The Sri Lanka National Cricket Team vs India National Cricket Team timeline is a gripping saga of cricketing rivalry, evolution, and unforgettable moments. These two giants of cricketing have been pitting wits against each other since their initial encounter in 1979, where both have played each other in the most competitive tournaments, and in legendary Test matches, and record-breaking ODI and T20I matches.
It is not just a list of match outcomes, it is a manifestation of changing team dynamics, great feats by legends and the pulse of South Asian cricket. World Cup finals, Asia Cup thrillers, and much more, every tale deepens a history that runs on passion, pride and precision. Discover the way this long-standing competition has influenced the game of cricket through the ages.
Early Encounters: The Foundation Years (1979–1990s)
The Sri Lanka National Cricket Team vs India National Cricket Team timeline truly began with a seismic shock in the 1979 World Cup. Sri Lanka, still an associate of the ICC, registered a major upset on June 16 at Old Trafford, when they chased down 238 with big innings by Sidath Wettimuny, Roy Dias and Duleep Mendis to win by 9 wickets against India. This was a turning point and Sri Lanka was pushed to full Test status by 1981.
In 1982, they played their first Test series against India, having won the earlier ODIs 3-0, but the series ended in a draw, and were early causes of future insidious rivalry.
The first Test win over India in Colombo in 1985 was a defining moment when Sri Lanka achieved twin centuries of Duleep Mendis and match-winning performance of Ranatunga. These foundation years in the Sri Lanka National Cricket Team vs India National Cricket Team timeline built the emotional core of a rivalry steeped in underdog grit and emerging dominance.
Rise of a Rivalry: 1990s–2000s
The Sri Lanka National Cricket Team vs India National Cricket Team Timeline can be characterized as the most thrilling in the period of the 1990s-2000s. The turning point was the World Cup semi-final of 1996 Sri Lanka beat India at Eden Gardens, the Azharuddin team crumbled under the pursuit of Aravinda de Silva and Sanath Jayasuriya and a pitch invasion and a rousing come-back resulted.
Sri Lanka swaggered on: Jayasuriya carved 134 of 65 against India in the 1998 Nidahas Trophy and subsequently burnt them in the 2000 Asia Cup final resulting in a thumping 71-run victory .
And by the new millennium, mythic spin had taken over: Sri Lanka won the jointly-hosted 2002 Champions Trophy and upset India once more in the 2008 Asia Cup final, when Ajantha Mendis weaved a web India could not get out of.
The decade transformed the Sri Lanka National Cricket Team vs India National Cricket Team Timeline making the two teams tactical peers and strong competitors in the international front.
Dominance and Drama: 2000s–2010s
The history of the Sri Lanka National Cricket Team vs India National Cricket Team played in the 2000s and 2010s can be seen as the climax of this rivalry filled with tense matches and memorable highlights.
- 2007 Cricket World Cup: Sri Lanka took on a critical group-stage match against India and won by a margin of 69 runs with the Indian batting order being destroyed by Muttiah Muralitharan spin.
- 2011 Cricket World Cup Final: India won their 2nd world cup title on home ground beating Sri Lanka by 6 wickets. India won the match with 97 runs by Gautam Gambhir and 91 not out by MS Dhoni.
- Final 2014 ICC World Twenty20: Sri Lanka won their first T20 World Cup by beating India by six wickets in Dhaka with a captain Kumar Sangakkara leading the team with his 52*
The matches did not only demonstrate the cricketing abilities of both countries but increased the rivalry between them so that it is one of the most interesting stories in the history of modern cricket.
Modern-Day Matches (2015–2025)
The Sri Lanka National Cricket Team versus India National Cricket Team Timeline in the 2015-2025 era has been colored with stiff competition, upcoming talents, and memorable matches.
Records of Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma has played a leading role in this competition. He made his 151st men T20I in the 2023 ICC World Cup, becoming the first men player to play more than 150 T20Is, and cemented his place as a T20I legend. He is also the highest run scorer in T20I cricket and has scored 5 centuries in 159 matches.
The Rise of Wanindu Hasaranga
Wanindu Hasaranga of Sri Lanka has become a very tough opponent. He also played a great role in the 2023 Cricket World Cup Qualifiers when he recorded a 6-wicket haul against the UAE. In 2024, he was crowned the best bowler in ODI and T20I at the Sri Lanka Cricket Awards. He also emerged the leading wicket taker of ODIs internationally in the same year.
