• Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka won the toss and elected to bat first in the opening One Day International (ODI) against New Zealand in Dambulla, anticipating that the pitch conditions would deteriorate for batting as the match progressed.
• New Zealand, led by Mitchell Santner, accepted bowling first, considering the possibility of rain and a wet outfield later in the day, which could hinder the bowlers during the evening session.
• The New Zealand team includes three debutants in their playing XI: opening batter Tim Robinson, wicketkeeper-batter Mitchell Hay, and seam-bowling allrounder Nathan Smith, while Sri Lanka brings back left-arm quick Dilshan Madushanka and replaces the injured Wanindu Hasaranga with Jeffrey Vandersay.