Sri Lanka National Cricket Team

Sri Lanka National Cricket Team Details

Team Sri Lanka
Nickname The Lions
Governing body Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC)
Captain Dimuth Karunaratne, Dasun Shanaka
Coach Chris Silverwood
First Test v England at P. Sara Oval, Colombo; 17–21 February 1982
First ODI v  West Indies at Old Trafford, Manchester; 7 June 1975
First T20I v England at The Rose Bowl, Southampton; 15 June 2006

The Sri Lanka National Cricket Team represents Sri Lanka in men’s international cricket. The Sri Lanka cricket team is also known as the Lions. The Sri Lankan Cricket Team is governed by the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC). Sri Lanka is a full member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) and plays all the three formats. Sri Lanka have won one ODI World Cup and T20 World Cup so far.

Sri Lanka National Cricket Team History:

  • Just like other Asian countries, the game of cricket was introduced in Sri Lanka by the British during colonial times. As per  The Colombo Journal. the first recorded cricket match in Sri Lanka dates back to 1832.
  • During the 1880s, a national team known as the Ceylon national cricket team was formed. The team began playing first-class cricket by the 1920s.
  • While Sri Lanka played in the 1975 and 1979 World Cups, they earned Test status in 1981. They played their first Test in February 1982 against England. They recorded their first Test victory in 1985 against India.
  • On March 15, 1995, Sri Lanka secured their first overseas Test match victory against New Zealand, winning by 241 runs in Napier. 

Sri Lanka National Cricket Team ICC World Cup record:

After exiting the first five editions of the World Cup at the group stage, Sri Lanka went all the way in the sixth edition and won their first-ever title under the captaincy of Arjuna Ranatunga. In 2003, they made it to the semifinals before finishing runners-up in 2007 and 2011. 

Year Round Position GP W L T NR
1975 Group Stage 7/8 3 0 3 0 0
1979 Group Stage 5/8 3 1 1 0 1
1983 Group Stage 7/8 6 1 5 0 0
1987 Group Stage 7/8 6 0 6 0 0
1992 Group Stage 8/9 8 2 5 0 1
1996 Champions 1/12 8 8 0 0 0
1999 Group stage 10/12 5 2 3 0 0
2003 Semi-finals 4/14 10 5 4 0 1
2007 Runners-up 2/16 11 8 3 0 0
2011 Runners-up 2/14 9 6 2 0 1
2015 Quarter-finals 7/14 8 4 3 0 1
2019 Group stage 6/10 9 3 4 0 2
2023 Group stage 9/10 9 2 7 0 0

Sri Lanka National Cricket Team ICC T20 World Cup record:

Sri Lanka finished runners-up in the second edition of the T20 World Cup in 2009 as well as in 2012. In 2014, they won the title by beating India in the final.

Year Round Position GP W L T NR
2007 Super 8s 6/12 5 3 2 0 0
2009 Runners-up 2/12 7 6 1 0 0
2010 Semi-finals 3/12 6 3 3 0 0
2012 Runners-up 2/12 7 5 2 0 0
2014 Champions 1/16 6 5 1 0 0
2016 Super 10s 8/16 4 1 3 0 0
2021 Super 12s 8/16 8 5 3 0 0
2022 Super 12s 7/16 8 4 4 0 0

Sri Lanka National Cricket Team ICC Champions Trophy record:

Sri Lanka has won one Champions Trophy so far which came in 2002. 

Year Round Position GP W L T NR
1998 Semi-finals 3 or 4/9 2 1 1 0 0
2000 Quarter-finals 5–8/8 2 1 1 0 0
2002 Champions 1/12 4 3 0 0 1
2004 Round 1 8/12 2 1 1 0 0
2006 Round 1 8/10 6 4 2 0 0
2009 Round 1 6/8 3 1 2 0 0
2013 Semi-finals 3 or 4/8 4 2 2 0 0
2017 Round 1 6/8 3 1 2 0 0

Sri Lanka Team Today/Current Sri Lanka cricket team:

Here is the list of prominent players who are part of the current Sri Lanka team: Kusal Mendis, Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Kusal Perera, Pathum Nissanka, Dushmantha Chameera, Dimuth Karunaratne, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Mahesh Theekshana, Dunith Wellalage, Kasun Rajitha, Angelo Mathews, Dilshan Madushanka, Dushan Hemantha, Chamika Karunaratne, Matheesha Pathirana

Sri Lankan Cricket Team FAQs:

Who is the captain of the Sri Lanka Cricket Team?

The current skipper of the Sri Lanka Cricket Team is Dasun Shanaka.

Has the Sri Lanka Cricket Team won any ICC title in the history of the sport?

Yes, the Sri Lanka Cricket Team has won two major ICC titles in the history of the sport. They won the ICC ODI World Cup in 1996 and the T20I World Cup in 2014.

Who is the best player of the Sri Lanka Cricket Team?

The best player of the Sri Lanka Cricket team is Muttiah Muralitharan.

Is Sri Lanka participating in the ODI World Cup 2023?

Yes, Sri Lanka is participating in the ODI World Cup 2023 which is taking place in India.