Sri Lanka Women vs India Women Cricket Timeline: Key Matches, Stats and Complete Rivalry History

The Sri Lanka Women vs India Women’s National Cricket Team timeline spans nearly three decades- from a 104-run defeat in 1997 to Sri Lanka lifting the Asia Cup in 2024. This rivalry has transformed from a predictable mismatch into one of the most competitive fixtures in Asian women’s cricket. India lead the overall head-to-head across all formats. But Sri Lanka have won two of the five most significant recent results. For anyone tracking the growth of women’s cricket in Asia, this fixture is essential viewing. Here is the complete timeline, every series result, key statistics, and the tactical story behind one of cricket’s most improved rivalries.

Quick Answer: Head-to-Head Overview

The Sri Lanka Women vs India Women’s National Cricket Team head-to-head record across 75 total matches stands at India 58, Sri Lanka 15, with 2 no results. India lead in all three formats- Tests, ODIs, and T20Is. Sri Lanka’s wins are concentrated in T20Is, with their breakthrough ODI results arriving only in 2025.

Format	Total Matches	India Wins	Sri Lanka Wins	No Result/Tied
Tests	1	1	0	0
ODIs	36	29	6	1
T20Is	38	28	9	1
Total	75	58	15	2

Complete Series Results: All Bilateral Series and Tournaments

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The bilateral series record shows India winning every ODI series, while Sri Lanka secured their first bilateral T20I series win in 2022.

Year	Series	Format	Winner	Result
2004	Asia Cup Final	ODI	India	Won by 10 wickets
2008	Asia Cup Final	ODI	India	Won by 177 runs
2016	T20I Series (Sri Lanka)	T20I	Sri Lanka	Won 2–1
2018	ODI Series (Sri Lanka)	ODI	India	Won 5–0
2018	T20I Series (Sri Lanka)	T20I	India	Won 2–1
2022	ODI Series (Sri Lanka)	ODI	India	Won 3–0
2022	T20I Series (Sri Lanka)	T20I	Sri Lanka	Won 2–1
2024	Women’s T20 Asia Cup Final	T20I	Sri Lanka	Won by 8 wickets
2025	Tri-Nation ODI Series	ODI	India	Won Final by 97 runs
2025	T20I Series (India)	T20I	India	Won 5–0

Key Series Insight

Sri Lanka’s bilateral success against India has come exclusively in T20I series played on Sri Lankan soil. India have never lost a bilateral series- ODI or T20I- played in India against Sri Lanka Women.

Complete Match-by-Match Timeline: 1997 to 2025

The Sri Lanka Women vs India Women’s National Cricket Team timeline begins in December 1997 and now covers 75 matches across three formats over 28 years.

Date	Format	Venue	Result	Key Performers
Dec 17, 1997	ODI	Chandigarh	India won by 104 runs (IND 176/6, SL 72)	Chanderkanta Kaul 46 (IND), Purnima Rau 3 wkts
Apr 17, 1998	Test	Colombo	India won by 10 wkts (SL 305/9d & 142, IND 449)	Seneviratna 105* & 5/31 (SL), Anju Jain 104 (IND)
Dec 17, 2000	ODI	Kandy	India won by 121 runs (IND 208/7, SL 87)	Mithali Raj 68 (IND), Neetu David 4 wkts
Apr 29, 2004	ODI	Colombo	India won by 10 wkts (SL 97, IND 98/0)	Jhulan Goswami 3 wkts (IND), Anjum Chopra 54*
May 5, 2008	ODI	Kurunegala	India won by 177 runs (IND 276/5, SL 99)	Mithali Raj 94* (IND), Rumeli Dhar 4 wkts
Feb 7, 2013	ODI	Mumbai	India won by 7 wkts (SL 227/8, IND 228/3)	Harmanpreet Kaur 83* (IND), Rasangika 84 (SL)
Feb 19, 2016	T20I	Ranchi	India won by 9 wkts (SL 107/8, IND 108/1)	Smriti Mandhana 43* (IND)
Sep 19, 2016	T20I	Colombo	SL won by 10 wkts (IND 127/8, SL 128/0)	Athapaththu 63*, Sanjeewani 45* (SL)
Sep 16, 2018	T20I	Katunayake	SL won by 3 wkts (IND 168/4, SL 169/7)	Athapaththu 57 (SL)
Sep 25, 2018	ODI	Katunayake	India won by 6 wkts (SL 212, IND 213/4)	Mandhana 73* (IND)
Jul 7, 2022	ODI	Pallekele	India won by 39 runs (IND 252/4, SL 213)	Harmanpreet Kaur 75 (IND)
Jul 4, 2022	T20I	Dambulla	SL won by 7 wkts (IND 138/5, SL 141/3)	Athapaththu 80* (SL)
Jul 28, 2024	T20I	Dambulla (Asia Cup Final)	SL won by 8 wkts (IND 165/6, SL 166/2)	Athapaththu 61, Samarawickrama 69*
Oct 9, 2024	T20I	Dubai (T20 World Cup)	India won by 82 runs (IND 172/3, SL 90)	Mandhana 50, Kaur 52 (IND), Reddy 3 wkts
Apr 27, 2025	ODI	Colombo (Tri-Nation)	India won by 9 wkts (SL 147, IND 149/1)	Sneh Rana 3/31, Pratika Rawal 50* (IND)
May 4, 2025	ODI	Colombo (Tri-Nation)	SL won by 3 wkts (IND 275/9, SL 278/7)	N. Silva 56, Samarawickrama 53 (SL)
May 11, 2025	ODI	Colombo (Tri-Nation Final)	India won by 97 runs (IND 342/7, SL 245)	Mandhana 116, Sneh Rana 4/38 (IND)
Dec 21, 2025	T20I	Visakhapatnam (1st T20I)	India won (SL 121, IND 122/1 in 14.4 ov)	Jemimah Rodrigues 69* (IND)
Dec 25, 2025	T20I	Thiruvananthapuram (3rd T20I)	India won	Shafali Verma 79 off 42, Renuka Singh 4/21
Dec 28, 2025	T20I	India (5th T20I)	India won (IND 175/7, SL 160/7)	Harmanpreet Kaur 68 off 43 balls (IND)

