ODI World Cup 2023

Stats and Records: India-Sri Lanka cricketing rivalry

The stage is set for a thrilling showdown at Mumbai’s iconic Wankhede Stadium, where India and Sri Lanka will face off in a much-anticipated clash. The rematch serves as a reminiscent of the famous 2011 final, etching memories of “Dhoni finishing off in style” and India lifting the World Cup after 28 years.

India enters the match with a sparkling record in the 2023 World Cup, having emerged victorious in all of their encounters so far. On the other hand, Sri Lanka has faced a bumpy road, managing only two wins out of six games. The clash promises a fierce battle, with India aiming to maintain their unbeaten streak, while Sri Lanka seeks a turn in fortune.

India and Sri Lanka have a longstanding cricketing rivalry, with intense battles etched into the history of the sport. Even after Sri Lankan cricket legends retired and the team underwent a transition phase, they continued to give India a run for their money on numerous occasions.

here are some remarkable stats and intriguing facts about this enduring rivalry:

1. The two teams have played a remarkable 167 matches against each other, the most by any two teams in ODI history.

2. India boasts 98 wins, Sri Lanka has 57, one ended in a tie, and eleven resulted in no-decisions. India’s winning percentage stands at 63.14%, compared to Sri Lanka’s 36.85%.

3. Mohammed Siraj’s career-best figures of 6 for 21 in Colombo (RPS) on September 17, 2023, during the Asia Cup Final, are the best by an Indian bowler against Sri Lanka in ODIs.

4. MS Dhoni holds the record for the most wins as captain against Sri Lanka, with 25 wins out of 41 matches. This impressive record amounts to a winning percentage of 60.97%.

5. India has enjoyed an excellent record against Sri Lanka in the last nine years, winning 20 out of 23 matches.

6. Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly’s second-wicket partnership of 318 in a World Cup fixture at Taunton on May 26, 1999, is the highest by any pair for any wicket against Sri Lanka in ODIs.

7. In Sri Lanka, India has secured 32 wins out of 66 matches, losing 28, with six ending in no-decisions. In India, India has claimed 39 wins and suffered 12 losses out of 54 matches.

8. Since 1998, India hasn’t lost a single bilateral series against Sri Lanka. Between 2006-07 and 2023, India has won all ten bilateral ODI series against Sri Lanka.

9. Of the six 5-0 whitewashes by India in the bilateral ODI series, two were against Sri Lanka, in India (2014-15) and in Sri Lanka (2017), both under Virat Kohli’s captaincy and in successive series.

10. Virat Kohli holds the record for the most centuries (ten) by any batsman against Sri Lanka in ODIs.

11. Rohit Sharma is the only batsman to score two double centuries against Sri Lanka in ODIs, with scores of 264 (Kolkata, 2014) and 208 not out (Mohali, 2017).

12. Sachin Tendulkar’s aggregate of 3113 runs (average 43.84) in 84 matches, including eight centuries and seventeen fifties, is the highest by any batsman against Sri Lanka in ODIs.

13. Zaheer Khan holds the record for most wickets (66) by an Indian bowler against Sri Lanka in ODIs, with one five-wicket haul and four wickets in an innings.

14. Jasprit Bumrah’s tally of 15 wickets at 11.26 runs apiece in five matches is the most by any bowler in ODIs involving India and Sri Lanka.

15. MS Dhoni’s tally of dismissals (96) is a record for any wicketkeeper against Sri Lanka in ODIs, comprising 71 catches and 25 stumpings in 67 matches.

16. Sri Lanka’s 73 all out at Thiruvananthapuram on January 15, 2023, is their lowest total against India in ODIs on Indian soil. Their lowest overall (50) against India occurred in the Asia Cup final in Colombo (RPS) on September 27, 2023.

17. India’s top three totals against Sri Lanka are 414 for 7 (Rajkot, 2009), 404 for 5 (Kolkata, 2014), and 392 for 4 (Mohali, 2017).

18. India’s lowest total against Sri Lanka, 54, was recorded in the final of the Coca-Cola Champions Trophy in Sharjah on October 29, 2000, their lowest ever in ODIs on home soil was also against Sri Lanka, 78 at Kanpur on December 24, 1986.

19. Sanath Jayasuriya’s 189 off 161 balls in the final of the Coca-Cola Champions Trophy against India in Sharjah on October 29, 2000, remains the highest score for Sri Lanka in ODIs and is also the highest by any batsman in any ODI final.

20. Sri Lanka’s victory over India by 254 runs in the final of the Coca-Cola CT at Sharjah on October 29, 2000, stands as their largest victory margin in terms of runs in any ODI final.

21. The leading wicket-takers in ODIs involving India and Sri Lanka are Muttiah Muralitharan (74 wickets in 63 matches) and Chaminda Vaas (70 wickets in 61 matches).

22. Muralitharan’s best figures of 7 for 30 in Sharjah on October 27, 2000, remain the best by a Sri Lankan bowler against India in ODIs.

23. India’s 317-run victory over Sri Lanka at Thiruvananthapuram on January 15, 2023, remains the largest winning margin by any team in the history of ODIs.

24. Both teams have clinched four wins each in the nine World Cup matches they’ve contested between 1979 and 2019. India ended a two-decade World Cup drought against Sri Lanka, winning by 157 runs at Taunton on May 26, 1999.

As cricket enthusiasts gear up for the India-Sri Lanka clash at the Wankhede Stadium, they can’t help but relish the rich history and intense rivalry that has defined encounters between these cricketing giants over the years. The clash promises to be a spectacle worth watching, where history and tradition meet the excitement of the present.