Captain Steve Smith acknowledged on Tuesday that the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy is firmly on Australia‘s mind as they prepare to face Sri Lanka in two one-day internationals this week in Colombo.
These matches serve as the final tune-up before the prestigious eight-team tournament, which begins on February 19 in Pakistan and Dubai.
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The reigning 50-over world champions are grouped with England, South Africa, and Afghanistan in the Champions Trophy and are keen to carry momentum into the tournament.
“I’d be lying if I said the Champions Trophy wasn’t at the forefront of our minds—it’s a massive ICC event for us,” Smith told reporters in Colombo. “While our focus is on finishing this series strongly, we also want to ensure we take good form into the tournament.”
Australia will play Sri Lanka on Wednesday and Friday, coming off a dominant 2-0 Test series victory. Both ODIs will be played as day matches due to ongoing renovations at Colombo’s R. Premadasa Stadium, where floodlights are currently out of action ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
“Day games are quite different,” Smith admitted. “I can’t remember the last time I played an ODI during the day. But regardless of conditions, it’s going to be warm out there, and we’re looking forward to the challenge.”
Before arriving in Sri Lanka, Australia held a training camp in Dubai to prepare for the subcontinent’s conditions. Smith highlighted key areas of focus, saying, “The batters worked on adapting to these surfaces, spinners refined their variations, and seamers focused on reverse swing. Hopefully, we can bring all that into this series and finish well.”
Sri Lanka, meanwhile, will be looking to make a statement after failing to qualify for the Champions Trophy, finishing a disappointing ninth in the 2023 World Cup.
“It’s a tough pill to swallow, no doubt,” Sri Lanka’s stand-in captain Charith Asalanka admitted. “But we can’t change the past. What matters now is ensuring this never happens again.”
Despite their setback, Asalanka emphasized recent successes, including their historic ODI win against India in 2024—their first in 27 years.
“We need to build on that momentum,” he added, as Sri Lanka aims to use this series to rebuild and regroup.
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