Sri Lanka tour of New Zealand 2022/23

Sri Lanka tour of New Zealand

The series is a bilateral international cricket fixture rather than a formal tournament or league. It does not have a permanent trophy or a fixed governing body structure beyond the framework of the International Cricket Council Future Tours Programme. The contest is defined by the meeting of two national teams: the New Zealand national team and the Sri Lanka national team.

The history of the rivalry between these two sides dates back to the early nineteenth century. The first Test match was played in February 1982, shortly after Sri Lanka received Test status. Early encounters in One Day Internationals occurred in the 1979 Cricket World Cup or during the 1980s, while Twenty20 Internationals began in 2006. The series typically includes a mix of Test matches, ODIs, and T20Is, though the composition varies by year.

During these tours, the national teams often participate in warm-up matches against "New Zealand XI," a combined squad of domestic and uncapped players. These games are classified as exhibition or practice matches and do not carry official international status. They are separate from the formal competition between the national sides and do not form part of any league system.

New Zealand's domestic cricket infrastructure, which includes the Plunket Shield for first-class cricket and the Super Smash for T20, operates separately from the international bilateral tours. The series is simply the name given to the specific fixtures between the two nations for a given period.

In recent years, the format has shifted. A tour in September 2024 saw Sri Lanka win a two-match Test series 2-0 in Galle, featuring a unique six-day format with a mid-match rest day. The 2024–25 tour comprised three T20Is and three ODIs, with no Test matches scheduled. New Zealand holds a slight edge in Test cricket historically, while the limited-overs formats remain highly competitive. Notable past matches include a 2015 World Cup Quarterfinal and a 2019 World Cup group stage encounter.