Era-by-Era History: How the Rivalry Evolved

1997–2004: India’s Total Structural Dominance

In the early phase of the Sri Lanka Women vs India Women’s National Cricket Team timeline, the gap was not simply about talent- it was about infrastructure. India’s Women’s Cricket Association was established in 1973. Sri Lanka Women made their international debut in 1997- the same year they played India for the first time. India entered that first game with a 24-year head start in organized women’s cricket. The 104-run defeat in Chandigarh in December 1997 reflected that head start exactly. The 1998 Test match in Colombo- the only Test ever played between these two sides- told the same story more dramatically. Chamani Seneviratna scored 105 not out and then took 5/31 in the same match, one of the great all-round performances in women’s Test cricket history. Sri Lanka posted 305/9 declared. India still replied with 449 and won by 10 wickets without their openers losing a second-innings wicket. India’s batting depth had no equivalent on the other side.

Key Takeaway: India’s dominance from 1997 to 2004 was structural. Sri Lanka was building an international program from scratch while India had decades of domestic competition behind them.

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2004–2013: Asia Cup Battleground, ODI Margin Intact

The Women’s Asia Cup, launched in 2004, became the primary arena for the India Women vs Sri Lanka Women ODI rivalry through this decade. India won the inaugural edition by bowling Sri Lanka out for 97 and chasing without losing a wicket. By 2008, India’s 177-run Asia Cup Final win in Kurunegala remained the largest margin of the era. Mithali Raj scored 94 not out in that innings. Jhulan Goswami and Neetu David gave India a bowling combination Sri Lanka had no consistent answer to in 50-over cricket. By 2013, Sri Lanka had improved significantly- they posted 227/8 in Mumbai, their highest ODI total against India at that point. India chased it in 36 overs with 7 wickets to spare. Progress was visible. Match results were not yet reflecting it.

Key Takeaway: Sri Lanka improved their batting output through this decade, particularly through Shashikala Siriwardene and Chamani Seneviratna. But India’s bowling depth- pace and spin- kept the ODI gap wide.

2016–2018: Sri Lanka Finds a Repeatable T20I Formula

The September 2016 T20I in Colombo is the single most important turning point in the Sri Lanka Women vs India Women’s National Cricket Team timeline. Sri Lanka chased 128 in 17.1 overs without losing a wicket. Chamari Athapaththu scored 63 not out. Anushka Sanjeewani scored 45 not out. India had been bowled out for 127. It was the first time Sri Lanka had beaten India in a T20I. More importantly, it introduced a specific, repeatable method: Athapaththu attacks the powerplay, removes psychological pressure from the chase early, and gives Sri Lanka’s middle order a platform it had never previously enjoyed against India. Two years later in Katunayake, Sri Lanka chased 169 by 3 wickets with Athapaththu scoring 57. India won the ODI series 5-0 in the same year- but the format divide was now fully established. Sri Lanka were consistently competitive in T20Is. India’s 50-over depth kept them dominant in ODIs.

