R Premadasa Stadium Pitch Report And Colombo Weather Forecast For BAN vs SL 3rd T20I

R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo (Source: @ProteasMenCSA/X.com)

It's time for another thriller in the Sri Lanka-Bangladesh series, as the third T20I, which will be the decider, is scheduled to be played at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on July 16, 2025, at 7 PM IST. After getting beaten by Sri Lanka in the first T20I, Bangladesh came back strong to win by 83 runs in the second game.

The home side, Sri Lanka, were clinical in the first T20I, blowing away the visitors by seven wickets courtesy of Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis' powerful opening partnership. Whereas, in the second T20I of the series, Bangladesh bit back after rolling Sri Lanka over for just a paltry 94, as Litton Das scored a scintillating 76.

The conditions have been quite bowler-favouring in this series, where both Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have adequate spin weaponry in their lineups, while pacers have stepped up on multiple occasions, too, for both these sides. Now, the question remains: will the Colombo pitch assist pacers or spinners? Or will it be a batting pitch that can be conducive for high run-scoring? Which we will explore in this article.

R Premadasa Stadium Colombo Ground Stats

(R Premadasa Stadium T20I stats)

R Premadasa Stadium Colombo Pitch Report: Is The Surface Batting Or Bowling Friendly?

The pitch at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo has generally been on the slower side in the past, providing spinners with considerable assistance. However, going by the stats, the pacers have accounted for more wickets than the spinners, which is also not unusual, considering it offers seam movement early on in the innings for pacers.

With early assistance, batting can be quite tough on this wicket. However, as the match progresses, spinners will come into play, as the surface will wear and tear, which could aid turn and uneven bounce, making it harder for batters to score runs on this wicket. With an average run rate of just 7.60, bowlers generally have an upper hand on the surface, considering that batters will have to spend time in the middle to ensure that they put up runs on the board. 

Stroke-making would be a challenge, considering bowlers will be getting adequate help, and hence, teams will have to be wary of the slowness of this wicket. Further, going by the stats, teams have won 27 times out of 46 while batting second, which means the captain winning the toss will likely opt to bowl first, considering the scores are more likely to be chased here.

---

ALSO READ

Bangladesh Level Series At Dambulla As Sri Lanka Collapse To Lowest T20I Total At Home

---

R Premadasa Stadium Colombo Weather Today

Colombo Weather Forecast Today [Source: AccuWeather]

According to AccuWeather.com, it will be cloudy with a high chance of rain. The weather is expected to be around 27° Celsius, with a real feel of 29° Celsius, as it will be cloudy throughout the night. The winds will blow from the West-Southwest at 17 km/h, while gusts will reach 39 km/h during the game, with 99% cloud cover.

Chances Of Rain In SL vs BAN 3rd T20I

The chances of rain in this game are 94%, which means the match is likely to have frequent interruptions. Maybe a delayed start as well. Rain is predicted at 16.1 mm, which is a very high amount, given the three hours of predicted rainfall with 99% cloud cover, indicating that it is unlikely a full match can be played.

There are high chances that it will be a shortened encounter, and in a more likely scenario, the game could be fully abandoned as well if persistent rain happens during the evening. Furthermore, there's a 23% chance of thunderstorms, which further confirms that it will be quite rainy, but still safer, considering it isn't an emergency alert situation.

---

ALSO READ

Shamim Hossain Finds Inspiration In AB De Villiers After Stellar Performance vs SL

---