Chamari Athapaththu of Sri Lanka. (Photo by Harry Trump-IDI/IDI via Getty Images)
Sri Lanka Women are gearing up to renew their one-on-one rivalry with West Indies Women in terms of bilateral series after a gap of nearly seven years. In their last meeting in 2017, West Indies Women showcased their dominance by clinching both the ODI and T20 series with convincing 3-0 wins.
In this forthcoming series, the teams are expected to compete across three ODIs followed by three T20Is, following a similar structure to their previous series. However, the detailed schedule remains undisclosed at present.
Set to take place from June 15 to 21 in Galle, the ODI series holds significant importance as it forms a crucial segment of the ICC Women’s Championship, acting as a stepping stone towards the 2025 ODI World Cup. Meanwhile, the T20Is will be played from June 24 to 28 in Hambantota.
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The T20I history between West Indies and Sri Lanka heavily favors the former, with West Indies securing victory 18 times while Sri Lanka have managed only four wins. Meanwhile, ODIs have seen a closer contest, with West Indies leading 18-14.
With Sri Lanka coming off notable series triumphs against England, New Zealand, and South Africa in the past few months, all of those series being won by a 2-1 margin, respectively, this tour is poised to deliver intense competition, making it a potentially closely-fought affair.
With the Women’s Asia Cup set to be hosted in Sri Lanka from July 20 onwards, the upcoming tour is pivotal for Sri Lanka, offering them invaluable preparation time to gear up and sharpen their skills ahead of the prestigious tournament.
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Fresh off their tour of Pakistan, where they triumphed in both the ODI and T20I series, West Indies enter the upcoming series against Sri Lanka with confidence and momentum on their side.
With no competitive fixtures scheduled subsequently, these upcoming games represent the last opportunity for West Indies Women to finetune their strategies and assess their strengths ahead of the T20 World Cup in October. As for the hosts, they are scheduled to tour Ireland in August, later this year.