The Sri Lanka Women vs India Women’s National Cricket Team timeline is a long-running rivalry in women’s international cricket, featuring memorable encounters in ODIs, T20Is, the Women’s Asia Cup, the Cricket World Cup, and multi-format bilateral series.
India have historically had the stronger record against Sri Lanka, particularly in the Women’s Asia Cup, while Sri Lanka have produced several important victories of their own. One of the biggest recent moments came in the 2024 Women’s Asia Cup final, when Sri Lanka defeated India to win their first title. India responded in the 2026 Asia Cup final, defeating Sri Lanka to reclaim the trophy.
The rivalry has also continued to grow through major ICC tournaments. India hosted Sri Lanka in the opening match of the 2025 Women’s Cricket World Cup, while the two teams met again in major T20 competitions during 2026.
Sri Lanka Women vs India Women Timeline
| Year | Tournament / Format | Major Moment |
|---|---|---|
| 2000s | ODIs | Regular bilateral rivalry develops |
| 2004 | Women’s Asia Cup | India win inaugural tournament |
| 2005-06 | Women’s Asia Cup | India retain title |
| 2006 | Women’s Asia Cup | India win again |
| 2008 | Women’s Asia Cup | India remain champions |
| 2012 | Women’s Asia Cup | India win first T20I edition |
| 2016 | Women’s Asia Cup | India win title |
| 2018 | Women’s Asia Cup | India reach final; Bangladesh win |
| 2022 | Women’s Asia Cup | India defeat Sri Lanka in final |
| 2023 | Asian Games | India defeat Sri Lanka in final |
| 2024 | Women’s Asia Cup | Sri Lanka defeat India in final |
| 2025 | T20I series | India record a dominant series result |
| 2025 | Women’s World Cup | India defeat Sri Lanka in tournament opener |
| 2026 | Women’s Asia Cup | India defeat Sri Lanka in final |
| 2026 | Asian Games | India defeat Sri Lanka in gold-medal match |
Early Years: Sri Lanka and India Build Their Women’s Cricket Rivalry
India and Sri Lanka have been regular opponents in women’s cricket for many years.
The rivalry initially developed mainly through One-Day International cricket and regional competitions. As women’s cricket became more professional and international schedules expanded, India and Sri Lanka began meeting more frequently.
India developed into one of the strongest women’s teams in Asia, while Sri Lanka gradually built a competitive side around players such as Chamari Athapaththu and later Harshitha Samarawickrama.
The Women’s Asia Cup became particularly important because India and Sri Lanka have frequently met in the tournament.
2004: The First Women’s Asia Cup
The Women’s Asia Cup became one of the most important competitions in the India-Sri Lanka rivalry.
The first edition was held in 2004 and was played in ODI format.
India won the inaugural tournament.
The competition provided a regular platform for India and Sri Lanka to play each other and helped establish the Asia Cup as a major regional women’s cricket event.
India subsequently remained the dominant team in the competition for many years.
2005-06 and 2006: India Continue Their Asia Cup Dominance
India retained the Women’s Asia Cup title in 2005-06.
India also won the 2006 edition.
Sri Lanka remained one of India’s principal opponents in the tournament, helping the rivalry develop beyond occasional bilateral meetings.
The Asia Cup became an important pathway for players from both countries to gain experience in high-pressure international matches.
2008: Another India Women’s Asia Cup Title
India won the Women’s Asia Cup again in 2008.
The tournament remained an important part of the women’s cricket calendar in Asia.
India’s dominance during this early period meant Sri Lanka were often competing against India for a place in the final stages of the competition.
2012: Women’s Asia Cup Moves to T20 Cricket
The 2012 Women’s Asia Cup was played in the T20I format.
India won the tournament.
The change to T20 cricket added a new dimension to the India-Sri Lanka rivalry.
Shorter matches placed greater emphasis on power hitting, specialist death bowling, athletic fielding, and aggressive tactics.
India continued to perform strongly despite the change in format.
2016: India Win Another T20 Asia Cup
India won the 2016 Women’s Asia Cup, another edition played in T20I format.
