Sri Lankan national cricket team toured Zimbabwe from October to November 2016. The tour was originally scheduled to consist of a two Test matches, three One Day Internationals (ODIs) and a single Twenty20 international (T20I),[1] but in September 2016 the one-day matches were replaced by a triangular series featuring Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka and the West Indies and that the tour of Zimbabwe would be reduced to just the two Test matches.[2][3] Sri Lanka won the series 2–0.
| Sri Lankan cricket team in Zimbabwe in 2016–17 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 |  | ||
| Zimbabwe | Sri Lanka | ||
| Dates | 29 October – 10 November 2016 | ||
| Captains | Graeme Cremer | Rangana Herath | |
| Test series | |||
| Result | Sri Lanka won the 2-match series 2–0 | ||
| Most runs | Graeme Cremer (153) Sean Williams (153) | Dimuth Karunaratne (280) | |
| Most wickets | Graeme Cremer (11) | Rangana Herath (19) | |
| Player of the series | Dimuth Karunaratne (SL) | ||
Sri Lanka last played Zimbabwe in a Test match in 2004.[4] The first Test of the series was the 100th Test match played by Zimbabwe.[4] The second Test of the series used the Decision Review System.[5] This was the first time the technology was used in a game in Zimbabwe, having previously been unavailable due to cost.[5]
Squads
 Zimbabwe[6] |  Sri Lanka[7] |
|---|---|
Angelo Mathews was ruled out of the tour due to injury and was replaced as captain by Rangana Herath.[8]
Test series
1st Test
29 October–2 November 2016 Scorecard |
v | ||
- Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bat.
- Rain stopped play shortly after tea on day 4, with no further play possible.
- This was Zimbabwe's 100th Test.[4]
- Rangana Herath (SL) played his first Test match as captain.[4]
- Asela Gunaratne, Lahiru Kumara (SL) and Carl Mumba (Zim) all made their Test debuts.
- Kusal Perera (SL) scored his first Test century.[9]
- Graeme Cremer (Zim) scored his first Test century.[10]
2nd Test
6–10 November 2016 Scorecard |
v | ||
- Zimbabwe won the toss and elected to field.
- This was the first time the Decision Review System (DRS) was used in Zimbabwe.[5]
- Asela Gunaratne (SL) scored his first Test century.[11]
- Rangana Herath (SL) became the third bowler to take a five wicket haul against all the Test playing nations.[12]
- Rangana Herath (SL) took his 350th Test wicket when he dismissed Carl Mumba.[13]
- Rangana Herath (SL) took the most wickets as a captain in a two-match series (19).[13]