Table of Contents
The Sri Lanka Women Vs India Women’s National Cricket Team Timeline stretches across several generations of women’s cricket, from early Asia Cup meetings to major World Cup contests and closely fought modern white-ball series. India have generally controlled the overall rivalry, but Sri Lanka have produced several important victories, including their historic Women’s Asia Cup final win in 2024 and a memorable ODI chase in 2025.
This timeline follows the most significant meetings between the two teams, highlighting tournament clashes, series results, landmark performances, and turning points. It also covers the rivalry’s development through the 2000s, the Mithali Raj and Chamari Athapaththu eras, the rise of Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur, and the latest encounters through September 2026.
Match Timeline
| Year/Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 2006 | India and Sri Lanka met in the Women’s Asia Cup in Jaipur, with India winning both group-stage meetings and the final. |
| 2008 | India defeated Sri Lanka in the Women’s Asia Cup group stage and then won the final by 177 runs. |
| 2012 | The teams met in the Women’s Asia Cup T20I competition, continuing India’s strong record in the tournament. |
| 2012 | India defeated Sri Lanka by nine wickets in a Women’s World Twenty20 qualifier match in Colombo. |
| February 2013 | India and Sri Lanka met in the 2013 Women’s World Cup in Mumbai. Sri Lanka produced one of the notable upsets in the rivalry. |
| January 2014 | India swept a three-match ODI series in Visakhapatnam. Gouher Sultana was particularly influential with the ball. |
| 2014 | Sri Lanka won the accompanying three-match T20I series in India 2-1. |
| 2016 | India continued its dominance in the Women’s Asia Cup era and won a bilateral T20I series against Sri Lanka. Mithali Raj’s unbeaten 51 helped India seal the second match of the 2016 T20I series. |
| February 2017 | India beat Sri Lanka by 114 runs in the Women’s World Cup Qualifier in Colombo. |
| July 2017 | India defeated Sri Lanka by 16 runs at the Women’s World Cup in Derby. |
| June 2018 | India beat Sri Lanka in the Women’s T20 Asia Cup. Mithali Raj became the first Indian woman to pass 2,000 T20I runs. |
| September 2018 | India won the three-match ODI series in Sri Lanka 2-1. Sri Lanka’s Chamari Athapaththu scored 115 in the series and helped produce a landmark Sri Lankan ODI victory. |
| September 2018 | India won the T20I series 4-0, with one match abandoned because of rain. |
| February 2020 | India beat Sri Lanka by seven wickets in the Women’s T20 World Cup in Australia. Radha Yadav took four wickets and Shafali Verma scored 47. |
| June-July 2022 | India toured Sri Lanka for three T20Is and three ODIs. India won the T20I series 2-1 and swept the ODI series 3-0. |
| October 2022 | India beat Sri Lanka in the Women’s Asia Cup final by eight wickets. |
| September 2023 | India defeated Sri Lanka by 19 runs in the Asian Games final to win India’s first women’s cricket gold medal at the Games. |
| July 2024 | Sri Lanka beat India by eight wickets in the Women’s Asia Cup final, winning their first Women’s Asia Cup title. |
| October 2024 | India responded by defeating Sri Lanka by 82 runs at the Women’s T20 World Cup in Dubai. |
| April 2025 | India defeated Sri Lanka by nine wickets in a rain-shortened ODI tri-series match in Colombo. |
| May 2025 | Sri Lanka beat India by three wickets after successfully chasing 276 in the same tri-series. |
| May 2025 | India defeated Sri Lanka by 97 runs in the tri-series final. |
| September 2025 | India beat Sri Lanka by 59 runs via the DLS method in the Women’s Cricket World Cup opener. |
| December 2025 | India swept a five-match T20I series against Sri Lanka 5-0. |
| September 2026 | India defeated Sri Lanka in the Women’s Asia Cup final and secured a record-extending eighth title. |
| September 22, 2026 | India and Sri Lanka are scheduled to meet in the Women’s Asian Games cricket final. As of September 21, the match had not yet been played. |
Memorable Encounters
2006 Women’s Asia Cup dominance
The 2006 Women’s Asia Cup in Jaipur was an important early chapter in the rivalry. India beat Sri Lanka in the tournament’s league stage and again in the final.