Key Takeaway: 2016 to 2018 established the rivalry’s central dynamic- Sri Lanka’s T20I edge, India’s ODI superiority- that still largely holds in 2025.

2022: First Bilateral T20I Series Win

Sri Lanka’s 2022 bilateral T20I series win over India was not an upset- it was the confirmed result of a method six years in development. India won the ODI series 3-0 in that same tour. Then Sri Lanka won the T20I series 2-1. The decisive match in Dambulla: India posted 138/5. Sri Lanka chased it in 19.1 overs. Athapaththu finished 80 not out. That was Sri Lanka’s first bilateral T20I series win over India- proof they could execute their powerplay-led formula across a multi-match series, not just in individual contests.

Key Takeaway: A series win requires consistency across multiple matches, not a single counter-punch. Sri Lanka’s 2022 result proved they had both the formula and the squad depth to execute it across formats.

2024: Asia Cup Glory, World Cup Reality Check

The two most significant results in the recent Sri Lanka Women vs India Women’s National Cricket Team timeline came just three months apart in 2024- and they point in opposite directions. On July 28, 2024, in Dambulla, Sri Lanka chased India’s 165/6 with 8 wickets remaining and 24 balls to spare. Athapaththu scored 61. Samarawickrama scored 69 not out. Sri Lanka won their first Asia Cup title. On October 9, 2024, in Dubai, India posted 172/3- Mandhana scoring 50, Harmanpreet scoring 52- and bowled Sri Lanka out for 90. India won by 82 runs, their largest margin against Sri Lanka in T20Is. What this contrast reveals: Sri Lanka win when chasing on familiar slow surfaces in Sri Lanka. India win when defending large totals on unfamiliar or neutral pitches. The surface is not incidental- it is the primary determinant of the result in T20I cricket between these two sides.

Key Takeaway: The 2024 Asia Cup and World Cup results are not contradictory- they confirm the same pattern. Surface condition is the biggest variable in every T20I between these teams.

2025: ODIs Get Competitive, T20Is Swing Back to India

The 2025 chapter of the India Women vs Sri Lanka Women cricket timeline is the most statistically rich and competitive period in the rivalry’s ODI history. In the Tri-Nation ODI Series in Colombo, India won Match 1 by 9 wickets after Sri Lanka folded for 147. Then in Match 4, Sri Lanka chased 276 to win by 3 wickets- with Nilakshika Silva scoring 56 and Samarawickrama scoring 53 in the final over. That was the first time Sri Lanka had successfully chased 276+ against India in any ODI. In the final, Mandhana scored 116, India posted 342/7- their highest total in this rivalry- and Sneh Rana’s 4/38 sealed a 97-run win. In December 2025, India won all five T20Is at home 5-0. Shafali Verma hit 79 off 42 balls in the third T20I. Renuka Singh took 4/21 in the same match. Harmanpreet Kaur rescued India from 77/5 with 68 off 43 balls in the fifth T20I. Sri Lanka have not won a single T20I or ODI on Indian soil across all bilateral series.

Key Takeaway: 2025 confirmed both sides of the rivalry simultaneously. Sri Lanka can now challenge India in ODIs at home. India are still too strong for Sri Lanka in T20Is played in Indian conditions.

5 Defining Matches in the Timeline

These five matches define how the Sri Lanka Women vs India Women’s National Cricket Team rivalry has changed from 1997 to 2025.

Match 1: December 17, 1997- Chandigarh

India 176/6, Sri Lanka 72. India won by 104 runs.
The first meeting. Sri Lanka were six months into international cricket. The result reflected the full extent of the starting gap.

Match 2: September 19, 2016- Colombo (T20I)

India 127/8, Sri Lanka 128/0. Sri Lanka won by 10 wickets in 17.1 overs.
The tactical birth of modern Sri Lanka Women’s cricket against India. Athapaththu (63*) and Sanjeewani (45*) did not lose a wicket.

Match 3: July 4, 2022- Dambulla (T20I Series)

India 138/5, Sri Lanka 141/3. Sri Lanka won the series 2–1.
First bilateral T20I series win over India. Athapaththu 80 not out in the decisive match.

Match 4: July 28, 2024- Dambulla (Asia Cup Final)

India 165/6, Sri Lanka 166/2 in 15 overs. Sri Lanka won by 8 wickets.
Sri Lanka’s first Asia Cup title. First time they beat India in a major tournament knockout.

