bowled India out for 138.

India vs Sri Lanka T20I Rivalry

The T20I rivalry has generally been more favourable to India, but the shortest format has produced some exceptionally close contests.

India defeated Sri Lanka in the 2024 T20I series in Pallekele, winning all three matches.

The third match was particularly dramatic.

Both teams finished on 137, forcing a Super Over. India held its nerve in the extra over and completed a clean sweep.

The rivalry produced another Super Over thriller during the 2025 Asia Cup, when India and Sri Lanka again finished level on 202 runs.

India eventually won the Super Over after restricting Sri Lanka to two runs and chasing the target of three from the first delivery.

These matches demonstrate why India vs Sri Lanka remains an attractive fixture in T20 cricket even when the overall head-to-head record favours India.

India vs Sri Lanka Head-to-Head Record

The overall head-to-head numbers illustrate how dramatically the rivalry has evolved.

Format	India Wins	Sri Lanka Wins	Draw/Tie/NR
Tests	23	7	18 draws
ODIs	32	30	1 tie, 6 no-results
T20Is	23	9	1 no-result

India’s advantage is particularly pronounced in Test cricket and T20Is, while the ODI rivalry has historically been much more competitive.

The ODI numbers are especially notable because India and Sri Lanka have met frequently in bilateral series and major tournaments, including World Cups and Asia Cups.

Sri Lanka National Cricket Team Vs India National Cricket Team Timeline: Most Recent 10 Matches

The following list covers the 10 most recent India vs Sri Lanka international matches in chronological order from newest to oldest.

1. India vs Sri Lanka, 2nd Test — Colombo, 23 August 2026

Result: Match drawn

India: 503/9 declared
Sri Lanka: 290 all out & 429/9 declared

Devdutt Padikkal scored 117, and Dhruv Jurel remained unbeaten on 115 as India posted 503/9 declared.

Sri Lanka responded with 290 in the first innings, with Sonal Dinusha scoring 103.

Dinusha then produced another outstanding innings in the second innings, scoring an unbeaten 133 to help Sri Lanka reach 429/9 declared and secure a draw.

Player of the Match: Sonal Dinusha

2. India vs Sri Lanka, 1st Test – Galle, 15 August 2026

Result: India won by 165 runs

India: 462 & 193
Sri Lanka: 284 & 206

Devdutt Padikkal scored 167 in India’s first innings, giving India a substantial advantage.

Sri Lanka responded with 284, before India set up the match with a second-innings score of 193.

Manav Suthar then produced match-winning figures of 10 wickets, including 6/55 in Sri Lanka’s second innings.

India bowled Sri Lanka out for 206 to secure a 165-run victory.

Player of the Match: Devdutt Padikkal

3. India vs Sri Lanka, 18th Match, Super Fours — Asia Cup, 26 September 2025

Result: Match tied; India won the Super Over

India: 202/5
Sri Lanka: 202/5

Abhishek Sharma scored 61 for India, while Tilak Varma remained unbeaten on 49.

Sri Lanka’s response was led by a spectacular 107 from Pathum Nissanka, which took the match to a tie.

Sri Lanka scored only two runs in the Super Over before India completed the winning chase from the first ball.

Player of the Match: Pathum Nissanka

4. India vs Sri Lanka, 3rd ODI — Colombo, 7 August 2024

Result: Sri Lanka won by 110 runs

Sri Lanka: 248/7
India: 138 all out

Avishka Fernando scored 96 to help Sri Lanka reach 248/7.

India’s chase then collapsed, with Dunith Wellalage taking 5/27.

India was dismissed for 138, giving Sri Lanka a 110-run victory and a 2-0 series win.

Player of the Match: Avishka Fernando

5. India vs Sri Lanka, 2nd ODI — Colombo, 4 August 2024

Result: Sri Lanka won by 32 runs

Sri Lanka: 240/9
India: 208 all out

Jeffrey Vandersay produced a match-winning bowling performance, taking 6 wickets as India’s chase collapsed.

Rohit Sharma scored 64 from 44 balls, but India eventually fell 32 runs short.

Player of the Match: Jeffrey Vandersay

6. India vs Sri Lanka, 1st ODI – Colombo, 2 August 2024

Result: Match tied

Sri Lanka: 230/8
India: 230 all out

Dunith Wellalage scored an unbeaten 67 to help Sri Lanka reach 230/8.

Rohit Sharma responded with 58, but India’s chase eventually ended with the scores level.

India was bowled out for 230 in 47.5 overs, producing one of the most dramatic ODI finishes of the rivalry.

