March 15, 2017. P. Sara Oval, Colombo.
Bangladesh needed 191 runs in their fourth innings to win their 100th Test match ever. They had never beaten Sri Lanka in a Test. Not once. In 19 previous attempts across 16 years. Tamim Iqbal came out and hit 82. Shakib Al Hasan. Who had already taken 4/74 in Sri Lanka’s second innings, Was out for 14 in the chase.
Bangladesh won by 4 wickets.
They celebrated on Sri Lanka’s ground. The dressing room sang. Shakib raised his hands. For Bangladesh, it was not just a Test win. It was confirmation that after 16 years of being Sri Lanka’s reliable victims in Test cricket, something fundamental had shifted.
That shift is the real story behind this timeline. Here is every match, every turning point, and every moment that built this rivalry from a one-sided contest into one of the most compelling in Asian cricket.
Head-to-Head Snapshot: All Formats at a Glance
Test Record: Sri Lanka 21 wins, Bangladesh 1 win, 6 Draws
Bangladesh’s single Test win is the 100th Test at Colombo in March 2017. It remains their only Test victory in this rivalry across 25 years.
ODI Record: Sri Lanka 44, Bangladesh 12
Sri Lanka are dominant but Bangladesh’s 12 wins are not randomly distributed. Of those 12 wins, a significant proportion came in home conditions and in neutral venues. At R. Premadasa Stadium alone, Sri Lanka hold a 12–0 record against Bangladesh.
T20I Record: Evenly Contested Over the Last Decade
Over the last 10 years in T20 Internationals, both teams have won exactly 8 matches each.
In the broader all-time T20I head-to-head, Sri Lanka hold a narrow lead. But the trajectory has equalised entirely. Bangladesh are no longer underdogs in T20I cricket against Sri Lanka. They are equals.
2001–2008: Bangladesh’s Early Test Era: Pure Dominance by Sri Lanka
First Test (September 2001, Colombo PSS): SL Won by Innings & 137 Runs
Bangladesh’s debut series against Sri Lanka began in Colombo in September 2001. They were bowled out for 90 and 328. Sri Lanka made 555/5d. An innings and 137 runs. The match lasted less than 3 days.
The next meeting. July 2002 at SSC Colombo produced another innings defeat: SL won by innings & 196 runs.
Between 2001 and 2008, Sri Lanka won every Test they played against Bangladesh. The margins ranged from innings-and-100+ to 10 wickets. No result was close. Bangladesh were a young Test nation learning what first-class international cricket required.
Unique insight: Those early Test years were not about cricket. They were about Bangladesh building the technical foundation that would pay dividends in 2017. The 2001–2008 losses had Mushfiqur Rahim, Tamim Iqbal, and Shakib Al Hasan watching and developing. By the time they played Sri Lanka in their 100th Test, all three contributed directly to the win. The losses were tuition. The 2017 win was graduation.
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2009: Bangladesh’s First Breakthrough Wins
January 2009 Tri-Series: Bangladesh’s First-Ever ODI Win vs Sri Lanka
January 14, 2009. Mirpur, Dhaka. Tri-Nation Tournament.
Sri Lanka: 147 all out (31 overs, rain-reduced).
Bangladesh: 151/5. Bangladesh won by 5 wickets with 43 balls remaining.
Shakib Al Hasan scored 92 off 69 balls.
This was Bangladesh’s first-ever ODI win against Sri Lanka. In a meeting that had never gone Bangladesh’s way before. A fourth-wicket partnership of 91 between Shakib and Ashraful delivered the win.
What most people miss: Shakib’s 92 off 69 against Sri Lanka in that rain-reduced match was not a boundary-fest. It was the first time a Bangladesh batter had found the ideal tempo against Sri Lanka’s spin attack. Attacking the medium-pacers while rotating singles off Muralitharan. That approach became Bangladesh’s standard plan against SL spin for the next decade.
