The Sri Lankan team is all set to host its neighbors and reigning T20 World Cup champions India when they lock horns at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy, for the three-match T20I series, starting 27 July, 2024.
Ahead of the first T20I match at Pallekele Cricket Stadium between the two sides, The Sporting News takes a look at the pitch report and previous records at this venue.
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The Pallekele Stadium has hosted a total of 23 T20Is so far. 12 of these matches have been won by the team batting first, while 8 have been won by the team batting second. Two matches ended in a ‘Tie’ and one ended with ‘No Result’.
Pallekele International Cricket Stadium has a seating capacity of about 35,000 spectators.
The Pallekele International Cricket Stadium is known for its competitive scores, with the ball coming nicely on to the bat.
The pitch generally favours the quicker bowlers, particularly early on in the powerplay but as the match progresses the spinners might start to get some advantage from the surface.
| Average first innings score in Pallekele | 161 |
| Matches won after batting first | 12 |
| Matches won by chasing team | 8 |
The last T20I match at Pallekele was played over two years ago, when Sri Lanka hosted Australia for the 3rd T20I match of the series.
Australia posted an above-par score of 176/5 in the first inning, after a large surge from Marcus Stoinis, who scored 38 runs off 23 balls.
In the second innings, Sri Lanka got off to a decent start, but Josh Hazlewood’s 2/25, Ashton Agar’s 1/23 and Stoinis’ 2/8 put the hosts on the backfoot as they were reeling on 108/6 in the 16th over.
The chase looked almost impossible with the team needing 68 runs in just over 4 overs, but Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka, smashed a quickfire unbeaten half -century of 54 runs from 25 balls, including scoring 22, 18 and 19 runs, in the 18th, 19th and 20th overs, respectively.
During 1016’s Australia tour of Sri Lanka, the visitors recorded the highest score at the Pallekele in T20Is by scoring 263/3 in 20 overs.
Glenn Maxwell, who opened the batting smashed a record-breaking 145 runs off just 65 balls, with Travis Head providing a finish touch with 45 runs off just 16 balls.
In the 2022 Zimbabwe tour of Sri Lanka, the visitors were bundled out for 70 runs in the second innings, while chasing a target of 254.
Glenn Maxwell’s unbeaten score of 145 runs off 65 balls is the highest individual score ever recorded at Pallekele in T20Is. His explosive innings helped Australia post a total of 263 for 3. Maxwell hit 9 sixes and 14 fours in his record innings.
Ajanta Mendis’s 6 for 16 is the best bowling figures ever recorded at Pallekele. The performance came against Australia in a bilateral series in 2011.
Mendis bagged the wickets of Shane Watson, David Warner, Shaun Marsh, Steven Smith, Brad Haddin and Mithcell Johnson, helping his team to successfully defend a target of 158, as they won by 8 runs.
Sri Lanka’s Tillakaratne Dilshan has the most runs at Pallekle in T20 internationals. He has scored a total of 334 runs in just 10 innings, averaging 47.71 with a strike rate of 142. Dilshan has a high score of 104* at this ground.
Sri Lanka’s Lasith Malinga has taken most at Pallekele in T20 internationals. He has picked up 18 wickets in 12 matches at an average of 19.33 and an economy of 7.40 at this ground.
According to Dafabet, India are the favorites to win the 1st T20I match against Sri Lanka.
| Team | Betting odds |
| India | 1.33 |
| Sri Lanka | 3.45 |
