Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Test Head to Head: 59 Tests, Pakistan 23 Wins, Every Series in Pakistan
Pakistan have won 23 of 59 Tests against Sri Lanka, losing 17 with 19 draws. See the record in Pakistan, every home series and the last five before Rawalpindi.
Pakistan and Sri Lanka have played 59 Tests. Pakistan have won 23, Sri Lanka 17, and 19 were drawn. In Pakistan the record is 23 Tests, with 9 Pakistan wins, 6 Sri Lanka wins and 8 draws. The two sides meet again in the 1st Test at Rawalpindi on 9 November 2026, their first Test since Pakistan won 2-0 in Sri Lanka in July 2023.
We went through the match-by-match Test results between the two teams, from the first Test in Karachi in March 1982 to the last one in Colombo in July 2023, and counted them by venue. Below is the overall record, the record in each country, every series in Pakistan and what the 2026 series adds.
Pakistan lead the Test head-to-head 23-17
Across 59 Tests from 1982 to 2023, Pakistan have won 23 and Sri Lanka 17. The other 19 were draws. No Test between them has been tied. A planned Test in Colombo in August 1994 was cancelled and does not count.
| Where played | Tests | Pakistan won | Sri Lanka won | Drawn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| In Pakistan | 23 | 9 | 6 | 8 |
| In Sri Lanka | 27 | 11 | 8 | 8 |
| Neutral venues (UAE, Bangladesh) | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Total | 59 | 23 | 17 | 19 |
Pakistan have actually won more Tests in Sri Lanka (11) than at home (9). That is partly because Pakistan played no home Tests against Sri Lanka in Pakistan for ten years after 2009, and used the UAE as home instead.
The record in Pakistan is 9 wins to 6
Sri Lanka have played 23 Tests in Pakistan since 1982. Pakistan won 9, Sri Lanka 6, and 8 were drawn. Sri Lanka's best visits were in 1995 and 2000, when they won both three-Test series 2-1.
| Season in Pakistan | Tests | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1981-82 | 3 | Pakistan won 2-0 |
| 1985-86 | 3 | Pakistan won 2-0 |
| 1991-92 | 3 | Pakistan won 1-0 |
| 1995-96 | 3 | Sri Lanka won 2-1 |
| 1998-99 (Asian Test Championship, Lahore) | 1 | Drawn |
| 1999-2000 | 3 | Sri Lanka won 2-1 |
| 2001-02 (Asian Test Championship final, Lahore) | 1 | Sri Lanka won by 8 wickets |
| 2004-05 | 2 | Drawn 1-1 |
| 2008-09 | 2 | Drawn 0-0 |
| 2019-20 | 2 | Pakistan won 1-0 |
The 2009 Lahore Test was abandoned after the attack on the Sri Lanka team bus on 3 March 2009. It is recorded as a draw. International cricket did not fully return to Pakistan for years after that, and Sri Lanka's 2019 tour was the first Test series in Pakistan for a decade.
Recent Tests favour Pakistan
Pakistan won the last series 2-0 in Sri Lanka in July 2023, including an innings and 222 runs win in Colombo. Before that they drew 1-1 in Galle in 2022 and beat Sri Lanka 1-0 at home in 2019. Sri Lanka's last series win was 2-0 in the UAE in 2017.
| Year | Where | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Sri Lanka | Pakistan won 2-1 |
| 2017 | UAE | Sri Lanka won 2-0 |
| 2019 | Pakistan | Pakistan won 1-0 |
| 2022 | Sri Lanka | Drawn 1-1 |
| 2023 | Sri Lanka | Pakistan won 2-0 |
The highest team total between the two is Pakistan's 765-6 declared in Karachi in February 2009. That Test was drawn.
Rawalpindi and Lahore host the 2026 Tests
The 2026 series has two Tests: Rawalpindi from 9 November and Lahore from 17 November, with play starting at 9:30 am PKT. The record at each ground against Sri Lanka is thin. At Rawalpindi, Sri Lanka won by 2 wickets in 2000 and the 2019 Test was drawn. At Lahore, Pakistan won in 1982, Sri Lanka won the 2002 Asian Test Championship final, and the 1999 and 2009 Tests were drawn.
The series also counts in the World Test Championship. Pakistan were ninth in the table at the end of October, as our WTC points table shows. Dates and venues are in our page on the Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Test series 2026.
How to read the head-to-head before the 1st Test
Head-to-head numbers say more about history than about next week. Here is what they do and do not tell you:
- Pakistan lead overall by six wins, 23 to 17, over 44 years.
- At home Pakistan lead 9 to 6, so Sri Lanka have won in Pakistan before.
- Draws are common: 19 of 59 Tests, about one in three.
- Pakistan have won 4 of the last 6 Tests against Sri Lanka, from 2019 to 2023, and lost only one.
- The squads have changed a lot since 2023, so check the current teams on our pages for the Pakistan Test squad and the Sri Lanka Test squad.
Common questions
How many Tests have Pakistan and Sri Lanka played?
59 Tests, from March 1982 to July 2023. Pakistan won 23, Sri Lanka 17 and 19 were drawn.
Who has won more Tests in Pakistan, Pakistan or Sri Lanka?
Pakistan, with 9 wins to Sri Lanka's 6 in 23 Tests in Pakistan. The other 8 were drawn.
When did Sri Lanka last win a Test in Pakistan?
In the Asian Test Championship final in Lahore in March 2002, by 8 wickets. Their last series win in Pakistan was 2-1 in 2000.
What was the last Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Test series result?
Pakistan won 2-0 in Sri Lanka in July 2023, in Galle and Colombo.
When was the first Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Test?
In Karachi from 5 March 1982. Pakistan won by 204 runs.
When does the 2026 Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Test series start?
On 9 November 2026 in Rawalpindi, at 9:30 am PKT. The 2nd Test is in Lahore from 17 November. Ticket details are on our page for the 1st Test tickets in Rawalpindi.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
We compiled the record on 5 November 2026 from the full match-by-match list of Tests between Pakistan and Sri Lanka, and checked our totals of 59 Tests, 23 Pakistan wins, 17 Sri Lanka wins and 19 draws against the summary figures in the same records. The split by country and the series list are our own counts from that list. The 2026 Test dates and start time come from the Pakistan Cricket Board's series announcements, which are on the PCB website. The counts will change after the Rawalpindi Test.
About the author
Tax, Bills and Technology Writer
Ali Akhtar is a young and curious voice here at Pakistan Era. He is currently pursuing his A-Levels and has a growing interest in Pakistan’s changing industrial landscape and educational trends. Ali likes to write in a way that helps him explain and explore the world around him. His writing reflects the perspective of the new generation navigating the evolving trends of Pakistan where technology, youth innovation, and shifting opportunities are reshaping the country’s future.
