first ODI against India, Lakmal used swinging and seaming bowling performance to rip through Indian batting line-up to restrict them to 112, which was India's third-lowest in ODIs at home and their lowest at home when batting first. He played the role as a destructive bowler spearheading the bowling attack leading from the front as his lethal bowling spell of 4/13 in ten overs also included four maiden overs leaving Indian batting lineup in ttatters. At one stage, India were seven down for just 29 runs, until MS Dhoni scored his fifty to reach total over hundred. Lakmal finished his bowling spell with four wickets for 13 runs, which is best bowling figures in ODIs up to date. Sri Lanka reached the mark in twentieth over and won the match by 7 wickets. This win gave Lankans their first win after 12 consecutive ODI losses in 2017. Lakmal adjudged man of the match for his match winning bowling performance. His particular bowling performance was also shortlisted by Cricinfo as one of the nominees for best bowling performances in ODI cricket in 2017. During the Bangladesh Tri-series, Lakmal played as the spearhead of Sri Lanka bowling line-up where his counterparts always struggled with injuries. On 25 January 2018 against Bangladesh, Lakmal delivered a match winning bowling performance to dismantle Bangladesh to 82 runs, which is their second lowest against Sri Lanka in all ODIs. Sri Lanka won the match by 10 wickets and Lakmal has awarded man of the match. With that win, Sri Lanka reached the final of the tri-series as well. In 2018, he was appointed as the vice-captain of the Sri Lankan outfit for home test series against Bangladesh. On 8 February 2018, during second Test against Bangladesh, Lakmal took his 100th Test wicket by dismissing Tamim Iqbal caught by himself. He became the fourth Sri Lankan fast bowler to achieve the feat after Chaminda Vaas, Lasith Malinga and Dilhara Fernando. Lakmal is currently the fourth highest Test wicket taker for Sri Lanka. Few of his notable finest performances in white ball cricket came against South Africa where he was given the responsibility to defend seven runs off the last over during the third ODI of the series in August 2018 which he delivered up to perfection helping Sri Lanka to win the nail biter by a narrow margin of three runs (D/L) in a rain af fected