The victory continued India’s strong record in the regional tournament.
Sri Lanka remained one of the regular competitors and continued to develop players capable of challenging India’s established international stars.
2018: Bangladesh Break India’s Asia Cup Run
The 2018 Women’s Asia Cup produced an important change.
Bangladesh defeated India in the final by three wickets.
This was only the second time India had failed to win the Women’s Asia Cup at that point. The first such occasion had come when Sri Lanka hosted the tournament in its early years.
Although Sri Lanka did not win the title in 2018, the tournament demonstrated that women’s cricket in Asia was becoming increasingly competitive.
2022: India vs Sri Lanka in the Women’s Asia Cup Final
India and Sri Lanka reached the 2022 Women’s Asia Cup final in Sylhet, Bangladesh.
India won the final and claimed another Asia Cup title.
The victory continued India’s dominance in the regional tournament.
For Sri Lanka, however, the final appearance was an important indication of their progress.
The team’s development under experienced players such as Chamari Athapaththu helped create a stronger challenge to India’s regional dominance.
2023: Asian Games Final
India and Sri Lanka met in the 2023 Asian Games women’s cricket final in Hangzhou, China.
India won the gold medal after defeating Sri Lanka.
The match was another example of the teams meeting in a high-profile final rather than only in group-stage competition.
The Asian Games also gave women’s cricket additional international exposure.
2024: Sri Lanka Win Their First Women’s Asia Cup
One of the biggest turning points in the Sri Lanka Women vs India Women’s National Cricket Team timeline came in July 2024.
India and Sri Lanka met in the Women’s Asia Cup final in Dambulla.
India batted first and scored 165/6.
Smriti Mandhana scored 60 from 47 balls, while Richa Ghosh added 30 from 14 deliveries.
Sri Lanka responded with an outstanding chase.
Captain Chamari Athapaththu scored 61, while Harshitha Samarawickrama made an unbeaten 69.
Sri Lanka reached the target in the 19th over and won by eight wickets.
It was Sri Lanka’s first Women’s Asia Cup title. ICC noted that this was only the second time India had failed to win the tournament after reaching the final.
The victory became one of the most important achievements in Sri Lankan women’s cricket.
2025: India and Sri Lanka Continue Their T20I Rivalry
India and Sri Lanka continued their rivalry in T20I cricket in 2025.
India hosted Sri Lanka as part of their preparation for the 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup.
The series produced several strong batting performances from India’s opening combination.
In the fourth T20I, India scored 221/2, their highest-ever women’s T20I total at that time.
Smriti Mandhana scored 80 and Shafali Verma made 79.
Their opening partnership produced 162 runs, which was then India’s highest partnership for any wicket in women’s T20Is.
Sri Lanka responded with 191/5 but lost by 30 runs.
India won the first four matches of the five-game series before the final scheduled match in Thiruvananthapuram.
2025 Women’s Cricket World Cup: India vs Sri Lanka
The 2025 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup added another important chapter to the rivalry.
India hosted Sri Lanka in the tournament opener at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on September 30, 2025.
The ICC schedule placed the two teams in the opening match of the eight-team tournament.
Playing a World Cup opener at home gave India a major occasion, while Sri Lanka entered the tournament looking to challenge the leading teams.
The match was part of a World Cup hosted jointly by India and Sri Lanka.
2026: Women’s Asia Cup Final
The rivalry produced another major final in September 2026.
India and Sri Lanka met in the 2026 Women’s Asia Cup final after both teams progressed through the tournament.
The final was played in Dubai on September 13.
India produced a powerful batting display.
Shafali Verma scored 68, while Smriti Mandhana made 59, helping India post 183/5.
India then bowled Sri Lanka out for a much lower total.
India won the final comprehensively and secured a record-extending eighth Women’s Asia Cup title.
The victory also completed an unbeaten campaign for India. ICC described it as India’s 10th consecutive Women’s Asia Cup final appearance.
This result was particularly notable because it came two years after Sri Lanka had defeated India in the 2024 final.