The final on December 21 was particularly convincing. Sri Lanka were restricted to a modest total before India completed an eight-wicket victory.
The tournament established a pattern that would remain common for years: India had greater depth in both batting and bowling, while Sri Lanka relied heavily on individual contributions from players such as Shashikala Siriwardene and Eshani Kaushalya.
2008 Asia Cup final
The 2008 final was another one-sided contest, but it also produced several memorable batting performances.
India made 260/7, with Asha Rawat scoring 97, Mithali Raj making 66 and Rumeli Dhar smashing 50 from only 31 balls. Sri Lanka were then dismissed for 83, giving India a 177-run victory.
Rawat’s 97 was especially significant because she narrowly missed a century while playing a major role in a commanding tournament final.
2013 Women’s World Cup upset
The 2013 Women’s World Cup produced one of the most unusual results in the rivalry.
Sri Lanka defeated India in Mumbai after making 282/5, one of the biggest successful run chases in the women’s ODI rivalry at the time. The result demonstrated that Sri Lanka could challenge India when its top order converted starts into major scores.
The match remains an important reference point because it showed that the rivalry was not simply a sequence of Indian victories. Sri Lanka could produce a match-winning batting performance against a much more established opponent.
2014: India’s ODI control, Sri Lanka’s T20I response
The 2014 tour in India provided an interesting contrast between formats.
India swept the ODI series 3-0. In the first ODI, Gouher Sultana produced remarkable figures of 4/4 from eight overs as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 76. India reached the target with more than 17 overs remaining.
The second ODI followed a similar pattern. Sri Lanka were dismissed for 140, with Sultana again taking four wickets, and India won by seven wickets.
But Sri Lanka reversed the outcome in the T20I series, winning 2-1. That contrast became an early indication of how differently the two teams could match up in the shorter format.
Important Milestones
Mithali Raj’s influence
Mithali Raj was one of the defining figures of the rivalry’s middle period.
Her unbeaten 51 in the 2016 T20I series helped India recover from a difficult start and win the match by five wickets. She also reached 2,000 T20I runs in the 2018 Women’s T20 Asia Cup encounter against Sri Lanka, becoming the first Indian woman to reach that landmark.
Her long international career gave India considerable continuity across multiple generations of Sri Lankan players.
Chamari Athapaththu changes the equation
Chamari Athapaththu has been central to Sri Lanka’s ability to compete with India.
Her aggressive batting became particularly important during the 2018 ODI series. ICC records from the period note that Athapaththu scored 115 in one of Sri Lanka’s major victories over India and helped Sri Lanka complete a high successful chase.
Her influence became even clearer in the 2024 Women’s Asia Cup final, when she scored 61 and helped Sri Lanka chase India’s 165/6.
India’s 2023 Asian Games gold
The 2023 Asian Games final was another major tournament meeting.
India scored 116/7 and then restricted Sri Lanka to 97/8, winning by 19 runs. The victory gave India its first women’s cricket gold medal at the Asian Games, while Sri Lanka took silver.
The result was significant beyond the rivalry because it represented India’s first appearance in the women’s cricket competition at the Asian Games.
Tournament Meetings
The two teams have crossed paths in nearly every major women’s Asian cricket competition.
Women’s Asia Cup
The Asia Cup has produced some of the most important meetings between India and Sri Lanka.
India dominated the early ODI editions, winning the 2006 and 2008 finals against Sri Lanka. The tournament later moved to T20I cricket, where India continued to enjoy strong results.
The biggest change came in 2024. Sri Lanka beat India by eight wickets in Dambulla to win their first Women’s Asia Cup title. Harshitha Samarawickrama finished unbeaten on 69, while Athapaththu made 61.
Two years later, India reversed that result. In the 2026 final, India posted 183/5 before its spinners dismantled the Sri Lankan chase, giving India its eighth Women’s Asia Cup title. Shafali Verma scored 68 and Smriti Mandhana added 59.
Women’s World Cup
The rivalry has also appeared on the global stage.
India defeated Sri Lanka by 16 runs at the 2017 Women’s World Cup after posting 232/8. Deepti Sharma and Mithali Raj shared a crucial partnership that helped India establish a defendable total.
At the 2025 Women’s Cricket World Cup, India again began its campaign against Sri Lanka. The rain-shortened match ended with India winning by 59 runs under the DLS method, with Deepti Sharma contributing 53 with the bat and 3/54 with the ball.
