Quick facts
| Stadium Name | Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium |
| Place, Country | Dambulla, Sri Lanka |
| Established | 2001 |
| Seating Capacity | 16,800 (expandable to 30,000) |
The only cricket ground located in the dry zone of Sri Lanka, the Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium is one of the country's newest elite venues for the sport.
The Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium can hold as many as 30,000 cricket fans and it has been hosting ODIs since March 2001.
However, controversy over the floodlights at the Dambulla ground meant that there was a long delay before matches could return here.
RDICS.jpg - Photo by Wss ltd, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Now capable of hosting day-night games with no issue, Dambulla is where Sri Lankan great Tillakaratne Dilshan played his final one day international. Lasith Malinga also played his 200th ODI match for Sri Lanka on this ground, as did the Sri Lankan opener Upul Tharanga.
Farveez Maharoof (Sri Lanka) and Taskin Ahmed (Bangladesh) have both taken hat-tricks here.
Sri Lanka's domestic T20 tournament, the Lanka Premier League, is largely played in Dambulla.
In 2024, the Dambulla stadium opened a new hydrotherapy unit and a state-of-the-art medical centre, with President Ranil Wickremesinghe on hand to cut the ribbons.
Read our Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium pitch report and get all the details about the ground, including stats and matches.
Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium Pitch Report
Dambulla is known for a bowler-friendly pitch, with seamers tending to thrive in morning sessions. This is because of the high-water table, but as matches go on spin has more impact.
The Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium pitch report shows the surface can start to crumble and break down, giving more assistance to the spinners.
Spin's impact was seen by Sri Lanka's big win against West Indies at the Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium in 2024, when the visitors were bowled out for just 89.
However, it is a pace bowler - Matheesha Pathirana, the 'Baby Malinga' - who has the best limited-overs figures at Dambulla having taken 4-24 in a T20I against Afghanistan.
Pathan Nissanka is one of a trio of players to have scored a T20I century on this ground.
During 2024, the average first innings score in T20s at Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium was over 191, so it is possible to pile up large totals on this ground.
Fast bowlers have the highest economy rate on this ground, with batters able to get them away. But they have some of the lowest bowling averages, so they are still a wicket-taking threat here.
FAQs
What is the average score in T20 matches at Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium?
Dambulla has a reputation as a bowler-friendly pitch, but in 2024 it saw high scoring in T20s with the average first innings score sitting at over 191.
What is the pitch like?
Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium has a balanced surface for T20s with seam bowlers extracting movement early in innings before spinners come to the fore later.
What is the weather like at the stadium?
Dambulla's climate is classified as tropical, with a lot of rainfall throughout the year. As the dry season is only short, rain can therefore sometimes affect play this stadium.
Does the pitch favour batting or bowling?
High scoring in recent T20s suggests Dambulla is becoming more of a batter-friendly pitch, though it previously had a reputation for being better for the bowlers in international clashes.
