Sri Lanka’s rise in cricket from associate member to World Cup Winners is truly inspirational. An Asian giant, Sri Lanka brought tough times to rival countries in the past.
The team is highly known for their superfast pacers and unpredictable spinners. Over the years, Sri Lanka has been a home to many iconic cricketers.
Profile
- Team: Sri Lanka Cricket Team
- Also Known as: The Lions
- Current Captain: Dimuth Karunaratne (Test), Dasun Shanaka (ODI and T20I)
- Current Head Coach: Chris Silverwood
- Current Assistant Coach: Naveed Nawaz
- Current Fast Bowling Coach: Dharshana Gamage
- Current Spin Bowling Coach: Piyal Wijetunge
- Current Fielding Coach: Anton Roux
- Current Consultant Coach: Mahela Jayawardene
- Governing Body: Sri Lanka Cricket
Current Rankings
Sri Lanka currently stands on 7th position in ICC Test rankings, 9th in ICC ODI rankings and 8th in ICC T20 rankings.
Players Under Contract
- A1: Dimuth Karunaratne, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dushmantha Chameera, Wanindu Hasaranga.
- B1: Pathum Nissanka, Lahiru Thirimanne, Dasun Shanaka, Dinesh Chandimal, Kusal Perera, Angelo Mathews.
- B2: Lasith Embuldeniya, Ramesh Mendis, Charith Asalanka.
- C1: Vishwa Fernando, Avishka Fernando, Chamika Karunaratne.
- C2: Niroshan Dickwella, Danushka Gunathilaka, Kusal Mendis.
- Domestic Players: Praveen Jayawickrama, Oshada Fernando, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Lakshan Sandakan, Maheesh Theekshana, Nuwan Pradeep, Binura Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Minod Bhanuka, Kamindu Mendis.
Governing Body
Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) is the governing body for cricket operations in Sri Lanka. The board operates all the activities such as scheduling and organizing tours and fixtures.
The current members of the Sri Lanka Cricket are:
- President: Shammi Silva
- Director: Tom Moody
- Secretary: Mohan de Silva
- Headquarters: Sinhalese Sports Club
Sri Lanka Cricket Team Early Days and First Match
- The British introduced the game of cricket to the island nation.
- ‘The Colombo Journal’ reports Sri Lanka’s first recorded match was played in 1832.
- Sri Lanka was known as “Ceylon” when its first national cricket team was established by the 1880s.
- It received ICC’s associate member status in 1965.
- In 1975, Sri Lanka faced off against the mighty and dominant West Indies in the World Cup.
- Sri Lanka played their maiden Test in February 1982 as they hosted England.
- Sri Lanka’s golden era in cricket began after emerging victorious in the 1996 Cricket World Cup.
Sri Lanka Cricket Team Stats
| Matches | Won | Lost | Drawn | |
| Test | 311 | 100 | 119 | 92 |
| ODI | 883 | 399 | 440 | 44 (5 ties and 39 no results) |
| T20I | 179 | 81 | 96 | 2 (no results) |
Sri Lanka Cricket Team Achievements
- Winners of 1996 Cricket World Cup
- Joint Winners of 2002 Champions Trophy
- Runners-up at 2007 Cricket World Cup
- Runners-up at 2011 Cricket World Cup
- Winners of 2014 T20 World Cup
Sri Lanka Cricket Team Unknown Facts
- Sri Lanka’s first Test captain was Bandula Warnapura.
- Sri Lanka’s first ODI captain was Anura Tennekoon.
- Sri Lanka’s first T20I captain was Mahela Jayawardene.
- Sri Lanka’s 952 against India in 1997 remains the highest Test total ever.
- Sri Lanka and England have won the same number of Cricket World Cups.
FAQs about Sri Lanka Cricket Team
Q. How many ICC events has Sri Lanka won?
Ans: Sri Lanka has won 1 ICC Champions Trophy, 1 ICC Cricket World Cup and 1 ICC T20 World Cup.
Q. Who are some successful bowlers from Sri Lanka other than Muralidharan?
Ans: Chaminda Vaas, Lasith Malinga and Rangana Herath are also successful bowlers from Sri Lanka.
Q. Who is Sri Lanka’s best batsman ever?
Ans: Kumar Sangakkara is considered as Sri Lanka’s best batsman ever.
Q. Has Sri Lanka qualified for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023?
Ans: Sri Lanka will participate in World Cup qualifiers as they failed to gain direct qualifications.