Asia Cup Final 2023
On 17 September 2023, India won the final by 10 wickets against Sri Lanka, which scored 50 runs, being chased by India within 6.1 overs. This game recorded the fewest runs in any final of an ODI tournament.
2024-25 Bilateral Series
India visited Sri Lanka in July 2024 in a three-match ODI series and three T20Is. India emerged victorious in the T20I series by 3 matches to 0 whilst Sri Lanka won the ODI series 2 matches to 0, its first bilateral ODI-series win over India in 27 years.
These meetings have only escalated the competition as it demonstrates the changing relations between the two teams.
Head-to-Head Stats Summary
The match- up between Sri Lanka National Cricket Team vs India National Cricket Team has been competitive and fertile in all forms. This is broken down as follows:
Test Matches
● Total Matches Played: 46
● India Wins: 22
● Sri Lanka Wins: 7
● Draws: 17
● First Test Match: 1982 in Sri Lanka
● Highest Individual Score: Sanath Jayasuriya (Sri Lanka) – 340 runs
● Most Runs: Sachin Tendulkar (India) – 1,995 runs
● Most Wickets: Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri Lanka) – 105 wickets
One Day Internationals (ODIs)
● Total Matches Played: 171
● India Wins: 99
● Sri Lanka Wins: 59
● No Results: 11
● Tied Matches: 2
● First ODI Match: 1979 World Cup
● Highest Individual Score: Rohit Sharma (India) – 264 runs
● Most Runs: Sachin Tendulkar (India) – 3,113 runs
● Most Wickets: Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri Lanka) – 74 wickets
Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is)
● Total Matches Played: 32
● India Wins: 21
● Sri Lanka Wins: 9
● No Results: 1
● First T20I Match: 2009
● Highest Individual Score: Rohit Sharma (India) – 118 runs
● Most Runs: Dasun Shanaka (Sri Lanka) – 430 runs
● Most Wickets: Yuzvendra Chahal (India) – 23 wickets
These figures show the competitive rivalry as India dominates most of the areas but Sri Lanka also did well particularly in Test cricket. The games have been marked by close rivalry, great player performances and history-making achievements of the two teams.
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Key Turning Points in the Timeline
The history of this rivalry between the Sri Lanka National Cricket Team and the Indian National Cricket Team has been characterized by some of the most important moments that have contributed greatly to the power of this rivalry. These are some of the most effective turning points:
1. 1996 World Cup Semi-Final Eden Gardens
There was a dramatic twist of events when the semi-final between India and Sri Lanka was called off at Eden Gardens because of the crowd riots and Sri Lanka went into the final. This game is one of the most debatable in the history of cricket.
2. Indian win at World Cup final 2011
India won the second world cup when they bested Sri Lanka in the final held in Wankhede Stadium. Match-winning 91* by MS Dhoni and 97 runs by Gautam Gambhir helped towards this win.
3. Virat Kohli ODIs record
Virat Kohli is a regular player against Sri Lanka with his best being his first ODI century in Eden Gardens in 2008 and famous 133* in Australia in 2012.
4. Sri Lanka’s Historic Test Series Win in India (2008)
Sri Lanka created history by winning a series in India and this was a great milestone in their cricket history. This was the triumph of Sri Lanka in their emergent strength in test cricket.
5. 2014 Asia Cup Final
In the final of the 2014 Asia Cup, Sri Lanka defeated India by six wickets with the 52* from Kumar Sangakkara. This victory indicated the dominance of Sri Lanka in the short format.
7. India dominated 2023 Asia Cup Final
The domination of India over Sri Lanka in the rivalry was reflected in their complete win in the 2023 Asia Cup final when they chased Sri Lankan score of 50 runs in the 6.1 overs.
Such instances have not only set the cricketing score between India and Sri Lanka but also added to the glory of the history of cricket in the subcontinent.
Final Word
The Sri Lanka National Cricket Team vs India National Cricket Team timeline is a testament to decades of thrilling contests, legendary performances, and evolving rivalries. Groundbreaking upsets or World Cup finals and contemporary encounters, this chronicle of the phenomenon of this game’s passion and competence that characterize one of the longest-lasting rivalries in cricket. Now that both teams are still developing and competing, the history between them will only deliver more memorable moments in the future.
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