The 2009 Tri-Series Final: Sri Lanka Crashed to 6/5 in 8 Overs
January 16, 2009. Mirpur, Dhaka. Final.
Sri Lanka chased 153. After 8 overs. They were 6 runs for 5 wickets.
Mashrafe Mortaza had ripped through the top order with devastating swing. The Mirpur crowd was in frenzy. Sri Lanka looked finished.
Then Kumar Sangakkara batted. 59 off 133 balls patient, methodical, counter-intuitive. And Muttiah Muralitharan, The spinner, the non-batter walked in at No. 10 and made 33* off 16 balls.
Sri Lanka won by 2 wickets off 11 balls to spare.
Turning point analysis: The match was Bangladesh’s to win from overs 1–8. They had 5 wickets for 6 runs. What they could not do at this stage of their development was close out a match against an experienced top-order batter in Sangakkara who knew how to absorb pressure. Murali’s 33* was the tail-end counterattack Bangladesh had no plan for. This was the lesson Bangladesh eventually learned: you need a bowling plan for Nos. 9–11 in a final.
2017: Bangladesh’s Greatest Year Against Sri Lanka
The 100th Test (March 15–19, 2017, Colombo PSS): Bangladesh Won by 4 Wickets
Bangladesh 467 (Shakib 116, Mosaddek 75, Sarkar 61, Mushfiqur 52) and 191/6 (Tamim 82) beat Sri Lanka 338 (Chandimal 138) and 319 (Karunaratne 126) by 4 wickets.
This was Bangladesh’s 100th Test match and their first-ever Test win against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka.
Shakib 116 + 4/74: The Double That Won the 100th Test
Shakib Al Hasan scored 116 in the first innings an attacking hundred on a Colombo surface and then returned to take 4/74 in Sri Lanka’s second innings. His bowling reduced Sri Lanka from a strong 200+ position to 319 all out, setting Bangladesh a realistic 191-run chase.
Tamim Iqbal then anchored the chase with 82. His composed innings in a Colombo cauldron where Bangladesh had never won gave the rest of the batting order a platform.
Bold opinion: Shakib Al Hasan’s performance in Bangladesh’s 100th Test. 116 with the bat, 4/74 with the ball across a Test played in Sri Lanka is one of the five greatest individual match-winning contributions in Bangladesh’s entire Test history. It was not just performance; it was timing. Doing it in the 100th Test, on Sri Lanka soil, against a full Sri Lanka lineup including Rangana Herath and Dilruwan Perera, was the exact moment Bangladesh’s Test cricket entered a new chapter.
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The ODI Series (March 2017, Dambulla): Bangladesh 324/5, Won by 90 Runs
Three days after the 100th Test win, Bangladesh came out for the ODI series opener with the same momentum.
Bangladesh scored 324/5: their highest-ever ODI total against Sri Lanka. Tamim Iqbal 127 (his 8th ODI hundred). Shakib 72. Sabbir 54.
Sri Lanka: 234 all out. Mustafizur Rahman 3/56. Bangladesh won by 90 runs.
Original observation: The February–March 2017 tour of Sri Lanka was the most important Bangladesh cricket tour in history. They won a Test in Sri Lanka (the 100th Test), posted their highest-ever ODI total against Sri Lanka, and won the ODI opener by 90 runs. All within one week. It was not a team on a roll — it was a team that had arrived.
T20I History: The Format Where Bangladesh Have Held Their Own
T20 WC 2007: The First T20I Meeting (September 17, 2007, Johannesburg)
Bangladesh 83 (15.5 ov) vs Sri Lanka 147/5 (20 ov). Sri Lanka won by 64 runs.
A one-sided start to the T20I rivalry.
Asia Cup 2016 T20 (February 27, 2016, Dhaka): Bangladesh Won by 23 Runs
Bangladesh 147/7, Sri Lanka 124/8. BAN won by 23 runs at home.
A Dhaka surface that gripped and turned gave Bangladesh’s spinners the advantage. Mashrafe kept the chase under consistent pressure.
