Democratic socialist republic

World Test Championship: The first Test between Sri Lanka and New Zealand at Galle, scheduled to begin on September 18, will have a rest day on September 21 due to presidential elections in the island nation.

While announcing the schedule for the two-match Test series, which is a part of the 2023-2025 World Test Championship cycle, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) said the first game will be played across six days, with September 21 earmarked as a rest day 'owing to the Presidential Election of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka'.

It will be the first time a rest day, a common fixture in red-ball matches in the previous millennium, will be included in a Test match since 2008. Sri Lanka last held a Test match across six days in 2001, when their game against Zimbabwe at Colombo included a rest day due to Poya Day (full moon day) in the island nation, with no sporting activities held that day.