2026: Asian Games Gold Medal Match
Only days after their Asia Cup meeting, India and Sri Lanka faced each other again in the 2026 Asian Games women’s cricket final.
The match took place on September 22.
India produced a dominant batting performance.
Smriti Mandhana scored 79 from 45 balls, while Shafali Verma and Richa Ghosh also contributed to India’s total.
India finished on 216/3 from 20 overs.
Sri Lanka’s chase struggled against India’s bowling attack.
Chamari Athapaththu top-scored with 29 from 21 deliveries, but Sri Lanka were unable to stay with the required scoring rate.
India won by 147 runs and claimed the women’s cricket gold medal.
The victory came just nine days after India’s Asia Cup final victory over Sri Lanka.
Major India Women vs Sri Lanka Women Matches
2004 Women’s Asia Cup
India won the inaugural Women’s Asia Cup.
2012 Women’s Asia Cup
India won the first T20I-format edition of the competition.
2016 Women’s Asia Cup
India again won the T20I Asia Cup.
2022 Women’s Asia Cup Final
India defeated Sri Lanka to claim the title.
2023 Asian Games Final
India defeated Sri Lanka and won the gold medal.
2024 Women’s Asia Cup Final
Sri Lanka defeated India by eight wickets to win their first Women’s Asia Cup title.
2025 T20I Series
India produced a dominant run of victories, including a 30-run win in the fourth match after scoring 221/2.
2025 Women’s World Cup
India hosted Sri Lanka in the opening match of the tournament in Bengaluru.
2026 Women’s Asia Cup Final
India defeated Sri Lanka to win their eighth Women’s Asia Cup title.
2026 Asian Games Final
India defeated Sri Lanka by 147 runs to win the women’s cricket gold medal.
Key Players in the India-Sri Lanka Women’s Rivalry
Smriti Mandhana
Smriti Mandhana has been one of India’s most important batters in the modern rivalry.
She played a major role in the 2024 Women’s Asia Cup final with 60 and then contributed 59 in India’s 2026 Asia Cup final victory.
Shafali Verma
Shafali has become one of India’s most aggressive opening batters.
She scored 68 in the 2026 Asia Cup final and was also part of India’s successful T20I campaigns against Sri Lanka.
Harmanpreet Kaur
Harmanpreet Kaur has been a major Indian leader and middle-order batter throughout the modern era of the rivalry.
She has appeared in numerous Asia Cup and ICC tournament matches against Sri Lanka.
Chamari Athapaththu
Chamari Athapaththu is one of the most important players in Sri Lankan women’s cricket.
She scored 61 in the 2024 Asia Cup final and helped Sri Lanka win their first title. She also captained Sri Lanka in the 2026 Asian Games final.
Harshitha Samarawickrama
Harshitha played a decisive role in Sri Lanka’s 2024 Asia Cup triumph.
She scored an unbeaten 69 in the final and helped Sri Lanka complete the successful chase.
India vs Sri Lanka in the Women’s Asia Cup
The Women’s Asia Cup is arguably the most important recurring competition in this rivalry.
India have won the tournament eight times, including the 2026 edition.
The title history shows India’s long-term dominance:
| Year | Format | Champion |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | ODI | India |
| 2005-06 | ODI | India |
| 2006 | ODI | India |
| 2008 | ODI | India |
| 2012 | T20I | India |
| 2016 | T20I | India |
| 2018 | T20I | Bangladesh |
| 2022 | T20I | India |
| 2024 | T20I | Sri Lanka |
| 2026 | T20I | India |
The 2024 edition stands out because Sri Lanka won their first title by defeating India in the final. Two years later, India reclaimed the trophy by defeating Sri Lanka in the 2026 final.
Why India vs Sri Lanka Is an Important Women’s Cricket Rivalry
The India-Sri Lanka women’s rivalry is significant for several reasons.
Regional importance: Both teams are among the most established women’s cricket sides in Asia.
Asia Cup history: They have repeatedly met in one of the region’s most important women’s tournaments.
Major finals: Their meetings include Asia Cup finals and the Asian Games final.
