A twist in a tale in the second innings of the Sri Lanka vs India Test in August of 2010 remained in memory with a permanent mark for a heroic century by VVS Laxman.

Laxman's century came at the moment when India needed it the most at Colombo. The team led by Mahendra Singh Dhoni was on the wrong foot while chasing 257 runs in the second innings. Virendra Sehwag went back to the pavilion with a duck, Rahul Dravid fell short, and Sachin Tendulkar tried, but it was far from enough to throw an appropriate challenge to Sri Lanka.

It was the moment for Laxman to rise in crisis time. The right-handed batter scored an elegant hundred, remained unbeaten for 103 runs, and confirmed a stunning win. Under pressure, Suresh Raina was there in the middle till the end with Laxman, scoring an unbeaten 41 off 45. Laxman's 103* came against 149 deliveries, powered by 12 boundaries.

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Spinners played a crucial part before Laxman's century 

The Indian bowling department also deserved credit behind India's fightback in the second. The first inning of the match was a high-scoring affair. Sri Lanka scored 425, while India got 436. Pragyan Ojha, Virendra Sehwag, and Amit Mishra—three spinners—took 3 scalps each and restricted the host to 267 in the following phase of the Test. Chasing down the target of 257 runs was a record for the Indian cricket team; it was their fourth-highest Test target at the time. 

Man of the match VVS Laxman said after the match, "It was a great team effort. The bowlers got us back into the game. The partnership between Sachin and myself was crucial to get the momentum back... I am glad that I have contributed when the team needed it."

After multiple underwhelming test performances, Sri Lanka was then far away from their top. India, the touring team, led by Virat Kohli, was oozing with confidence. Though, a cricket match can't be judged thoroughly with only pen and paper. So, the home team had a chance to shine. But they couldn't.

Team India was then on a different level. On July 29, 2017, India defeated Sri Lanka by 304 runs at Galle. Shikhar Dhawan was the man of the match for his first-innings 190-run knock, which was his career-best total in Test cricket.

Nuwan Pradeep's 6-wicket figure was overshadowed because of landmark performances by Dhawan and Cheteshwar Pujara. Both were rock solid in the first innings of the game, and both got 150-plus runs. Dhawan's 190 off 168 was well accompanied by Pujara's 153 off 265. Ajinkya Rahane and Hardik Pandya in the middle scored half a century each. Because of multiple individual brilliance, India posted 600 in the first phase of the match.

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Virat Kohli also joined the party with a century 

Sri Lanka, in search of miracles, registered only 291. The situation got worse for them in the second innings when their skipper Rangana Herath and Asela Gunaratne did not come to bat because of injuries. Showing no mercy against the vulnerable Sri Lanka, Virat Kohli did not allow them to bat on a follow. In the process, Kohli himself smashed a ton. Sri Lanka needed 550 runs to save the match, which was by then out of their range, and India won the match by 304 runs. 

"I really enjoyed batting over here. I just watched the ball and backed my game. There is a very healthy competition for the opening spot on the side, and it keeps me on my toes," Dhawan said after the match. 

With India’s tour of Bangladesh postponed by a year, the Indian cricket team was facing the prospect of a rare extended break from international cricket. However, relief could be on the horizon for fans and players alike, as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) have opened discussions to replace the postponed IND vs BAN series with a six-match white-ball contest against Sri Lanka.

According to a report by Sri Lankan news outlet Newswire, talks are underway between the two boards to organise a three-match ODI and three-match T20I series in Sri Lanka in mid-August. While nothing has been finalised yet, both sides are keen to make the most of a newly available window in the calendar.

The prospective series has emerged due to the delay of the Lanka Premier League (LPL), which was scheduled to occur roughly in the same window. We have the opportunity for Sri Lanka to host the short series before the scheduled tour to Zimbabwe at the end of August.

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Rohit & Kohli’s ODI Comeback on the Cards as India-Sri Lanka Series Talks Progress

India last toured Sri Lanka in 2023, but no bilateral series was scheduled between the two sides this year. If the series materialises, it could also mark the return of two of India’s most celebrated cricketers, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, to ODI action. The duo, who have both retired from T20Is and Tests, last featured in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy.

India’s next official ODI assignment is scheduled for October against Australia, leaving fans potentially waiting for months to see Rohit and Kohli in action again. However, the IND vs SL series could now serve as the perfect stage for their comeback, much to the excitement of the cricketing world.

While an official announcement is awaited, all eyes are on the BCCI and the SLC to formalise the series. If it goes ahead, it promises to be an exciting prelude to India’s busy run-in to the ICC calendar.

