Sri Lanka and New Zealand are all set to take on each other again. While it was New Zealand who toured Lanka in November this year, it will be the opposite this time. Sri Lanka will now travel to New Zealand for three ODIs and three T20Is.
Both the teams have played with each other quite a few times recently. New Zealand toured the island nation for three ODIs and two T20Is in the month of November. The T20I series ended in a 1-1 draw with Sri Lanka winning the first match and New Zealand going on to clinch a thriller in the second T20I.
However, the ODI series ended totally in favor of the home team as they decimated an inexperienced New Zealand side 2-0. The Lankans won the first two matches of the series while the last ODI was washed out due to rain.
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New Zealand to host Sri Lanka for an ODI and a T20I series
The upcoming series will be played at the end part of this year. It will begin on December 28, 2024, and will go on till January 11, 2025. It is likely to be the last bilateral series for these two teams ahead of the Champions Trophy 2025.
While the Lankan Lions haven’t qualified for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, New Zealand has qualified as one of the eight teams for the tournament.
ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final schedule is yet to be announced, however, it is likely to be played during February-March next year.
The ODI series holds much significance as it allows the Kiwis to fine-tune their preparations for the marquee ICC tournament. They recently lost the ODI series 0-2 to Sri Lanka when they toured the island nation in November.
NZ vs SL Tour Schedule
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
Sri Lanka’s disastrous tour of New Zealand in 2023
The last time Sri Lanka toured New Zealand was in 2023, The visitors lost the series in all the formats and had a disastrous tour. They lost the two-match Test series 0-2 and also lost the three-match ODI series by the same margin. The Kiwis won the T20I series 2-1.
Both teams also played a Test series with each other in September 2024. The two-match Test series was played on Lankan soil. The Lankan Lions dominated both the matches and clean-swept their opponents 2-0.
New Zealand then toured India for a three-match Test series and stunned a powerful Indian team by defeating them 3-0. It was a milestone moment in the history of their cricket as India were defeated for the first time in a home Test series in 12 years.