Player of the Match: Dunith Wellalage

7. India vs Sri Lanka, 3rd T20I — Pallekele, 30 July 2024

Result: Match tied; India won the Super Over

India: 137/9
Sri Lanka: 137/8

India posted 137/9 before Sri Lanka fought back during a dramatic chase.

Sri Lanka needed to manage the final overs but lost wickets rapidly before eventually reaching 137/8.

The match went to a Super Over, where India held its nerve to complete a 3-0 T20I series sweep.

8. India vs Sri Lanka, 2nd T20I — Pallekele, 28 July 2024

Result: India won by 7 wickets via DLS method

Sri Lanka: 161/9
India: 81/3 in 6.3 overs

Sri Lanka posted 161/9 before rain interrupted India’s chase.

The target was revised to 78 from eight overs, and India reached 81/3 in just 6.3 overs.

India therefore took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series.

9. India vs Sri Lanka, 1st T20I — Pallekele, 27 July 2024

Result: India won by 43 runs

India: 213/7
Sri Lanka: 170 all out

Suryakumar Yadav led from the front with a brilliant 58 from 26 balls.

Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal also made important contributions as India reached 213/7.

Matheesha Pathirana took four wickets, but Sri Lanka was eventually dismissed for 170.

Player of the Match: Suryakumar Yadav

10. India vs Sri Lanka, Asia Cup Final — Colombo, 17 September 2023

Result: India won by 10 wickets

Sri Lanka: 50 all out
India: 51/0

Mohammed Siraj produced one of the finest bowling performances in Asia Cup history, taking 6/21.

Sri Lanka collapsed to 50 all out in only 15.2 overs.

India then completed the chase in 6.1 overs without losing a wicket.

The 10-wicket victory gave India another Asia Cup title and became one of the most dominant finals in the tournament’s history.

Player of the Match: Mohammed Siraj

Why Is India vs Sri Lanka Such a Famous Cricket Rivalry?

The India-Sri Lanka rivalry is unique because it has never been defined by a single period of dominance.

Instead, the balance has shifted repeatedly.

India controlled much of the early period before Sri Lanka emerged as a world-class side in the 1990s. Sri Lanka’s golden generation then produced historic victories, including the 1996 World Cup semi-final and the 1997 Test series.

India gradually regained control during the 2000s, culminating in the 2011 World Cup final.

Since the middle of the 2010s, India has generally maintained the stronger overall record, particularly in Tests and T20Is. Sri Lanka, however, continues to produce major upsets, as demonstrated by its 2024 ODI series victory.

That history gives the fixture an additional layer beyond simple win-loss statistics.

Sri Lanka National Cricket Team Vs India National Cricket Team Timeline: Key Milestones

Here are some of the most important moments in the rivalry:

• 1982: India and Sri Lanka play their first Test in Chennai.
• 1985: Sri Lanka records its first Test victory over India.
• 1988: India defeats Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup final.
• 1990-91: India defeats Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup final.
• 1995: India beats Sri Lanka in another Asia Cup final.
• 1996: Sri Lanka defeats India in the controversial World Cup semi-final.
• 1997: Sri Lanka records 952/6 declared, the highest team total in Test cricket.
• 2002: India and Sri Lanka share the Champions Trophy after the final is washed out.
• 2008: Sri Lanka defeats India by 100 runs in the Asia Cup final.
• 2011: India defeats Sri Lanka in the World Cup final in Mumbai.
• 2014: Rohit Sharma scores a world-record 264 against Sri Lanka.
• 2017: India completes a 3-0 Test series sweep in Sri Lanka.
• 2023: India defeats Sri Lanka by a record 317 runs in an ODI.
• 2023: India bowls Sri Lanka out for 50 in the Asia Cup final.
• 2024: Sri Lanka defeats India 2-0 in an ODI series.
• 2024: India defeats Sri Lanka in a T20I Super Over.
• 2025: India defeats Sri Lanka in another Asia Cup Super Over.
• 2026: India wins the opening Test in Galle before the second Test in Colombo ends in a draw.

Conclusion

The Sri Lanka National Cricket Team vs India National Cricket Team rivalry has evolved significantly since their first Test in 1982. From Sri Lanka’s golden era in the 1990s to India’s growing dominance in the modern era, both teams have produced unforgettable moments across Tests, ODIs and T20Is. The 1996 World Cup semi-final, 2011 World Cup final, Rohit Sharma’s record 264, India’s 317-run ODI victory and the dramatic Super Over finishes remain key chapters in their history. Although India currently holds the stronger overall record, Sri Lanka has repeatedly shown its ability to challenge its neighbours, as seen in the 2024 ODI series. With new generations emerging, India vs Sri Lanka matches remain an important and unpredictable part of Asian cricket.

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