Women’s T20 World Cup
The 2020 Women’s T20 World Cup meeting was another Indian victory. Radha Yadav took four wickets as Sri Lanka were held to 113/9, while Shafali Verma’s 47 helped India complete the chase with 32 balls remaining.
In 2024, India again won decisively, scoring 172/3 before bowling Sri Lanka out for 90. Harmanpreet Kaur scored 52 from 27 balls and Smriti Mandhana made 50.
Historic Wins
Sri Lanka’s most important victories over India include:
- 2013 Women’s World Cup: Sri Lanka produced a major ODI upset.
- 2018 ODI series: Sri Lanka recorded a memorable high-scoring ODI win, powered by Chamari Athapaththu’s century.
- 2024 Women’s Asia Cup final: Sri Lanka defeated India by eight wickets to win its first Asia Cup title.
- May 2025 ODI tri-series: Sri Lanka chased 276 to beat India by three wickets, their first ODI victory over India since 2018.
The 2025 chase was especially notable because Sri Lanka reached 278/7 in 49.1 overs. It was their second-highest successful run chase in women’s ODI cricket at the time.
Record-Breaking Performances
Several individual and team performances stand out across the rivalry.
| Performance | Player/Team | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| 97 in 2008 Asia Cup final | Asha Rawat | Just three runs short of a final-winning century in India’s 177-run victory. |
| 66 in 2008 final | Mithali Raj | Helped India reach 260/7. |
| 4/4 in 2014 ODI | Gouher Sultana | One of the most economical high-impact spells in the rivalry. |
| 115 in 2018 ODI | Chamari Athapaththu | Key innings in Sri Lanka’s landmark high-scoring victory. |
| 171* in 2017 World Cup | Harmanpreet Kaur | The famous semifinal innings came later in India’s tournament, after the Sri Lanka group match. |
| 61 in 2024 Asia Cup final | Chamari Athapaththu | Helped Sri Lanka chase 166 successfully. |
| 69* in 2024 Asia Cup final | Harshitha Samarawickrama | Anchored Sri Lanka’s historic title-winning chase. |
| 221/2 in 2025 T20I | India | India’s highest Women’s T20I total at the time, against Sri Lanka. |
| 162-run opening stand | Smriti Mandhana & Shafali Verma | India’s highest partnership for any wicket in T20Is at that point. |
Recent Matches
The modern rivalry has become more competitive, particularly in ODIs.
2024 Asia Cup final: Sri Lanka’s breakthrough
Sri Lanka’s eight-wicket victory in the 2024 Asia Cup final was arguably the defining result of that period.
India reached 165/6, with Mandhana scoring 60 and Richa Ghosh contributing a rapid 30 from 14 balls. Sri Lanka responded with a composed chase, led by Athapaththu and Samarawickrama.
It was not merely a bilateral victory. Sri Lanka won its first Women’s Asia Cup title.
2024 T20 World Cup: India responds
Less than three months later, India produced a completely different result.
India made 172/3, led by Mandhana’s 50 and Harmanpreet’s 52. Sri Lanka were dismissed for 90, leaving India with an 82-run victory.
2025 ODI tri-series
The 2025 tri-series in Colombo produced three meetings between the sides.
India won the opening match by nine wickets after restricting Sri Lanka to 147. Pratika Rawal scored an unbeaten 50, while Harleen Deol made 48 not out.
Sri Lanka responded in the next meeting with one of its most impressive recent wins. Chasing 276, the hosts reached 278/7 in 49.1 overs to win by three wickets.
India had the final word in the tournament final, beating Sri Lanka by 97 runs after scoring 342/7.
2025 Women’s Cricket World Cup
India again defeated Sri Lanka in the 2025 World Cup, winning by 59 runs via the DLS method. Deepti Sharma was the central figure, scoring 53 and taking three wickets.
December 2025 T20I series
The five-match T20I series in India was heavily one-sided. India won all five games.
The fourth match produced a major batting record as India scored 221/2. Mandhana made 80 and Shafali Verma 79, with their 162-run opening partnership setting a new Indian record for any wicket in Women’s T20Is at that point.
