Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has announced that the Sri Lanka Men’s National Team will tour New Zealand in December 2024 and January 2025 to compete in a white-ball series featuring both T20Is and ODIs. This tour will be an exciting opportunity for the Lankan side to face a tough New Zealand squad in their own backyard.
The series will be a crucial one for Sri Lanka as they prepare for upcoming ICC events, with both teams looking to fine-tune their line-ups ahead of the next major tournaments. New Zealand toured Sri Lanka for a three-match ODI series in November 2024 with the Islanders securing a historic ODI series win. In a gripping second ODI in Pallekele, Sri Lanka triumphed by three wickets, led by Kusal Mendis’ match-winning 73 not out. This victory gave Sri Lanka an unassailable 2-0 lead, marking their first ODI series win over New Zealand since 2012.
In that match, Sri Lanka chased down a modest target of 210 in a rain-affected, 47-over game. The hosts faced a spirited fightback from New Zealand’s bowlers, particularly Michael Bracewell, who claimed figures of 4 for 36. However, Sri Lanka’s steady partnerships, including an unbeaten eighth-wicket stand of 47 between Mendis and Maheesh Theekshana, guided them to victory.
The Sri Lankan bowlers were also exceptional, with Theekshana and Jeffrey Vandersay both picking up three wickets. The effort on the field, combined with a superb display of catching, was key to restricting New Zealand to a total of just 209 runs.
Tour Schedule
The Sri Lankan team will play a total of six matches—three T20 Internationals and three One-Day Internationals (ODIs). The details of the tour schedule are as follows:
28th December 2024: 1st T20I – Bay Oval, Tauranga
30th December 2024: 2nd T20I – Bay Oval, Tauranga
2nd January 2025: 3rd T20I – Saxton Oval, Nelson
5th January 2025: 1st ODI – Basin Reserve, Wellington
8th January 2025: 2nd ODI – Seddon Park, Hamilton
11th January 2025: 3rd ODI – Eden Park, Auckland
