With the press conference behind them, both captains walked out onto the field. They are ready for the formalities to begin to unveil the official trophy.
For fans, the photo session felt routine. For Shanto, it was anything but.
He had played Tests in Sri Lanka before, but never at Galle. This was his first time walking onto the surface of one of cricket’s most scenic and historic venues. On one side, the waves of the Indian Ocean crash against the Galle Fort. On the other, a quiet cricket stadium that hosts only red-ball matches.
Shanto paused for a moment, looked around, and asked a question that many first-time visitors probably wonder:
“Why are there no floodlights here?”
Dhananjaya replied plainly. The stadium has no floodlights, as it’s located within the buffer zone of Galle Fort protecting site under UNESCO World Heritage status.
Installing tall light towers could visually disrupt the site or even lead to structural concerns under preservation rules.
Shanto seemed surprised. The reasoning made sense, but it still felt unusual in an era where day-night cricket is the norm.
A Venue Built for Daylight
Floodlights are not the only thing missing from the Galle International Stadium. One-day internationals are also nearly absent.
Shanto brought that up too. Why no ODIs?
Dhananjaya said the ground last hosted an ODI in 2017 against Zimbabwe, the sixth overall. Since then, Galle has been used only for Tests.
A big part of the problem is the lack of floodlights. Without day-night matches, pulling in large crowds becomes difficult. Most fans are busy during the day, and with only limited seating available, filling the stands is even harder.
In today’s white-ball era—where evening matches, full stands, and prime-time TV slots matter—Galle just doesn’t tick all the boxes for ODIs or T20s.
In fact, a T20 international has never been played here.
For Shanto, It’s a First and a Memory in the Making
As the captains walked together on the outfield, there was a noticeable difference in familiarity. Dhananjaya has played here before. For Shanto, this is new territory.
He trained at the ground earlier in the week, but this was his first quiet moment to take in its scale and atmosphere. The uniqueness of the place had already prompted questions. Now he’s set to create his own memories on the field.
The first Test begins June 17. If Shanto scores big, this debut at Galle may stick with him far beyond the result.
Sometimes, the most lasting moments begin with a simple walk, a quiet question, and a history lesson under cloudy skies.