Nidahas Trophy 2018 (Colombo): Two Thrillers in One Tournament
Match 1 (March 10): SL 214, BAN 215/5 in 19.4 overs. BAN won by 5 wickets.
Match 2 (March 16): BAN 160/8, SL 159/7 in 20 overs. BAN won by 1 run.
Bangladesh won both T20Is in the same tournament in Colombo. The 1-run win: Bangladesh defended 160, SL finishing 1 short remains one of the closest T20I results in this rivalry.
T20 WC 2024 Dallas: Bangladesh Win by 2 Runs in a Super Over Thriller
June 8, 2024. Grand Prairie Stadium, Dallas.
Bangladesh: 125/8 (20 ov). Sri Lanka: 124/9 (20 ov). Bangladesh won by 1 run.
A 125/8 total at Dallas seen as underpowered was defended by 1 run. Sri Lanka’s final wicket fell with 1 run needed.
Counterintuitive insight: Bangladesh defending 125 in a T20 World Cup match against Sri Lanka by 1 run is a greater bowling performance than most people recognise. In modern T20 cricket, defending below 130 requires all 10 wickets, perfect line variation, and composure under pressure. Bangladesh had all three that night. This is not a lucky result it is a sign of genuine defensive T20 bowling development.
2022–2024: Sri Lanka’s Test Reassertion
2022 Bangladesh Tests (1-0, 1 Draw)
Sri Lanka won the first Test at Mirpur by 10 wickets (2022). The second Test at Chattogram was drawn. Sri Lanka retained their Test dominance despite Bangladesh’s competitive performance at home.
2024 Tests in Bangladesh: Sri Lanka Whitewash (2–0)
Test 1 (March 22–25, 2024, Sylhet): Sri Lanka won by 328 runs.
Test 2 (March 30–April 3, 2024, Chattogram): Sri Lanka won by 192 runs.
Sri Lanka won both Tests by massive margins: Bangladesh collapsed in both second innings. Their Test batting in 2024, particularly against pace-spin combination attacks, reverted to the structural fragility that defined the 2001–2016 era.
What this means: The 2017 100th Test win was a genuine high-water mark but Bangladesh’s Test cricket has not maintained that level consistently. The 2024 whitewash shows the Test rivalry remains firmly in Sri Lanka’s control despite Bangladesh’s T20I and ODI progress. The gap is structural: Bangladesh’s top-4 batting in Tests still struggles against high-quality spin on turning Colombo or Galle surfaces.
Bangladesh Tour of Sri Lanka 2025: Recent Results
1st ODI (July 2025): Bangladesh Won by 16 Runs. Tanvir Islam 5/39
Bangladesh 248 (Parvez Hossain Emon 67, Asitha Fernando 4/35). Sri Lanka 232 (Janith Liyanage 78, Tanvir Islam 5/39).
Bangladesh won an ODI in Sri Lanka away from home by 16 runs. Tanvir Islam’s 5/39 was the standout bowling performance, restricting a 232-run chase for Sri Lanka. Parvez Hossain Emon’s 67 anchored Bangladesh’s 248 a competitive away total that gave the bowlers something to defend.
Bold opinion: Tanvir Islam’s 5/39 in an away ODI in Sri Lanka is more significant than Bangladesh fans have recognised. Sri Lanka at home in 50-over cricket are a formidable unit. Taking 5 wickets as a left-arm spinner on Colombo/Dambulla surfaces without the crowd advantage shows that Bangladesh have found a genuine new pace-spin bowling weapon in limited-overs cricket.
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T20I Series: Sri Lanka Won 1st T20I. Kusal Mendis 73 off 51
1st T20I (July 10, 2025, Pallekele): Bangladesh 154/5, Sri Lanka 159/3 (19 ov). Sri Lanka won by 7 wickets.
Kusal Mendis scored 73 off 51 to lead the chase. Sri Lanka won comfortably with 6 balls remaining.
