Five things to watch ahead of Sri Lanka's three-match ODI series in New Zealand, which begins on Sunday in Wellington
New Zealand's ODI rust
Where ODIs were once beloved of broadcasters, particularly during bilateral tours, they are now the format boards scramble to fit into the calendar when a major tournament is on the horizon. The Champions Trophy is roughly seven weeks away, and New Zealand have played only three ODIs in the last year. They must now hasten to find their most effective combinations, fine-tune strategy, and gain some momentum in this format. All of this, however, is made more complicated by the the fact that as many as six top players - Kane Williamson, Finn Allen, Adam Milne, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson and Tim Seifert - are away at either the Big Bash League or the SAT20.
Can Sri Lanka do it overseas?
Although Sri Lanka didn't qualify for the Champions Trophy on account of their dismal 2023 World Cup, they seem to have turned their ODI game around in 2024. They won five out of the six series they played in 2024, including against New Zealand and India. Eleven of their 12 ODI wins last year, however, came at home, often on big-turning surfaces. Although Sri Lanka have swelled their silverware collection significantly, many fans are tempering expectations until they begin winning on the more batting-friendly surfaces they tend to encounter abroad.
Duffy's rhythm
Jacob Duffy has played only eight ODIs, but comes into this series having been outstanding in the T20Is. He took eight wickets and returned an economy rate of 5.50 across the three matches, and was usually tight with his lines. He has been part of New Zealand's ODI rebuild after the 2023 World Cup, and a good series here will help push his case for a place in their XI for the Champions Trophy, even after the likes of Ferguson and Milne return. He has decent figures against Sri Lanka in this format too - he took 3 for 41 in a high-scoring ODI in Dambulla in November.
Santner's captaincy
In the last three months, Mitchell Santner has taken 13 wickets in New Zealand's spectacular demolition of India in Pune; scored 125 runs and taken seven wickets in the huge Test win over England in Hamilton; and become New Zealand's permanent white-ball captain. For so long the allrounder who gave the side balance without setting the world alight, Santner is showing signs of maturing into an out-and-out match-winner. He will need to do some serious wrangling to get this New Zealand team Champions-Trophy-ready, however.
Will Kamindu raise his ODI game?
In Tests, he averages 74 and tends to score his runs rapidly. In this format, however, Kamindu Mendis has crossed fifty only once in 13 innings. Partly this has been because he has often batted down the order, coming in as low as No. 8 at times. But so successful has he been in Tests and so well-suited does his game seem to limited-overs cricket that there are likely thoughts within the Sri Lanka team management to push him up the order for a more permanent role.