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I’ve covered India-Sri Lanka cricket for close to 15 years now, and the T20I version of this rivalry still catches me off guard. India wins most of the bilateral series. Sri Lanka keeps finding a way to win the one match everyone’s watching.
The india national cricket team vs sri lanka national cricket team t20i timeline began in December 2009 and now runs to 33 matches. Along the way it’s produced a World Cup final upset, a joint-fastest century, and a tied Asia Cup thriller settled by a Super Over. This piece covers the full india national cricket team vs sri lanka national cricket team timeline in the shortest format: every era, every record, every name that matters. For broader context, I’ve also pulled in a quick look at the india national cricket team vs sri lanka national cricket team odi timeline, since the two rivalries share a lot of the same characters.
India National Cricket Team vs Sri Lanka National Cricket Team T20I Head-to-Head Record
| Category | India | Sri Lanka |
|---|---|---|
| T20I Matches | 33 | 33 |
| Wins | 23 | 9 |
| Losses | 9 | 23 |
| No Results | 1 | 1 |
| Win Percentage | 71.9% | 28.1% |
India dominates the bilateral numbers. But strip out the regular tour matches and look only at ICC events, and Sri Lanka’s record against India gets a lot more interesting.
India National Cricket Team vs Sri Lanka National Cricket Team Timeline: The Bigger Picture
T20Is are the newest chapter in a rivalry that started in Tests back in 1982 and in ODIs in 1979. Across all formats, India holds the edge almost everywhere except the moments that end up in World Cup folklore. Sri Lanka beat India in the 1996 World Cup semi-final. They beat India again in the 2014 World T20 final. Both defeats still get replayed on Indian TV every time these two sides meet in a tournament.
India National Cricket Team vs Sri Lanka National Cricket Team ODI Timeline (Quick Context)
The ODI version of this fixture goes back further and runs deeper: 171 matches, India ahead 99-59, with 11 no-results and 2 ties. Their first ODI meeting was at the 1979 World Cup, and Sri Lanka won it. It took India’s cricket team a few years to build the dominance that now defines the head-to-head record. That imbalance, strong in bilateral cricket but shaky in big tournaments, carried straight over into the T20I era.
India vs Sri Lanka T20I Timeline: Year by Year
2009-2010: Beginning of the T20I rivalry
The first-ever India vs Sri Lanka T20I was played on December 9, 2009, in Nagpur. Kumar Sangakkara smashed 78 off 37 balls, and Sri Lanka won by 29 runs. India hit back three days later in Mohali, where Yuvraj Singh’s unbeaten 60 off 25 balls sealed a 6-wicket win. The teams then met at the 2010 World T20 in Gros Islet, where Sri Lanka chased down 164 on the last ball to eliminate India from the tournament.
2011-2016: The rivalry grows
This stretch belonged mostly to India in bilateral cricket, but the format’s biggest ICC shock arrived here too. At the 2014 World T20 final in Dhaka, Virat Kohli’s 77 off 58 balls carried India to 130/4. It wasn’t enough. Kumar Sangakkara’s unbeaten 52 took Sri Lanka home with 13 balls to spare, and Lasith Malinga lifted his only World T20 trophy as captain.
2017-2021: A competitive stretch, and one record-breaking night
In December 2017, Rohit Sharma smashed 118 off 43 balls in Indore, the joint-fastest century in T20I history at the time. India’s 260/5 remains their highest total against Sri Lanka in the format. The 2018 Nidahas Trophy added more drama, a tri-series in Colombo that India eventually won despite a rocky start against the hosts.
2022-2024: Modern rivalry, modern heartbreak
Sri Lanka beat India by 6 wickets in the 2022 Asia Cup, ending India’s unbeaten run against them in the tournament’s T20 format. India responded in the 2024 bilateral series in Sri Lanka, winning 3-0, though one of those matches, on July 30, 2024, at Pallekele, ended in a tie before India claimed it via Super Over.
2025-2026: The latest chapter
On September 26, 2025, in Dubai, Pathum Nissanka’s century pushed Sri Lanka to 202/5, matching India’s total and forcing a second successive tied finish between the two sides. Arshdeep Singh’s double strike in the Super Over won it for India, who went on to lift the Asia Cup 2025 title days later. A three-match T20I series in India is currently scheduled for December 2026, part of Sri Lanka’s tour that also includes Tests. That series hasn’t been played yet, so it sits outside the completed head-to-head numbers above.