The Premadasa Fortress: Why Bangladesh Have Never Won There
R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo. Bangladesh record: 0 wins in 12 ODI attempts.
Why: Premadasa’s outfield is one of the fastest in Asia. Its track produces pace-friendly conditions that suit Sri Lanka’s home pace attack. Bangladesh’s batting, which is built around spin-friendly conditions at Mirpur, consistently underperforms at Premadasa. Where pace and movement in the first 15 overs creates early wickets that compound throughout the innings.
Practical insight for Bangladesh: To win at Premadasa, Bangladesh would need (a) a reliable No. 3 and No. 4 who score against pace in the first 15 overs, (b) a left-arm pace option to swing the ball back into Sri Lanka’s right-handers Taskin Ahmed or Shoriful Islam and (c) to bat second on a day when the pitch is at its most pace-friendly in the morning. None of those have aligned in 12 ODI attempts.
The Naagin Derby: What Makes This Rivalry Different
The Sri Lanka–Bangladesh cricket rivalry is officially nicknamed the “Naagin Derby.”
The name comes from the “Naagin Dance” a snake-charmer celebration dance performed by Bangladesh players after a win against Sri Lanka. It started in 2017 and has since become the cultural signature of every Bangladesh victory in this matchup.
What most rivalries produce is sporting tension. What the Naagin Derby produces is cultural ownership Bangladesh’s celebration has become as famous as the cricket itself. Sri Lanka players have responded with counter-celebrations. The match is now watched by both countries with social media running at full speed before a single ball is bowled.
Original observation: No other cricket bilateral rivalry has a specific celebration tied to a victory. The “Naagin Dance” is not just a celebration it is a claim of respect. After 16 years of being dominated in every format, Bangladesh decided that when they win against Sri Lanka, it deserves a moment. The Premadasa Stadium crowd hears about the Naagin Dance before the match begins. That is cultural rivalry in its most distilled form.
Complete Timeline Table: All Key Matches 2001–2025
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: What is the head-to-head record between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in cricket?
Ans. In Tests, Sri Lanka lead 21–1 with 6 draws from 28 matches. In ODIs, Sri Lanka lead 44–12 from 58 matches. In T20Is, the rivalry is closely contested — over the last 10 years both teams have won 8 T20I matches each.
Q2: Has Bangladesh ever beaten Sri Lanka in a Test match?
Ans. Yes — once. Bangladesh beat Sri Lanka by 4 wickets in Colombo (PSS) on March 15–19, 2017 — their 100th Test match. Shakib Al Hasan scored 116 and took 4/74; Tamim Iqbal scored 82 in the fourth-innings chase of 191.
Q3: When did Bangladesh first beat Sri Lanka in ODI cricket?
Ans. Bangladesh beat Sri Lanka for the first time in an ODI on January 14, 2009 in a rain-reduced Tri-Nation Tournament match at Mirpur. Shakib Al Hasan scored 92 off 69 balls. BAN chased 147 in 31 overs, winning by 5 wickets.
Q4: What is the “Naagin Derby”?
Ans. The Sri Lanka–Bangladesh cricket rivalry is nicknamed the “Naagin Derby” after Bangladesh players began performing the “Naagin Dance” (a snake-charmer celebration) after victories against Sri Lanka, beginning in 2017. The cultural celebration has become iconic in both countries.
Q5: What was the result of Bangladesh’s tour of Sri Lanka 2025?
Ans. In the 1st ODI, Bangladesh beat Sri Lanka by 16 runs (BAN 248, SL 232) — Tanvir Islam took 5/39. In the 1st T20I, Sri Lanka beat Bangladesh by 7 wickets — Kusal Mendis scored 73 off 51.
Q6: What is Bangladesh’s record at R. Premadasa Stadium in ODIs vs Sri Lanka?
Ans. Bangladesh have never won an ODI at R. Premadasa Stadium — Sri Lanka hold a 12/0 record against Bangladesh at this venue across all ODI meetings there.
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