India's 2025–2027 WTC Cycle: Complete Schedule, Major Fixtures, and Test Series Preview
The Indian Test squad will undertake a hot and action-packed ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025–2027 cycle that has a combination of high-profile home and away series. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has released the fixtures, and fans should be in for a rollercoaster ride through classic rivalries and tough overseas tours.

The cycle begins with a high-intensity away tour of England, with a five-Test series in June-August 2025. India's first Test of this series will take place at Leeds between June 20-24, 2025. The series will be important in terms of establishing the tone for the WTC campaign. India is set to face the West Indies in its second assignment at home, which includes two Tests in October 2025, with another home assignment against South Africa in December 2025, also playing two matches.

Testing Tours and Iconic Rivalries Await
India will travel to Sri Lanka for a two-match Test series in August 2026. The subcontinental fight will be followed by a tough away tour to New Zealand for another two-Test series between October and December 2026, where conditions favorable to swing will challenge India's batting mettle.

The last and most highly expected encounter in the WTC cycle for India is a blockbuster five-Test Australia tour of India in January-February 2027. The Border-Gavaskar Trophy has emerged as one of the most intense rivalries in world cricket and is expected to be a determining factor in India's chances of WTC final qualification.

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Complete India WTC 2025–27 Fixtures:

• Away vs. England—5 Tests (June–August 2025)
• Home vs West Indies—2 Tests (October 2025)
• Home vs South Africa—2 Tests (December 2025)
• Away vs Sri Lanka—2 Tests (August 2026)
• Away vs New Zealand—2 Tests (October–December 2026)
• Home vs Australia—5 Tests (January–February 2027)

With a blend of tough away assignments and critical home series, India's WTC journey promises to be a compelling story of endurance, strategy, and dominance in red-ball cricket.

India will face Sri Lanka in a crucial Group A match of the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 on Wednesday, aiming to fix their batting woes and boost their net run rate. After a mixed start to the tournament, India will look for a more comprehensive performance against a struggling Sri Lankan side, who are placed at the bottom of the table.

India’s campaign so far: A mixed start

India’s tournament opener saw them suffer a heavy 58-run defeat to New Zealand, exposing concerns in their batting line-up. However, they bounced back against arch-rivals Pakistan, although it took them 18.5 overs to chase down a modest target of 105. As they gear up for their third match, India will need to address their batting vulnerabilities and seek a convincing win.

• Match Time: October 9, Wednesday, 7:30 PM (IST)
• Venue: Dubai International Stadium, Dubai
• Broadcast: Star Sports Network in India
• Live Streaming: Disney+ Hotstar will stream the match live in India

With the race for semi-final spots heating up, India will look to gain momentum with a dominant performance against Sri Lanka.

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Squad Update 

India: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (wk), Yastika Bhatia, Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh Thakur, Dayalan Hemalatha, Asha Sobhana, Radha Yadav, Shreyanka Patil, Sajana Sajeevan

Sri Lanka: Vishmi Gunaratne, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Hasini Perera, Anushka Sanjeewani (wk), Nilakshika Silva, Chamari Athapaththu (c), Kavisha Dilhari, Ama Kanchana, Inoshi Priyadharshani, Shashini Gimhani, Achini Kulasuriya, Sugandika Kumari, Sachini Nisansala, Udeshika Prabodhani, Inoka Ranaweera.

IND-W vs SL-W Match Preview

India defeated Pakistan in their most recent match, but it was not a significant victory to improve their net run rate. India will struggle to improve their Net Run Rate with no a strong batting performance. Despite having two losses in two matches, Sri Lanka has a strong enough bowling attack to put pressure on India's struggling batting order.

IND-W vs SL-W Match Details

India-W vs Sri Lanka-W – 12th Match, Women's World Cup 2024

Venue: Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai

Date & Time: 09th October 2024 at 07:30 PM IST 

Live Streaming: Disney+Hotstar

IND-W vs SL-W Venue Stats

IND-W vs SL-W Pitch Report

The pitch is small, and the outfield is extremely fast. There isn't much for bowlers to work with, and both quick bowlers and spinners have struggled on this track.

IND-W vs SL-W Weather Report

It is going to be a warm evening, and we expect a batting-friendly wicket where fast bowlers will struggle. 

IND-W vs SL-W Last Five Matches

IND-W vs SL-W Head-to-Head Stats

Injury News

No Injury. Will be added when there is an update.

