Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka at CWC 2027

Sri Lanka are in Group B with England, Bangladesh, New Zealand, co-hosts South Africa and a qualifier yet to be confirmed. They begin in Namibia before moving to South Africa for the rest of the group stage.

Date	Opponent	Venue	Start (local)
Sun 10 Oct	Group B qualifier (TBC)	Namibia Cricket Ground, Windhoek	12:30 (day/night)
Wed 13 Oct	England	Namibia Cricket Ground, Windhoek	10:00
Sat 16 Oct	Bangladesh	Kingsmead, Durban	10:00
Wed 20 Oct	New Zealand	Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg	10:00
Fri 22 Oct	South Africa	Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg	12:30 (day/night)

The Saturday meeting with Bangladesh in Durban is a heated regional rivalry, and the finale against the hosts under the Wanderers lights, just two days after facing New Zealand at the same ground, could decide who progresses.

World Cup history

Sri Lanka’s 1996 triumph is one of the great stories of the tournament. Having played with an attacking, innovative approach throughout, they beat Australia in the final in Lahore, a result that reshaped how one-day cricket was played. They have since reached two more finals, losing to Australia in 2007 and to India in Mumbai in 2011. The challenge now is to rediscover the consistency that made them perennial contenders in that era.

Conditions in southern Africa

Conditions will be a contrast to home. Windhoek and Johannesburg both sit at high altitude, where the ball flies off the bat and bounce can be steep, which may suit attacking batting but test bowlers. Durban, on the humid coast, has a reputation for helping seam and swing. Sri Lanka’s spinners might find less assistance than on the subcontinent, so variations of pace and accuracy could matter more than sharp turn.

Travelling fans

From Colombo, most fans connect through Gulf hubs such as Dubai, Doha or Abu Dhabi, or via other regional hubs; check which routings serve Windhoek and Johannesburg efficiently, as the group starts in Namibia. The host countries use UTC+2, three and a half hours behind Sri Lanka, so a 10:00 start is 13:30 in Colombo.

Because the group stage spans Namibia and South Africa, you may need to meet two sets of entry requirements. Check the official government immigration websites for both before booking. Our visa guide explains where to look, and the tickets guide covers buying for each venue.