Bangladesh plays its first official ODI against Sri Lanka during the 1986 Asia Cup. Sri Lanka exerts complete dominance through this era, winning every match easily with legendary line-ups.
Sri Lanka establishes absolute foundational superiority.
2000s
Bangladesh gains official Test status and plays its inaugural Test match against Sri Lanka in 2001. Sri Lanka maintains an flawless winning streak in Tests, spearheaded by Muttiah Muralitharan’s record-shattering bowling spells.
Sri Lanka builds an unassailable home winning streak.
2010s
Bangladesh transforms into a formidable force. They secure their first historic Test victory over Sri Lanka in 2017 during their landmark 100th Test match at Colombo, leveling the bilateral series.
Bangladesh breaks the psychological barrier.
2020s
The rivalry reaches boiling point with intense on-field narratives, including the famous “Nidahas Trophy” celebrations and the historic “Timed Out” dismissal during the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.
Matches evolve into highly volatile, high-stakes dramas.
Major ICC and Asia Cup Tournament Finals & Knockouts
Tournament Edition
Match Location
Match Category
Tournament Winner
Definitive Margin of Victory
Asia Cup 2012
Mirpur, Dhaka
Virtual Semi-Final
Bangladesh
Won by 5 Wickets (DLS Method)
Nidahas Trophy 2018
RPS, Colombo
Knockout Virtual Semi-Final
Bangladesh
Won by 2 Wickets in Final Over
Asia Cup 2018
Dubai Stadium
Tournament Opener
Bangladesh
Won by 137 Runs
ICC World Cup 2023
Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi
League Stage Elimination
Bangladesh
Won by 3 Wickets
ICC T20 World Cup 2026
Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
Super 8 Stage Clash
Sri Lanka
Won by 5 Wickets
Format-by-Format Head-to-Head Records
Match Format
Total Matches Played
Sri Lanka Wins
Bangladesh Wins
Matches Drawn
Tied or No Result
Test Matches
26
19
1
6
0
One Day Internationals
57
43
12
0
2
T20 Internationals
17
11
6
0
0
Highest and Lowest Team Totals Records
Team Name
Record Category
Match Format
Runs Scored
Opposing Bowling Unit
Match Venue
Sri Lanka
Highest Team Total
Test Match
730 for 6 dec
Bangladesh
Mirpur, Dhaka
Bangladesh
Highest Team Total
Test Match
638 All Out
Sri Lanka
Galle Stadium
Sri Lanka
Highest Team Total
One Day International
357 for 9
Bangladesh
Lahore, Pakistan
Bangladesh
Lowest Team Total
Test Match
62 All Out
Sri Lanka
P Saravanamuttu Stadium
Sri Lanka
Lowest Team Total
One Day International
124 All Out
Bangladesh
Dubai Stadium
Iconic Individual Batting Performances Timeline
Batter Name
Team
Runs Scored
Match Format
Boundaries Hit
Match Venue
Kumar Sangakkara
Sri Lanka
319 Runs
Test Match
32 Fours, 8 Sixes
Chittagong
Mushfiqur Rahim
Bangladesh
200 Runs
Test Match
22 Fours, 1 Six
Galle Stadium
Tamim Iqbal
Bangladesh
127 Runs
One Day International
15 Fours, 1 Six
Colombo
Kusal Mendis
Sri Lanka
102 Runs
One Day International
13 Fours, 1 Six
Hambantota
Iconic Individual Bowling Performances Timeline
Bowler Name
Team
Bowling Figures
Match Format
Economy Rate
Match Venue
Muttiah Muralitharan
Sri Lanka
6 Wickets for 18 Runs
Test Match
1.84
Colombo
Shakib Al Hasan
Bangladesh
5 Wickets for 62 Runs
Test Match
2.58
Colombo
Wanindu Hasaranga
Sri Lanka
7 Wickets for 19 Runs
One Day International
3.45
Colombo
Mustafizur Rahman
Bangladesh
4 Wickets for 44 Runs
One Day International
4.88
Mirpur, Dhaka
Leadership and Captaincy Eras Timeline
Captaincy Era
Bangladesh Captain
Sri Lanka Captain
Dominant Team of the Era
Primary Tactical Trend
2000s Era
Habibul Bashar
Mahela Jayawardene
Sri Lanka
Heavy reliance on unmatched mystery spin setups
2010s Era
Mashrafe Mortaza
Angelo Mathews
Balanced
High emphasis on medium-pace cutters and lower-order hitting
2020s Era
Najmul Hossain Shanto
Charith Asalanka
Sri Lanka
High-velocity slinging pace mixed with aggressive powerplays
Flat batting paradise with excellent carry under lights.
Individual Player Dot-Ball Percentages (T20I Series)
Bowler Name
Team Squad
Total Overs Bowled
Total Dot Balls
Dot-Ball Percentage
Primary Target Phase
Taskin Ahmed
Bangladesh
24.0
68
47.2%
Mandatory Powerplay
Maheesh Theekshana
Sri Lanka
28.0
76
45.2%
Mandatory Powerplay
Mustafizur Rahman
Bangladesh
26.4
67
41.8%
Death Overs Phase
Matheesha Pathirana
Sri Lanka
22.0
54
40.9%
Death Overs Phase
Shoriful Islam
Bangladesh
20.0
48
40.0%
Mandatory Powerplay
Wanindu Hasaranga
Sri Lanka
28.0
65
38.6%
Middle Overs Phase
Toss Victory Choice Metrics & Match Outcomes
Toss Winning Team
Decision Made
Match Venue Location
First Innings Total
Second Innings Total
Ultimate Match Winner
Sri Lanka
Elected to Bowl
Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
155 for 8
158 for 5
Sri Lanka
Bangladesh
Elected to Bat
Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi
279 for 7
282 for 7
Bangladesh
Sri Lanka
Elected to Bat
R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
257 for 9
236 All Out
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Elected to Bowl
Sharjah Cricket Stadium
171 for 4
172 for 5
Sri Lanka
Bangladesh
Elected to Bowl
Shere Bangla Stadium, Dhaka
152 All Out
153 for 4
Sri Lanka
Bangladesh
Elected to Bat
ZACS Stadium, Chittagong
324 for 5
234 All Out
Bangladesh
Most Catches Taken in the Outfield Leaderboard
Fielder Name
Team Squad
Matches Played
Total Outfield Catches
Most Catches in an Innings
Primary Fielding Position
Mahmudullah
Bangladesh
42
24
3 Catches
Long-On Boundary
Mahela Jayawardene
Sri Lanka
28
21
4 Catches
First Slip Cordon
Soumya Sarkar
Bangladesh
28
17
3 Catches
Deep Mid-Wicket
Charith Asalanka
Sri Lanka
22
15
2 Catches
Extra Cover Area
Pathum Nissanka
Sri Lanka
24
14
2 Catches
Deep Square Leg
Mushfiqur Rahim
Bangladesh
48
12
2 Catches
Mid-Wicket Region
Final Verdict
The historical data reflects a lopsided advantage for Sri Lanka in traditional Test cricket, anchored by their legendary early-generation squads. However, the white-ball rivalry has evolved into a dead heat over the past decade. While Bangladesh uses highly disciplined spin variants and fighting lower-order resilience to challenge their neighbors, Sri Lanka’s high-velocity pace attacks and extensive knockout experience help them maintain a slight statistical upper hand in major tournament fixtures.