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IND-W vs SL-W Probable Playing XIs:

Sri Lanka-W Probable Playing XIs

Vishmi Gunaratne, Chamari Athapaththu (c), Harshitha Samarawickrama, Kavisha Dilhari, Nilakshi de Silva, Hasini Perera, Anushka Sanjeewani (wk), Sugandika Kumari, Inoshi Priyadharshani, Udeshika Prabodhani, Inoka Ranaweera

India-W Probable Playing XIs

Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (wk), Deepti Sharma, Arundhati Reddy, S Sajana, Shreyanka Patil, Asha Sobhana, Renuka Thakur Singh

Topmost Picks for IND-W vs SL-W Dream11 Prediction:

Top Picks – India-W

• Smriti Mandhana – She will captain the team and be important to the middle-order exploits with the bat. She has a lot of experience and averages 24 in WT20I cricket. She has hit four centuries in this format.
• Renuka Thakur Singh – She bowls with good pace and accuracy and recently took a couple of key wickets in India's Women's victory over Pakistan Women.

Top Picks – Sri Lanka-W

• Chamari Athapaththu –  She is a full-time spinner who picked up 3 wickets in the previous match and will once again play an important role
• Inoka Ranaweera – Having an in-form wrist spinner is a crucial aspect of any WT20I team's campaign. 

Suggested Playing XI N0.1 for IND-W vs SL-W Dream11 Team:

Anushka Sanjeewani, Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Nilakshi de Silva, Chamari Athapaththu, Kavisha Dilhari, Deepti Sharma(C), Shreyanka Patil, Udeshika Prabodhani(VC), Renuka Thakur Singh, Sugandika Kumari

Suggested Playing XI N0.2 for IND-W vs SL-W Dream11 Team:

Anushka Sanjeewani, Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Nilakshi de Silva, Chamari Athapaththu(C), Kavisha Dilhari, Deepti Sharma, Arundhati Reddy(VC), Udeshika Prabodhani, Renuka Thakur Singh, Sugandika Kumari

Captain and Vice-Captain Options:

Captain – Deepti Sharma, Chamari Athapaththu

Vice-captain – Udeshika Prabodhani, Arundhati Reddy

Wicketkeeper – Anushka Sanjeewani

IND-W vs SL-W Probable Winners:

India faces a formidable challenge. To improve their NRR and move into the top two, they must win all of their remaining games by a large margin. Sri Lanka lacks the batting strength to defeat this Indian team and relies heavily on their bowlers. Overall, India is the superior team and will start as the underdogs in our match prediction. Considering the team combination, India-W is expected to win this match.

The opening T20I of the three-match series between India and Sri Lanka is set for Saturday, July 27, at Pallekele International Stadium. In this first game, Indian opener Yashasvi Jaiswal has the chance to set a major international record as the first batter worldwide to achieve it.

Having debuted for India last year, the young southpaw has scored 953 runs in 16 innings across 11 matches this year. The Rajasthan Royals star is now just 7 runs away from becoming the first batter in 2024 to reach 1,000 runs in international cricket across all formats.

The 22-year-old has scored 740 runs in six Tests and 213 runs in five T20Is. Although the Mumbai-based cricketer was part of the Indian squad that won the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 in the West Indies and the USA last month, he did not play in any of the matches.

Before the T20I series against India began, Sri Lanka suffered two major setbacks with injuries to Dushmantha Chameera and Nuwan Thushara. Both star fast bowlers have been ruled out of the series, which will be played entirely in Pallekele.

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India’s squad for the T20I series : Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, Sanju Samson, Riyan Parag, Khaleel Ahmed, and Shivam Dube.

As Gautam Gambhir steps into his new role as Team India’s head coach, he received a heartfelt surprise message from his predecessor, Rahul Dravid, ahead of the first T20I against Sri Lanka. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) shared a video in which Dravid conveyed his best wishes, sharing valuable insights and experiences from his own tenure as head coach. Dravid’s message was filled with warmth and encouragement, welcoming Gambhir to what he described as the “most exciting job in the world.”

Dravid reflects on Gambhir’s coaching journey

In his message, Dravid praised Gambhir’s achievements and dedication, reflecting on his time as a coach and mentor for various Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises. He expressed confidence in Gambhir’s ability to lead the national team, noting his strategic acumen and passion for the game. Dravid’s insights were not only about the technical aspects of coaching but also touched on the importance of fostering a positive team environment and the need for emotional resilience.

“From one Indian cricket coach to another, one last thing. In the most heated of times, exhale, take a step back, and even if it’s difficult for you, crack a smile. Whatever else happens, that will shock people. I wish you the very best, Gautam, and I’m sure you will take the Indian team to even greater heights,” Dravid concluded.

