The inaugural One Day International match was played between Sri Lanka and England in March 2001.
Floodlights were installed in 2003.
The stadium returned to international cricket in November 2013 after a three-year period due to its highly criticized floodlight system.
The stadium hosted only day matches from 2013 until late 2016.
In 2015, plans were undertaken to replace the outdated 8 floodlight towers with four LED ones.
The ground
Situated in the dry zone, the original rationale behind the project was that it provided Sri Lanka with the potential to host one-day matches throughout the year. Construction was funded by the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka and championed by the then BCCSL President, Thilanga Sumathipala. Construction took only 167 days. After construction and the inaugural match it sat idle due to complications with the lease and the contractors. International cricket finally returned in May 2003, the venue staging all seven matches of the tournament because of monsoon rains in the south. The pitch is bowler friendly. Seamers benefit in the morning because of the high water table and heavy sweating. Spinners benefit in the afternoon when the pitch can crumble. After 6 years since 2010, the first day-night ODI was held on 28 August 2016, during the ODI series against Australia after upgrading floodlights to ICC Standards. This match was the final ODI for Sri Lankan great Tillakaratne Dilshan.
The highest ODI total at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium is 385/7 by Pakistan against Bangladesh on June 21, 2010.
The lowest ODI total is 88 by England against Sri Lanka on November 18, 2003 and by India against New Zealand on August 10, 2010.
Mahela Jayawardene has scored 1148 runs and is the highest by a single player at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium.
The highest individual score at stadium is 132 not out by Shikhar Dhawan against Sri Lanka in 2017.
Muttiah Muralitharan with 42 scalps has captured the most number of wickets at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium.
The best bowling figures recorded at the stadium is 6/42 by John Hastings.
Farveez Maharoof and Taskin Ahmed have both taken hat-tricks at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium.
The 50th ODI at the ground was held on 28 March 2017, between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, which was washed out by the rain and ended in no result. The match was also the 200th ODI for Sri Lankan opener Upul Tharanga as well.
