India and Sri Lanka are set to face off in the upcoming 3-match ODI series. History has shown strong favors for India -- it has been 27 years since Sri Lanka last won a bilateral men's ODI series against India, with the last win coming in 1997.
Since their defeat in 1997, India has consistently dominated Sri Lanka in bilateral ODI series. This dominance includes 11 comprehensive series wins with 2 series drawn.
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Let's take a look at the ODI series results for India and Sri Lanka since the year 1997.
How many series have India won consecutively over Sri Lanka?
Sri Lanka last won the 1997 ODI series at their home against India. It was a four-match series, with all matches taking place at Colombo. The series saw a no-result match and Sri Lanka won the rest of the 3 matches. Since then, India has been very dominant against Sri Lanka.
India have 11 out of the next 13 ODI series against Sri Lanka, with two of them drawn.
| Year | Series | Result |
| 1997 | India in Sri Lanka ODI Series | 3-0 (SL) |
| 1997 | Sri Lanka in India ODI Series | 1-1 (Drawn) |
| 2005 | Sri Lanka in India ODI Series | 6-1 (IND) |
| 2006 | India in Sri Lanka ODI Series | 0-0 (Drawn) |
| 2007 | Sri Lanka in India ODI Series | 2-1 (IND) |
| 2008 | India in Sri Lanka ODI Series | 3-2 (IND) |
| 2009 | India in Sri Lanka ODI Series | 4-1 (IND) |
| 2009 | Sri Lanka in India ODI Series | 3-1 (IND) |
| 2012 | India in Sri Lanka ODI Series | 4-1 (IND) |
| 2014 | Sri Lanka in India ODI Series | 5-0 (IND) |
| 2017 | India in Sri Lanka ODI Series | 5-0 (IND) |
| 2017 | Sri Lanka in India ODI Series | 2-1 (IND) |
| 2021 | India in Sri Lanka ODI Series | 2-1 (IND) |
| 2023 | Sri Lanka in India ODI Series | 3-0 (IND) |
| 2024 | India in Sri Lanka ODI Series | 1-0 (SL) leading* |
What are the challenges for the current Sri Lankan team?
Sri Lanka’s current team is dealing with setbacks. They have lost five fast bowlers due to injuries or illness. This has affected their preparation for the upcoming ODIs against India.
Uncapped players Mohamed Shiraz and Eshan Malinga have been called up to support the remaining fit seamer, Asitha Fernando, and all-rounder Chamika Karunaratne.
In recent ODI encounters, Sri Lanka has struggled to even reach three-digit scores against India. In their last four ODI meetings before the series started, they failed to cross 100 runs three times.
India, on the other hand, were boosted by the return of players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Kuldeep Yadav. The team is focused on perfecting their strategies and combinations in preparation for the Champions Trophy.
With a strong lineup and a history of success against Sri Lanka, India were poised to continue their winning streak. However, the Lankans came as a surprise as after holding the giants to a tie in the first ODI, they managed to defend 240 runs in the second ODI to take a 1-1 lead in the three-match series.