Gambhir’s emotional response

Overwhelmed by Dravid’s thoughtful gesture, Gautam Gambhir admitted that the message made him emotional. Dravid’s words of wisdom and encouragement struck a chord with Gambhir, reminding him of the legacy he is set to inherit. In his message, Dravid humorously urged Gambhir to remember to smile, even during challenging times, a reminder of the camaraderie they shared during their playing days. Gambhir’s response highlighted his respect for Dravid and his determination to carry forward the successful path paved by his predecessor.

“Not me, not individuals, but what Indian cricket is. I feel, I think, I don’t get too much emotional normally, but I think this message actually made me a lot emotional, which normally I assume, but it’s a great message. Hopefully, I can… It’s a massive shoes to fill. Hopefully, I can do it with absolute honesty, transparency, and hopefully, I can make the entire nation, and more importantly, the person who I’ve always looked up to, Rahul Bhai Proud,” he said.

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The exchange between Dravid and Gambhir reflects not only the transition of leadership within the Indian cricket team but also the deep bonds and mutual respect that exist among former teammates. As Gambhir embarks on this new chapter, the legacy and support of his predecessors will undoubtedly guide him in leading Team India to new heights.

Suryakumar, 33, recently took over as India’s captain from the beloved Rohit Sharma, who retired from the 20-over format following India’s World Cup victory in June.He was chosen over all-rounder Hardik Pandya, whose frequent injury absences raised concerns.

However, Suryakumar’s previous captaincy of the Mumbai state team had raised questions about his leadership style, leading to his sacking in 2015 after complaints from teammates.

“Many things have changed since then. I am a different person now,” the batsman told reporters in Kandy ahead of Saturday’s series opener.”I have gotten married and learned a lot from other captains. I will take the team forward in my own style,” he added.

“Our brand of cricket remains the same. The captaincy has given me new responsibilities, and I am looking forward to the challenge.”Star batsman Virat Kohli also retired after the T20 World Cup, and India’s 15-man squad gives Suryakumar the opportunity to experiment with the top order, anchored by openers Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal.

Suryakumar Yadav’s New leadership and Sri Lanka’s Squad changes ahead of upcoming Series

Sri Lanka also has a new short-format captain after a humiliating first-round World Cup knockout prompted Wanindu Hasaranga’s resignation just six months after his appointment.

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His replacement, Charith Asalanka, captained Jaffna Kings to a title win in the island’s 20-over Lanka Premier League tournament on Sunday.”It’s a huge challenge for us to play the world champions. We are ready for the challenge as we have prepared well for this series,” Asalanka said.

“A bit disappointed that we are not at full strength,” he added, noting that injuries and illness have affected the team’s pace attack.Fast bowler Nuwan Thushara has been ruled out of the series with a fractured thumb, while Dushmantha Chameera is unwell.

Sri Lanka has brought in right-arm seamer Asitha Fernando and left-arm quick Dilshan Madushanka as replacements.The three-match series concludes on Tuesday in Kandy before a three-match ODI series begins in Colombo on Friday.

KKR assistant coach Abhishek Nayar is expected to be appointed to the Indian team’s support staff. Reliable sources inform IndiaToday.in that Nayar will join the Indian team on their tour of Sri Lanka, marking Gautam Gambhir’s first assignment as head coach. Nayar, who has been with KKR for six years, has a proven track record of helping Indian domestic players, including Rohit Sharma and Dinesh Karthik, through challenging times.

Alongside Nayar, the Board of Control for Cricket in India is expected to enlist another former KKR player, Ryan ten Doeschate, who is currently the assistant coach for the LAKR franchise in Major League Cricket in the USA.

Support and Transition: Nayar’s impact and the BCCI’s new direction

Both Nayar and ten Doeschate have been part of the KKR setup at different times and are known for their supportive nature. Nayar has a proven track record of assisting players like Rohit Sharma, Dinesh Karthik, and Rinku Singh during difficult periods. Players such as Varun Chakravarthy have highlighted how Nayar uplifted the dressing room after challenging losses in the 2024 IPL season.

In the last game, after conceding so many runs, it was a tough pill to swallow, but the entire team motivated us. Abhishek Nayar and even Shahrukh Khan came and spoke to me, which definitely lifted our spirits.Chakravarthy shared in a Twitter post during the IPL.

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The Indian men’s team support staff, which included Paras Mhambrey (bowling coach), T. Dilip (fielding coach), and Vikram Rathour (batting coach), will not be part of the Gambhir era. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the decision on Tuesday, July 9, via a press release, where they congratulated the trio for their highly successful tenure with the Indian team. The BCCI also expressed gratitude to Rahul Dravid for nurturing young talent and leading India to three finals in ICC tournaments during the 2023/24 cycle.