Quick answer
Sri Lanka is on UTC+5:30 with no daylight saving, so it is 4.5 hours behind Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and Hobart in the Australian winter (AEST) and 5.5 hours behind in summer (AEDT), 4.5 hours behind Brisbane all year, 4 to 5 hours behind Adelaide and Darwin, and 2.5 hours behind Perth. A Test starting at 10 am in Galle begins at 2.30 pm in Sydney in winter, and a 2.30 pm day-night ODI at 7 pm.
Key takeaways
- Sri Lanka Standard Time is UTC+5:30 all year, with no daylight saving.
- Sri Lanka is 4.5 hours behind AEST and 5.5 hours behind AEDT.
- Sri Lanka is 2.5 hours behind Perth all year.
- A 10 am Test start in Sri Lanka is 2.30 pm in Sydney in winter and 3.30 pm in summer.
- Jet lag from Australia is mild, and most travellers adjust in two or three days.
The time difference with each city
Sri Lanka keeps Sri Lanka Standard Time, UTC+5:30, all year, with no daylight saving. Australia's time zones and daylight saving mean the difference changes with the city and the season.
Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and Hobart are 4.5 hours ahead of Sri Lanka on Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST), roughly April to early October, and 5.5 hours ahead on daylight saving time (AEDT), roughly October to early April. Brisbane, with no daylight saving, is 4.5 hours ahead all year.
Adelaide is 4 hours ahead in winter and 5 hours ahead in summer; Darwin is 4 hours ahead all year; and Perth is 2.5 hours ahead all year.
- →Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Hobart: 4.5 hours (winter), 5.5 hours (summer).
- →Brisbane: 4.5 hours all year.
- →Adelaide: 4 or 5 hours; Darwin: 4 hours.
- →Perth: 2.5 hours all year.
Local start times in Australian time
Tests in Sri Lanka usually start at about 10 am local time. That is about 2.30 pm in Sydney or Melbourne in a mid-year tour (AEST) and about 3.30 pm in an early-year tour (AEDT). In Perth, it is about 12.30 pm all year.
Day-night ODIs usually start around 2.30 pm local time, which is about 7 pm in Sydney in winter and 8 pm in summer, and about 5 pm in Perth. T20s starting at about 7 pm local are about 11.30 pm in Sydney in winter and 9.30 pm in Perth.
Start times vary by series and broadcaster, so convert the confirmed time for each match.
- →Test, 10 am: 2.30 pm Sydney (winter), 12.30 pm Perth.
- →ODI, 2.30 pm: 7 pm Sydney (winter), 5 pm Perth.
- →T20, 7 pm: 11.30 pm Sydney (winter), 9.30 pm Perth.
Keeping in touch with home
The small time difference makes calls home easy. Mornings in Sri Lanka, before play, are early afternoon in eastern Australia, and evenings in Sri Lanka, after stumps, are late evening or near midnight on the east coast.
A local SIM or eSIM, available at Colombo's airport, gives cheap data for messages and video calls, and most hotels have Wi-Fi. Share your match schedule in Sri Lankan time with family, so they know when you are at the ground.
Lankan Stays & Trails sends cricket fans a trip schedule in both Sri Lankan and Australian time, so everyone at home can follow along.
- →Before play: early afternoon in Sydney.
- →After stumps: late evening in Sydney.
- →Local SIM or eSIM at the airport.
Jet lag from Australia
Jet lag from Australia to Sri Lanka is mild, because the time difference is small and you are travelling west, which most people find easier. Flights from Melbourne take about 10 to 11 hours direct, and longer with connections from other cities.
Most travellers adjust within two or three days. Get daylight in the morning, keep active in the day, eat at local times and avoid long naps. Arriving a few days before the first match helps.
- →Small time difference: mild jet lag.
- →Westward travel: easier for most.
- →Adjust in two or three days.
Following from home
For family and friends following from home, Sri Lanka's time zone is kind. Test cricket from Sri Lanka runs through the Australian afternoon and evening, and day-night ODIs run into the night on the east coast and the evening in Perth.
That makes Sri Lanka one of the easiest overseas tours to follow live from Australia.
Frequently asked questions
What is the time difference between Sri Lanka and Australia?
Sri Lanka is 4.5 hours behind Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and Hobart in the Australian winter and 5.5 hours behind in summer, 4.5 hours behind Brisbane all year, 4 to 5 hours behind Adelaide, 4 hours behind Darwin and 2.5 hours behind Perth. Sri Lanka has no daylight saving.
What time does a Test in Sri Lanka start in Australian time?
Tests in Sri Lanka usually start at about 10 am local time, which is about 2.30 pm in Sydney or Melbourne in winter, 3.30 pm in summer, and about 12.30 pm in Perth. Check the confirmed start time for each match, because it can change.
What time do ODIs in Sri Lanka start in Sydney time?
Day-night ODIs in Sri Lanka usually start around 2.30 pm local time, which is about 7 pm in Sydney in winter and 8 pm in summer. In Perth, it is about 5 pm. The games usually finish late in the evening Sri Lankan time, after midnight in Sydney.
Does Sri Lanka have daylight saving time?
Sri Lanka does not have daylight saving time. It keeps Sri Lanka Standard Time, UTC+5:30, all year. The difference with Australian cities that use daylight saving, such as Sydney and Melbourne, changes by an hour when Australia's clocks change in October and April.
How bad is jet lag from Australia to Sri Lanka?
Jet lag from Australia to Sri Lanka is mild, because the time difference is only 2.5 to 5.5 hours and you are travelling west. Most travellers adjust within two or three days with morning daylight, activity in the day and meals at local times.
What time is it in Sri Lanka when it is noon in Perth?
When it is noon in Perth, it is 9.30 am in Sri Lanka, because Sri Lanka is 2.5 hours behind Perth all year. A Test starting at 10 am in Sri Lanka starts at about 12.30 pm in Perth.
How can you call home from Sri Lanka?
Buy a local SIM or eSIM at Colombo's airport for cheap data, and use messaging and video-call apps over data or hotel Wi-Fi. Mornings in Sri Lanka are early afternoon in eastern Australia, and evenings are late evening, so calls are easy to time.