Match 5: May 4, 2025- Colombo (Tri-Nation ODI)

India 275/9, Sri Lanka 278/7. Sri Lanka won by 3 wickets.
First time in this ODI rivalry that Sri Lanka successfully chased above 276 against India.

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Statistical Records

Highest Team Totals

Score	Team	Format	Venue	Year
342/7	India	ODI	Colombo (Tri-Nation Final)	2025
305/9d	Sri Lanka	Test	Colombo	1998
278/7	Sri Lanka	ODI	Colombo (Tri-Nation)	2025
276/5	India	ODI	Kurunegala	2008
275/9	India	ODI	Colombo (Tri-Nation)	2025
172/3	India	T20I	Dubai (World Cup)	2024
169/7	Sri Lanka	T20I	Katunayake	2018
165/6	India	T20I	Dambulla (Asia Cup Final)	2024

Biggest Winning Margins

Margin	Winner	Format	Year	Match
177 runs	India	ODI	2008	Asia Cup Final
121 runs	India	ODI	2000	Kandy
104 runs	India	ODI	1997	World Cup
97 runs	India	ODI	2025	Tri-Nation Final
82 runs	India	T20I	2024	World Cup- Dubai
10 wickets	India	Test	1998	Colombo
10 wickets	India	ODI	2004	Asia Cup Final
10 wickets	Sri Lanka	T20I	2016	Colombo
8 wickets	Sri Lanka	T20I	2024	Asia Cup Final

Top Individual Batting Scores

Player	Score	Format	Year	Context
Smriti Mandhana (IND)	116	ODI	2025	Tri-Nation Final- India 342/7
Chamani Seneviratna (SL)	105*	Test	1998	Also took 5/31 in same match
Anju Jain (IND)	104	Test	1998	India 449 in reply
Harmanpreet Kaur (IND)	83*	ODI	2013	India chased 228/3
Chamari Athapaththu (SL)	80*	T20I	2022	Series-winning chase
Harshitha Samarawickrama (SL)	69*	T20I	2024	Asia Cup Final
Jemimah Rodrigues (IND)	69*	T20I	2025	1st T20I home series
Shafali Verma (IND)	79 off 42	T20I	2025	3rd T20I home series
Harmanpreet Kaur (IND)	68 off 43	T20I	2025	Rescued India from 77/5

Top Individual Bowling Performances

Player	Figures	Format	Year	Context
Chamani Seneviratna (SL)	5/31	Test	1998	Same match as her 105*
Sneh Rana (IND)	4/38	ODI	2025	Tri-Nation Final
Renuka Singh (IND)	4/21	T20I	2025	3rd T20I home series
Rumeli Dhar (IND)	4 wkts	ODI	2008	177-run win
Neetu David (IND)	4 wkts	ODI	2000	121-run win Kandy
Arundhati Reddy (IND)	3 wkts	T20I	2024	World Cup- SL bowled for 90
Jhulan Goswami (IND)	3 wkts	ODI	2004	Asia Cup Final

Career Rivalry Leaders

Category	Player	Team
Most impactful ODI innings	Smriti Mandhana	India
Most impactful T20I innings	Chamari Athapaththu	Sri Lanka
Best bowling in series	Sneh Rana (11 wickets, 2025 Tri-Nation)	India
Best single all-round	Chamani Seneviratna (105* + 5/31, 1998 Test)	Sri Lanka
Highest T20I strike rate	Shafali Verma (79 off 42 balls, 2025)	India
Best T20I bowling	Renuka Singh (4/21, 2025)	India

Venue and Conditions Breakdown

Venue is the single most decisive factor in the Sri Lanka Women vs India Women’s National Cricket Team timeline- more than squad selection or form.

India (Home)

Sri Lanka have not won a single T20I or ODI on Indian soil across all bilateral series. India’s 5-0 T20I sweep in December 2025 is the most complete recent evidence. Indian pitches combined with India’s pace attack- Renuka Singh, Arundhati Reddy- in front of home conditions creates an environment Sri Lanka have not navigated successfully.

Sri Lanka (Colombo and Dambulla)

All nine Sri Lanka wins in this rivalry have come on Sri Lankan soil- the 2016 Colombo 10-wicket T20I, the 2022 Dambulla T20I series, the 2024 Dambulla Asia Cup Final, and the 2025 Colombo ODI upset. Slower pitches in Colombo and Dambulla suit Athapaththu’s front-foot powerplay batting and Sri Lanka’s spin-heavy bowling attack.