India National Cricket Team vs Sri Lanka National Cricket Team ICC Tournament Record
| ICC Event | Meetings | India Won | Sri Lanka Won |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men’s T20 World Cup | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| T20 Asia Cup | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Bilateral & tri-series T20Is | 29 | 22 | 7 |
India has never beaten Sri Lanka at a men’s T20 World Cup. Both meetings, the 2010 group game in Gros Islet and the 2014 final in Dhaka, went to the Lankans. It’s the rare ICC record where South Africa’s bogey-team problem against New Zealand finds an odd cousin: a team that dominates the bilateral fixture but keeps losing the tournament games that matter most.
India vs Sri Lanka T20I Records
| Record | Detail |
|---|---|
| Highest team total | India, 260/5, Indore, 2017 |
| Highest total by Sri Lanka | 215/5, Nagpur, 2009 |
| Biggest win margin | India by 88 runs, Indore, 2017 |
| Fastest century in the fixture | Rohit Sharma, 118 off 43 balls, 2017 |
| First T20I meeting | December 9, 2009, Nagpur (Sri Lanka won by 29 runs) |
Most Runs in India vs Sri Lanka T20Is
| Player | Team | Runs | Matches | Notable Innings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dasun Shanaka | Sri Lanka | 452 | 24 | Consistent middle-order scoring across a decade |
| Shikhar Dhawan | India | 375 | 12 | 90 in the 2018 Nidahas Trophy opener |
| Virat Kohli | India | 339 | 7 | 82 off 54 balls, Colombo, 2017 |
| KL Rahul | India | 295 | — | 89 off 49 balls in a 260-run India total, 2017 |
| Rohit Sharma | India | 289 | 15 | 118 off 43 balls, Indore, 2017 |
Shanaka’s tally leads the overall list, built patiently over close to two decades of bilateral cricket and Asia Cups. On India’s side, the top run-scorers are almost entirely products of that explosive 2017 Indore series, which still shapes most of the format’s individual records between these two teams.
Most Wickets in India vs Sri Lanka T20Is
| Player | Team | Wickets | Matches | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yuzvendra Chahal | India | 23 | 13 | 8.49 |
| Wanindu Hasaranga | Sri Lanka | 4/9 in a single spell (2021) | — | Sri Lanka’s best-ever figures against India |
| Lasith Malinga | Sri Lanka | Regular new-ball threat, 2009-2019 | — | Player of the series, 2014 World T20 final |
| Ashok Dinda | India | 4/19 in a single spell (2013) | — | Bowled Sri Lanka out for 116 |
Chahal’s leg-spin has troubled Sri Lanka’s middle order more consistently than any other bowler on either side. Hasaranga’s 4 for 9 in 2021 remains the standout individual bowling effort by a Sri Lankan against India in this format.
Memorable India vs Sri Lanka T20I Matches
2014 World T20 final, Dhaka. Kohli’s 77 wasn’t enough. Sangakkara finished his international career with a trophy, and Malinga’s death bowling shut India down in the final overs.
2017, Indore. Rohit Sharma’s 118 off 43 balls turned a routine bilateral game into a record-book entry. India’s 260/5 is still their high point against Sri Lanka.
2024, Pallekele. A tied T20I, settled by Super Over, on July 30. Small margins, big consequences for a series India eventually swept 3-0.
2025, Dubai. Nissanka’s century in a losing cause, another tie, another Super Over, and Arshdeep Singh’s twin strikes that sent India into the Asia Cup final unbeaten.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did India and Sri Lanka first play a T20I?
December 9, 2009, in Nagpur. Sri Lanka won by 29 runs.
How many T20Is have India and Sri Lanka played?
33 matches. India has won 23, Sri Lanka 9, with 1 no result.
Who has won more India vs Sri Lanka T20Is?
India, comfortably, at a win percentage above 70%. Sri Lanka’s record improves sharply in ICC tournaments.
What is India’s highest T20I score against Sri Lanka?
260/5, set in Indore in 2017, built around Rohit Sharma’s 118 off 43 balls.
Who has scored the most runs in India vs Sri Lanka T20Is?
Dasun Shanaka, with 452 runs, leads both teams combined. Shikhar Dhawan tops the list for India.
Who has taken the most wickets in India vs Sri Lanka T20Is?
Yuzvendra Chahal, with 23 wickets, leads all bowlers in the fixture.
What was the latest India vs Sri Lanka T20I result?
A tied Super Over match at the 2025 Asia Cup in Dubai, won by India on September 26, 2025.
When is the next India vs Sri Lanka T20I?
A three-match series is scheduled in India starting December 2026, as part of Sri Lanka’s white-ball and Test tour.
Final Word
India owns the bilateral numbers in this fixture, and it isn’t close. Sri Lanka owns two of the biggest days the format has ever produced: a World Cup final in Dhaka and a run of tied, Super Over classics a decade later. That’s the real shape of the india national cricket team vs sri lanka national cricket team t20i timeline. One side keeps winning the series. The other keeps showing up when a trophy’s on the line.
