All eyes will be on the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium as two confident teams take the stage. On one hand, New Zealand arrives in Sri Lanka with momentum, having recently achieved a remarkable milestone by defeating India on Indian soil. It wasn’t just a series victory , they became one of the rare teams to complete a whitewash against India at home. Now, the focus shifts to the Sri Lanka vs New Zealand series.As for the Lankan Lions, they won’t be easy opponents. They recently defeated New Zealand 2-0 in September, showing they’re a force to be reckoned with. Now, as both teams switch to colored jerseys, we’re set to witness some exciting T20 action. What can we expect from the surface at Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium? See the pitch report.
Dambulla Stadium pitch report
The pitch at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium is usually considered favourable for batters initially, but as the game progresses, it tends to offer more assistance to spinners. Players like Wanindu Hasaranga are always dangerous on this kind of surface, and it will be interesting to see what twists he presents against the Kiwi batters. Generally, the team with a stronger batting line-up and spin attack is more likely to succeed here. Batting tends to become more challenging over time at Dambulla. Teams batting first have generally been more successful compared to those chasing, so the team winning the toss may opt to bat first.
Dambulla Stadium stats
| T20Is | Details |
| City | Dambulla |
| Country | Sri Lanka |
| First T20 Match | 17/02/2024 |
| Last T20 Match | 17/10/2024 |
| Matches Played | 6 |
| Matches Won by Home Side | 4 (66.67%) |
| Matches Won by Touring Side | 2 (33.33%) |
| Matches Won by Neutral Side | 0 (0.00%) |
| Matches Won Batting First | 4 (44.44%) |
| Matches Won Batting Second | 2 (22.22%) |
| Matches Won Winning Toss | 3 (33.33%) |
| Matches Won Losing Toss | 3 (33.33%) |
| Matches Tied | 0 (0.00%) |
| Matches with No Result | 0 (0.00%) |
| Highest Individual Innings | 70 (Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Afghanistan) |
| Best Bowling | 4/24 (M Pathirana, Sri Lanka) |
| Highest Team Innings | 209/5 (Afghanistan) |
| Lowest Team Innings | 89 (West Indies) |
| Highest Run Chase Achieved | 180/5 (West Indies) |
| Average Runs per Wicket | 24.04 |
| Average Runs per Over | 8.59 |
| Average Score Batting First | 118 |