Different formats: The rivalry now covers ODIs, T20Is and other international competitions.
Strong individual players: Mandhana, Harmanpreet, Shafali, Athapaththu and Samarawickrama have all contributed important performances.
Growing competitiveness: Sri Lanka’s 2024 Asia Cup triumph demonstrated that the gap between the sides can narrow in important matches.
India Women vs Sri Lanka Women Timeline: Quick Summary
- 2004: India win the inaugural Women’s Asia Cup.
- 2005-06: India retain the Asia Cup.
- 2006: India win another Asia Cup title.
- 2008: India win the Women’s Asia Cup.
- 2012: India win the first T20I-format Asia Cup.
- 2016: India win another T20I Asia Cup.
- 2018: Bangladesh defeat India in the Asia Cup final.
- 2022: India defeat Sri Lanka in the Women’s Asia Cup final.
- 2023: India defeat Sri Lanka in the Asian Games final.
- 2024: Sri Lanka defeat India by eight wickets in the Women’s Asia Cup final.
- 2025: India record a strong T20I series against Sri Lanka.
- 2025: India host Sri Lanka in the Women’s Cricket World Cup opener.
- 2026: India defeat Sri Lanka in the Women’s Asia Cup final.
- 2026: India defeat Sri Lanka by 147 runs in the Asian Games final.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did India Women and Sri Lanka Women start playing cricket?
India and Sri Lanka have been regular women’s international opponents for decades, with the rivalry developing particularly strongly through ODI cricket and the Women’s Asia Cup.
When was the first Women’s Asia Cup?
The first Women’s Asia Cup was held in 2004, with India winning the inaugural tournament.
Who won the 2024 Women’s Asia Cup final?
Sri Lanka defeated India by eight wickets in the 2024 Women’s Asia Cup final in Dambulla. Chamari Athapaththu scored 61 and Harshitha Samarawickrama made an unbeaten 69.
Who won the 2026 Women’s Asia Cup final?
India defeated Sri Lanka in the 2026 final to win their eighth Women’s Asia Cup title. India scored 183/5 before bowling Sri Lanka out.
Who scored the most runs in the 2026 Women’s Asia Cup final?
Shafali Verma scored 68, while Smriti Mandhana made 59 for India in the final.
Who won the 2026 Asian Games women’s cricket final?
India defeated Sri Lanka by 147 runs in the women’s cricket gold-medal match at the 2026 Asian Games. India scored 216/3, with Smriti Mandhana making 79 from 45 balls.
What happened in the 2024 India vs Sri Lanka Women’s Asia Cup final?
India scored 165/6 after batting first. Sri Lanka chased the target successfully, reaching it in the 19th over. Chamari Athapaththu scored 61 and Harshitha Samarawickrama made 69 not out.
When did India and Sri Lanka play the 2025 Women’s Cricket World Cup?
India hosted Sri Lanka in the opening match of the 2025 Women’s Cricket World Cup on September 30, 2025, at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
Which team has won more Women’s Asia Cup titles?
India have won more Women’s Asia Cup titles. Their eighth title came in 2026. Sri Lanka won their first Women’s Asia Cup in 2024.
Who are the key players in the India-Sri Lanka women’s rivalry?
Important modern players include India’s Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma and Harmanpreet Kaur, along with Sri Lanka’s Chamari Athapaththu and Harshitha Samarawickrama.
Conclusion
The Sri Lanka Women vs India Women’s National Cricket Team timeline shows how a regional cricket rivalry has developed into a regular fixture across major international competitions.
India have historically dominated the Women’s Asia Cup, winning eight editions through 2026. Sri Lanka created a major upset in 2024 by defeating India in the final and claiming their first Asia Cup title. India responded by beating Sri Lanka in the 2026 final.
The teams have also met in World Cups, T20I series and Asian Games finals. The 2026 Asian Games gold-medal match added another major chapter, with India defeating Sri Lanka by 147 runs.
With both nations continuing to invest in women’s cricket and develop new generations of players, the India-Sri Lanka rivalry remains an important part of Asian and international women’s cricket.
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