Saturday Sep 06, 2025
Saturday Sep 06, 2025
Thursday, 28 August 2025 02:08 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
By Sa’adi Thawfeeq
Sri Lanka is on the cusp of achieving a milestone of 50 ODI victories against Zimbabwe when the two-match series opens at Harare Sports Club tomorrow.
Of the 64 matches played between the two countries, Sri Lanka’s tally stands at 49 and Zimbabwe 12 with three matches ending in a no-result.
If Sri Lanka achieve this feat Zimbabwe will become only the third country, they have recorded 50 or more wins in ODI cricket. The other two countries where Sri Lanka has a 50+ win record in ODIs is against Asian rivals India and Pakistan – 59 wins each.
For Zimbabwe, who are ranked as low as 11th they have nothing to lose whereas in the case of Sri Lanka who have risen to fourth in the ICC ODI team rankings there’s a lot to play for. To maintain their status as No. 4 rank Sri Lanka must win both ODIs, a drawn series will count more or less as a win for Zimbabwe.
The last time these two countries met in an ODI, Sri Lanka beat Zimbabwe by 8 wickets at the R. Premadasa Stadium by 8 wickets (DLS method) in January 2024. Zimbabwe’s last win against Sri Lanka was at Pallekele in 2022 when they won by 22 runs.
It is coming close to a quarter of a century since Chaminda Vaas, the former Sri Lanka left-arm fast bowler produced the best bowling figures in One-Day International cricket.
Zimbabwean batsmen’s main tormentor Chaminda Vaas
Vaas performed that exceptional feat against Zimbabwe at the SSC grounds in December 2001 in the first match of the LG Abans Triangular Series when he ran through their batting for 38 in 15.4 overs to finish with figures of 8/19 in 8 overs. At that time, it was the lowest total in ODIs. The Zimbabwean batsmen were all at sea against Vaas’ lethal deliveries with the new white ball as it seamed and swung prodigiously. Accuracy and movement were Vaas’ hallmark towards achieving that record. Sri Lanka went onto win by 9 wickets with 274 balls to spare – the second largest victory by balls remaining.
Even today, the lowest total in ODIs stands to the name of Zimbabwe with Vaas once again being their main tormentor. They were bundled out for 35 in 18 overs in the ODI match played at Harare in 2004. Not a single Zimbabwean batsman reached double figures. Vaas spearheading the bowling finished with 4/11 off 9 overs supported by two other fast bowlers Dilhara Fernando (2/18) and Farveez Maharoof (3/3). Sri Lanka won the contest by nine wickets. Zimbabwe shares this record with USA who were dismissed for 35 by Nepal at Kirtipur in 2020.
In the series beginning tomorrow, Sri Lanka will need to stamp their authority as a strong ODI side under overseas conditions, which is something they have failed to do consistently. In white ball contests Sri Lanka has always held the upper hand against Zimbabwe but playing away from home there has always been a question mark on their performances, as recent results have shown with series defeats in Bangladesh and in New Zealand. This Zimbabwe series is their third overseas in ODI cricket since the 2023 Cricket World Cup and they have a lot to prove.
