Captains: Dhananjaya de Silva (Tests), Kusal Mendis (ODIs)
Coaches: Sanath Jayasuriya (head coach), Naveed Nawaz (assistant coach), Thilina Kandamby (batting coach), Upul Chandana (fielding coach)
First international match: 1982
Cricket board: Sri Lanka Cricket
ICC titles: 3
Sri Lanka Men’s Cricket Team History
Cricket became Sri Lanka’s most popular sport after the country gained independence from British rule in 1948. However, it was in 1996 that Sri Lankan cricket truly rose to international fame when the men’s team won the ODI World Cup. This victory changed the game for Sri Lanka, as the team’s aggressive batting style influenced the way limited-overs cricket was played worldwide. It also brought professionalism to Sri Lankan cricket, turning the men’s team into a strong force in international matches.
The 1996 World Cup-winning team was captained by Arjuna Ranatunga and included some legendary players. Among them were spin-bowling allrounder Sanath Jayasuriya, batter Aravinda de Silva, fast bowler Chaminda Vaas, and the great spin bowler Muthiah Muralidaran. Muralidaran is considered one of the best cricketers Sri Lanka has ever produced. He went on to become the highest wicket-taker in Test cricket with 800 wickets and also the highest wicket-taker in ODIs.
In the 2000s, a new generation of Sri Lankan stars emerged. These included wicketkeeper-batter Kumar Sangakkara, batter Mahela Jayawardene, allrounder TM Dilshan, fast bowler Lasith Malinga, and spinner Rangana Herath. This team won the 2014 T20 World Cup, which was Sri Lanka’s first major international trophy since 1996. They also shared the Champions Trophy with India in 2002.
However, after 2015, the performance of the Sri Lankan men’s team began to decline. They struggled to reach the semi-finals of major tournaments and sometimes even failed to qualify directly for big events.
Despite these challenges, Sri Lanka still delivered some outstanding performances. One of the most memorable moments was their 2019 Test series win in South Africa. In that series, Kusal Perera played a remarkable innings, scoring 153 not out in the fourth innings, which is considered one of the greatest performances in Test cricket history.
The tables for the Sri Lanka Men’s Cricket Team Current Ranking and Trophies and Milestones:
Sri Lanka Men’s Cricket Team Current Ranking
Format | Ranking |
---|---|
Tests | 6 |
ODIs | 6 |
T20Is | 8 |
Sri Lanka Cricket Team Trophies and Milestones
Year | Achievement | Location |
---|---|---|
1982 | First Test | Colombo (PSS) |
1985 | First Test win and series win (vs India) | Colombo |
1995 | First overseas Test win | Napier |
1996 | ODI World Cup win | Lahore |
1998 | First Test win in England | The Oval |
2002 | Champions Trophy (joint) win | Colombo |
2014 | T20 World Cup win | Dhaka |
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