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ToggleSri Lanka and Zimbabwe go head to head in the third SL vs ZIM ODI in Colombo. This match marks the end of the series with the Lankans leading 1-0 heading into the decider.
Zimbabwe were bowled out for 208 in the second ODI with skipper Craig Ervine scoring 82. Joylord Gumbie scored 30 while Milton Shumba scored 26 while batting at three. Ryan Burl scored 31 at number five.
The Zimbabwean bowlers then made the chase difficult for the Sri Lankan batters. Richard Ngarava took 5/32. However, after Janith Liyanage scored 95, the likes of Maheesh Theekshana (18), Dusmantha Chameera (19), and Jeffrey Vandersay (19) hung on and took Sri Lanka to a win.
Thus this is the decider between the two teams with Zimbabwe having the opportunity to level the series while Sri Lanka looking to win it at home. Both teams then play a three-match T20I series led by different captains. Sri Lanka will be led by Wanindu Hasaranga while Zimbabwe will be led by Sikandar Raza who was the 2023 T20I Player Of The Year.
The Sri Lanka Cricket Board headed by Chief Selector Upul Tharanga named three different captains for three different formats. Dhananjaya de Silva was named the new Test captain, Kusal Mendis the ODI captain, and Wanindu Hasaranga the new T20I captain. Mendis is leading the ODI side and has a chance to win the ODI series.
Zimbabwe, on the other hand, will be led by Ciarg Ervine. He has experienced players to fall back on as well Sikandar Raza, Blessing Musarabani, Ryan Burl, Luke Jongwe and Richard Ngarava form the core of the Zimbabwe side. The experienced bowlers performed well in the second ODI and need to replicate their performance to give the visitors a chance to level the series.
The side failed to qualify for the T20 World Cup 2024 after playing the main round in the T20 World Cup 2022. They defeated Pakistan to begin their campaign in 2022 but faded out. In the 2024 qualifiers, they lost to Uganda in the African qualifiers as they missed out on a shot at qualification.
Zimbabwe’s failure to qualify for the major event highlights their inconsistent run as a team. They missed out on qualifying for the ODI World Cup last year in India as well. They last played an ODI World Cup back in 2015.
Speaking about SL vs ZIM head to head, both teams have played 63 ODIs with the Lankans winning 48 matches and the Zimbabweans 12. Zimbabwe are yet to win a T20I and a Test match against Sri Lanka. With the T20I series lined up next, Zimbabwe have the chance to win their first T20I against the Islanders.
SL vs ZIM Head To Head Records Overall Stats
| Format | Matches | Sri Lanka won | Zimbabwe won | Draw/Abandoned/NR |
| Test | 20 | 14 | – | 6 |
| ODI | 63 | 48 | 12 | 3 |
| T20I | 3 | 3 | – | – |
| Total | 86 | 65 | 12 | 8 |
SL vs ZIM Head To Head Records In Tests
| Matches Played | 20 |
| Sri Lanka Won | 14 |
| Zimbabwe Won | – |
| Tied | – |
| Drawn | 6 |
| SL Win % | 70% |
| ZIM Win % | – |
| Draw % | 30% |
| First Played On | 1994 |
| Last played On | 2020 |
SL vs ZIM Head To Head Records In ODIs
| Matches Played | 63 |
| Sri Lanka Won | 48 |
| Zimbabwe Won | 12 |
| Tied | 0 |
| No Result | 0 |
| SL Win % | 76.19% |
| ZIM Win % | 19.04% |
| First Played On | 1991 |
| Last played On | 2024 |
SL vs ZIM Head To Head Records In T20Is
| Matches Played | 3 |
| Sri Lanka Won | 3 |
| Zimbabwe Won | 0 |
| Tied | 0 |
| No Result | 0 |
| SL Win % | 100% |
| ZIM Win % | – |
| First Played On | 2009 |
| Last played On | 2013 |
SL vs ZIM Head-to-Head Records in ODIs- 3rd ODI, 2024
- Matches Played – 63
- Sri Lanka Won- 48
- Zimbabwe Won- 12
- Most Runs For Sri Lanka: Upul Tharanga-856
- Most Wickets For Sri Lanka: Muttiah Muralitharan-37
- Most Runs For Zimbabwe: Hamilton Masakadza-596
- Most Wickets For Zimbabwe: Tendai Chatara- 15
Also Read: SL vs ZIM: Sri Lanka Squad For Zimbabwe T20Is Announced; Angelo Mathews Returns
