Sri Lanka Cricket Team News & Matches

Captains: Dhananjaya de Silva (Tests), Charith Asalanka (ODIs, T20Is)
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 has been Sri Lanka's most popular sport since the country gained independence from the British in 1948, but it was in 1996, when the men's team won the 1996 ODI World Cup, that the island's cricket gained global acclaim. Not only did Sri Lanka's aggressive batting style through the tournament influence the limited-overs game the world over, it also professionalised cricket within Sri Lanka, and helped transform the men's side into a force in international cricket.

That 1996 team was led by Arjuna Ranatunga and his team contained several greats. These included spin-bowling allrounder Sanath Jayasuriya, batter Aravinda de Silva, seam bowler Chaminda Vaas, and most importantly, spin bowler Muthiah Muralidaran, considered by many to be the greatest cricketer Sri Lanka have produced, who went on to become the highest wicket-taker in Test cricket, completing 800 dismissals, as well as the highest wicket-taker in ODIs.

In the 2000s, Sri Lanka had a fresh generation of great players come through. Of these wicketkeeper-batter Kumar Sangakkara, batter Mahela Jayawardene, allrounder TM Dilshan, fast bowler Lasith Malinga, and spinner Rangana Herath were the most significant. A team containing all these players won the 2014 T20 World Cup - the only global trophy Sri Lanka won outright since 1996, although they also shared a Champions Trophy with India in 2002.

After 2015 there was a significant decline in the performance of Sri Lanka's men's team, who struggled to make the semi-finals of global events, and even sometimes failed to qualify automatically for major tournaments.

They nevertheless occasionally produced exceptional performances, their 2019 Test series win in South Africa chief among them. In that series Kusal Perera struck a fourth-innings 153 not out that is considered one of the greatest innings ever played.

Tests: 8
ODIs: 6
T20Is: 8

Tests: Most runs| Most wickets | Highest totals | Lowest totals
ODIs: Most runs| Most wickets | Highest totals | Lowest totals
T20Is: Most runs| Most wickets | Highest totals | Lowest totals

1982: First Test, Colombo (PSS)

1985: First Test win, Colombo, and series win, against India

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