The series finale brought another landmark. Deepti Sharma took the wicket that made her the all-time leading wicket-taker in women’s T20Is, reaching 152 wickets. India won the fifth match by 15 runs and completed the 5-0 sweep.
Head-to-Head Record
The rivalry has historically favored India, especially in major tournaments and bilateral ODI series. Sri Lanka, however, have produced several results that carry disproportionate historical importance.
| Period/Competition | Key Result |
|---|---|
| 2006 Asia Cup | India won both group meetings and the final. |
| 2008 Asia Cup | India beat Sri Lanka in the group stage and final. |
| 2014 ODI series | India won 3-0. |
| 2014 T20I series | Sri Lanka won 2-1. |
| 2018 ODI series | India won 2-1. |
| 2018 T20I series | India won 4-0, with one match washed out. |
| 2022 ODI series | India won 3-0. |
| 2022 T20I series | India won 2-1. |
| 2024 Asia Cup final | Sri Lanka won by eight wickets. |
| 2025 ODI tri-series | India won two of three meetings. |
| 2025 T20I series | India won 5-0. |
| 2026 Asia Cup final | India won and claimed its eighth title. |
What the Timeline Shows
The rivalry has evolved considerably.
In the early years, India generally had the deeper batting and bowling resources and dominated Asia Cup encounters. The 2006 and 2008 finals are clear examples.
During the 2010s, Sri Lanka began producing more disruptive performances. The 2013 World Cup upset and the 2018 ODI victory showed that Sri Lanka could challenge India when Athapaththu and the middle order produced substantial scores.
The 2020s have produced a more varied pattern. India remains capable of dominant victories, particularly in T20Is, but Sri Lanka has demonstrated that it can win major finals and chase large ODI totals.
The 2024 Asia Cup final was the clearest example. Sri Lanka successfully chased 166, while the 2025 ODI tri-series victory required an even larger pursuit of 276.
India’s response has also been strong. The 2025 T20I sweep, 2025 World Cup victory, and 2026 Asia Cup final win all reinforced India’s ability to bounce back after setbacks.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. When did India and Sri Lanka women first become regular opponents?
India and Sri Lanka have been meeting in women’s international cricket for many years, with the rivalry becoming especially prominent through the Women’s Asia Cup. Their early major tournament meetings included the 2006 and 2008 Asia Cups, both of which India won.
2. Has Sri Lanka ever beaten India in a major women’s cricket final?
Yes. The most significant example came in the 2024 Women’s Asia Cup final. Sri Lanka chased India’s 165/6 and won by eight wickets, securing the country’s first Women’s Asia Cup title.
3. What was India’s biggest recent T20I victory over Sri Lanka?
India won by 82 runs at the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup. India scored 172/3 before Sri Lanka were bowled out for 90.
4. When did Sri Lanka last beat India in an ODI before 2026?
Sri Lanka’s notable 2025 ODI victory came on May 4 during the Colombo tri-series. Sri Lanka chased 276 and reached 278/7 in 49.1 overs, winning by three wickets. ICC described it as Sri Lanka’s first ODI victory over India since 2018.
5. What is the latest major tournament meeting between India and Sri Lanka?
The latest completed major tournament meeting was the 2026 Women’s Asia Cup final on September 13. India scored 183/5 and then bowled Sri Lanka out for a much lower total to win the title.
As of September 21, 2026, the teams are also scheduled to meet in the Women’s Asian Games final on September 22. That match had not yet been played at the time of writing.
Conclusion
The India-Sri Lanka women’s cricket rivalry has moved well beyond a traditional regional matchup. India dominated many of the early Asia Cup encounters and has generally held the stronger record in bilateral cricket, but Sri Lanka have repeatedly created landmark moments of their own.
The 2013 World Cup upset, the 2018 ODI success, the 2024 Asia Cup triumph and the 2025 ODI chase of 276 are among Sri Lanka’s most important results. India, meanwhile, have responded with major tournament wins, including the 2023 Asian Games gold, the 2025 World Cup victory over Sri Lanka, the 2025 T20I sweep and the 2026 Asia Cup title.
The timeline also reflects the changing character of women’s cricket in Asia. Earlier contests often revolved around experienced players such as Mithali Raj and Shashikala Siriwardene. The modern rivalry has been shaped by Athapaththu, Mandhana, Harmanpreet, Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma and a growing group of younger players.