COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, December 7, Sunday (ePRESS) — Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) says the massive Rs. 1.8 billion floodlight project at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) — a key venue for next year’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup — is racing ahead on schedule and will be completed by January 15, giving the historic ground a major modern boost ahead of its biggest limited-overs assignment in years.
SLC confirmed that six new floodlight towers are being installed entirely with board funding as part of its long-term plan to strengthen club infrastructure. SSC is one of three Sri Lankan venues selected for the global event, alongside the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo and the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium.
SSC will host five World Cup matches, starting with the Group B clash between the Netherlands and Pakistan on February 7 at 11:00am. Pakistan will play three of their four first-round games at the venue, including the only day-night match — Pakistan vs USA — which will showcase the ground’s new lighting system.
The first fixture to officially use the floodlights will be Oman versus Zimbabwe on February 9 at 3:00pm.
“We are on schedule,” SLC CEO Ashley de Silva said, confirming contractors have promised delivery by January 15, 2026.
Along with the lighting upgrade, SSC is renovating its main pavilion and relocating the broadcasting facility to meet ICC standards. The ground currently holds about 10,000 spectators, and officials do not expect crowding issues since Sri Lanka will not play any group-stage games there.
With this development, Colombo will boast three fully lit cricket venues — SSC, R. Premadasa and CCC — strengthening the city’s readiness for future major tournaments, including the 2027 ICC Women’s Champions Trophy.
One of Sri Lanka’s proudest cricketing homes, SSC has hosted Tests since 1984 and ODIs since 1982. It featured in the 1996 Cricket World Cup and staged the final of the 2000 Under-19 World Cup. Mostly used for Test cricket in recent years, officials believe the new floodlights will restore SSC as a regular venue for high-profile limited-overs matches.
Set in one of Colombo’s leafiest neighbourhoods, SSC is surrounded by leading cricket clubs — NCC, CCC and Bloomfield — and carries a legacy of producing legends. Great captains Arjuna Ranatunga and Mahela Jayawardene, along with many celebrated names such as Duleep Mendis, Sidath Wettimuny, Anura Tennekoon and Marvan Atapattu, all honed their skills here.
The pitch is known for offering early seam movement for fast bowlers before turning sharply for spinners in later days, though it generally remains a strong batting surface.
