Do You Know When Was The Last Time Sri Lanka Won An ODI vs Pakistan?
Dasun Shanaka to lead SL against Pakistan in Asia Cup 2023 (Twitter)
Sri Lanka will come across Pakistan in a virtual semi-final showdown this Asia Cup 2023 in Colombo on September 14. The two tournament co-hosts lost to India in their previous respective Super Four fixtures, thus making their upcoming bout a must-win one.
The winner of the match will set a date with Team India in the final on September 17 at the same venue.
Remarkably, the much-awaited contest marks the first ODI meeting between the two sides in nearly four years. The last time these two titans came into collision was back during a three-match series in Pakistan in October 2019.
As it turns out, Dasun Shanaka’s Sri Lankan troops will take field against Pakistan in Colombo while carrying scars of the past. Sri Lanka, who already holds a dismal ODI record in Pakistan matches, last won a game against them back in 2015.
Sri Lanka's Asia Cup 2023 dream clashes with winless run
So far in Sri Lanka’s cricketing history, they have faced Pakistan a staggering 155 times in ODIs. However, they have managed just 58 wins in return against Pakistan’s 92 victories.
The head-to-head record between the two sides indicates even worse numbers for Sri Lanka since 2015. In the last 10 completed fixtures between them, Pakistan have recorded nine wins, including eight of them in succession.
Pakistan’s winning streak against Sri Lanka launched with their 2017 Champions Trophy duel in Cardiff. Mere four months later, the ‘Men in Green’ blanked their Sri Lankan counterparts 5-0 in a five-match series in UAE. Pakistan extended the streak with another 2-0 thumping of Sri Lanka in October 2019, albeit this time at home.
Prior to their eight-match winning run, Pakistan travelled to Sri Lanka in July 2015 for a five-match series. Under Azhar Ali’s leadership, the tourists sealed the series with a game to spare in Colombo, only to have their high-flying course disrupted in the fifth ODI by coping a 165-run hammering at the hands of hosts.
The win in their 2015 dead-rubber continues to remain Sri Lanka’s only ODI triumph over Pakistan since July 26, 2015. Dasun Shanaka and co. will need to overcome some serious past demons, if they are to reverse their fortunes against Pakistan in a bid to book a place in the Asia Cup 2023 final at home.
With Sri Lanka recently claiming 13 ODI wins in a row, their upcoming battle might well be their best chance in years to rectify their dismal record against continental rivals.
PAK vs SL: Head to head in ODIs
| Teams | Won | Loss | No Result | Tie |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pakistan | 92 | 58 | 4 | 1 |
| Sri Lanka | 58 | 92 | 4 | 1 |
.jpg "Allen Breaks WINDOW!")
 "Aakash Saini")