Neutral Venues

India’s 82-run World Cup win in Dubai in October 2024 remains the only significant neutral-venue result in the modern era. It went firmly to India- confirming that Sri Lanka’s home advantage is not just psychological but genuinely conditions-based.

Tactical Evolution: How Sri Lanka Changed Their Approach Against India

Understanding Sri Lanka’s tactical shift is essential to understanding the complete Sri Lanka Women vs India Women’s National Cricket Team timeline.

Before 2016: Conservative and Ineffective

Before 2016, Sri Lanka played defensively against India in T20Is- rotating strike, relying on disciplined bowling, hoping India made errors. That approach produced no T20I wins across their early meetings.

The Three Changes That Made the Difference

1. Powerplay Aggression
Athapaththu attacks India’s pace attack in the first six overs regardless of match situation. She does not adjust her method based on India’s bowling combination. This removes the early pressure advantage India’s bowlers carry into matches.

2. Middle-Order Depth Building
By 2025, Nilakshika Silva and Harshitha Samarawickrama provide functional support after the top three. Their partnership in the 2025 276-run ODI chase was the key difference between a collapse and a landmark win.

3. Spin Weaponizing
On slow Colombo surfaces, Sri Lanka have used Athapaththu’s off-spin and left-arm spin to contain India’s middle order in ODIs. India’s counter- Deepti Sharma and Sneh Rana- has been more consistently effective against Sri Lanka’s batting lineup, particularly in Indian conditions.

What has not changed: When India set a large total and take early wickets, Sri Lanka’s batting collapses quickly. India’s spinners, particularly Sneh Rana, have a decisive record against Sri Lanka’s middle order once the top three are gone. That remains Sri Lanka’s structural vulnerability.

Key Players Who Define This Rivalry

India’s Decisive Performers

Smriti Mandhana is India’s most productive batter in this fixture. Her 116 in the 2025 Tri-Nation Final pushed India to 342/7- the highest total in this rivalry- before Sri Lanka had faced a ball. Her left-hand stroke-play against Sri Lanka’s pace bowling has consistently set the match tone from the first over. Harmanpreet Kaur is India’s pressure specialist in this fixture. Her 83* in 2013, 52 in the 2024 World Cup, and 68 off 43 balls in the 2025 5th T20I after India had slipped to 77/5- three of her most important innings have come specifically when India needed rescue against Sri Lanka. Sneh Rana has become India’s most effective bowling option against Sri Lanka across recent series. 11 wickets in the 2025 Tri-Nation series- including 4/38 in the final- makes her the most productive bowler in recent India-Sri Lanka encounters.

Sri Lanka’s Key Performers

Chamari Athapaththu is the primary reason this rivalry is competitive at all. Her match-winning scores in each landmark Sri Lanka result- 63* (2016), 57 (2018), 80* (2022), 61 (2024)- are not incidental. She is the central figure in every Sri Lanka win over India since 2016, both as batter and occasional bowler (3/43 in the 2025 ODI win). Harshitha Samarawickrama has upgraded Sri Lanka’s middle order in a way no previous player managed. Her 69 not out in the 2024 Asia Cup Final and 53 in the 2025 Tri-Nation ODI win both came when Sri Lanka needed composure through the middle overs. She has performed in two of Sri Lanka’s three most important matches against India. Nilakshika Silva represents the next stage of Sri Lanka’s batting development. Her 56 in the 2025 Tri-Nation ODI win confirmed that Sri Lanka’s run-scoring is no longer built entirely around Athapaththu- a critical structural change.

Where the Rivalry Stands Today

The full Sri Lanka Women vs India Women’s National Cricket Team timeline shows India leading 58–15 across 75 matches, with Sri Lanka’s recent trajectory consistently upward.

India have never lost a series in India to Sri Lanka Women. Their ODI depth remains strong. Their home T20I record is dominant. At the same time, Sri Lanka have won two bilateral T20I series over India, their first Asia Cup title against India, and their first ODI chase above 276 against India- all within three years. The gap that existed in 2004 is unrecognizable when set against 2024. Sri Lanka’s overall win percentage against India has improved from under 5% before 2016 to above 30% in T20Is played on Sri Lankan soil since 2016. Both sides enter the next ICC cycle with transitional squads. India are integrating Pratika Rawal into their top-order alongside Mandhana. Sri Lanka are building their batting structure around Samarawickrama as Athapaththu approaches the final phase of her career. Every time these two sides meet now, the result is genuinely uncertain- which makes the Sri Lanka Women vs India Women’s National Cricket Team timeline one of the most compelling continued stories in women’s cricket.

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