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Sri Lanka national cricket team facts for kids

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Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka Cricket Cap Insignia.svg
Insignia of Sri Lanka Cricket cap
Nickname(s) The Lions
Association Sri Lanka Cricket
Personnel
Test captain Dhananjaya De Silva
One Day captain Kusal Mendis
T20I captain Wanindu Hasaranga
Coach Chris Silverwood
History
Test status acquired 1981
International Cricket Council
ICC status Associate Member (1965)
Full Member (1981)
ICC region Asia
ICC Rankings Current Best-ever
Test 8th 2nd (August 2009)
ODI 7th 2nd (October 1996)
T20I 8th 1st (2012)
Tests
First Test v  England at P. Sara Oval, Colombo; 17–21 February 1982
Last Test v  Bangladesh at Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chattogram; 30 March –3 April 2024
Tests Played Won/Lost
Total 316 103/121
(92 draws)
This year 3 3/0
(0 draws)
World Test Championship appearances 2 (first in 2019–2021)
Best result 5th place (2021–2023)
One Day Internationals
First ODI v  West Indies at Old Trafford, Manchester; 7 June 1975
Last ODI v  Bangladesh at Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chattogram; 18 March 2024
ODIs Played Won/Lost
Total 918 421/452
(5 ties, 40 no results)
This year 9 6/2
(0 ties, 1 no result)
World Cup appearances 13 (first in 1975)
Best result Simple gold cup.svg Champions (1996)
World Cup Qualifier appearances 2 (first in 1979)
Best result Simple gold cup.svg Champions (1979, 2023)
Twenty20 Internationals
First T20I v  England at The Rose Bowl, Southampton; 15 June 2006
Last T20I v  Bangladesh at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium, Sylhet; 9 March 2024
T20Is Played Won/Lost
Total 189 85/98
(4 ties, 2 no results)
This year 9 6/3
(0 ties, 0 no results)
T20 World Cup appearances 8 (first in 2007)
Best result Simple gold cup.svg Champions (2014)

Test kit

Kit left arm J LEAGUE nike 18GK BLUE2.png
Kit right arm J LEAGUE nike 18GK BLUE2.png

ODI kit

T20I kit

As of 3 April 2024

The Sri Lanka men's national cricket team, (Sinhala: ශ්‍රී ලංකා ජාතික ක්‍රිකට් කණ්ඩායම, romanized: Shri Lanka Jathika Crikat Kandayama; Tamil: இலங்கை தேசிய கிரிக்கெட் அணி) nicknamed The Lions, represents Sri Lanka in men's international cricket. It is a full Member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) with Test, One-Day International (ODI) and T20 International (T20I) status. The team first played international cricket (as Ceylon) in 1926–27 and became an associate member of the ICC in 1965. They were awarded the Test status in 1981, which made Sri Lanka the eighth Test cricket-playing nation. The team is administered by Sri Lanka Cricket.

Sri Lanka's national cricket team achieved considerable success beginning in the 1990s, rising from underdog status to winning the Cricket World Cup in 1996, under the captaincy of Arjuna Ranatunga. Since then, the team has continued to be a force in international cricket. The Sri Lankan cricket team reached the finals of the 2007 and 2011 Cricket World Cups consecutively. They ended up being runners-up on both occasions.

Sri Lanka won the Cricket World Cup in 1996 (vs Australia), the ICC Champions Trophy in 2002 (co-champions with India), and the ICC T20 World Cup in 2014 (vs India). They have been consecutive runners-up in the 2007 and 2011 Cricket World Cups, and have been runners-up in the ICC T20 World Cup in 2009 and 2012. The Sri Lankan cricket team currently holds several world records, including the world record for the highest team total in Test cricket.

History

Early Years

Cricket was introduced to the island by the British as a result of the colonization and the first recorded match dates back to 1832 as reported in The Colombo Journal. By the 1880s a national team, the Ceylon national cricket team, was formed which began playing first-class cricket by the 1920s. The Ceylon national cricket team achieved Associate Member status of the International Cricket Council in 1965. Renamed Sri Lanka in 1972, the national team first competed in top-level international cricket in 1975, when they were defeated by nine wickets by the West Indies during the 1975 Cricket World Cup at Old Trafford, England.

Underdog Era

Sri Lanka was awarded Test cricket status in 1981 by the International Cricket Conference. They played their first Test match against England at P. Saravanamuttu Stadium, Colombo, on 17 February 1982. Bandula Warnapura was the captain for Sri Lanka in that match, which England won by 7 wickets. After Sri Lanka was awarded Test status on 21 July 1981 as eighth Test playing nation, they had to wait until 6 September 1985, where Sri Lanka recorded their first Test win by beating India, in the second match of the series by 149 runs at the Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu Stadium, Colombo. They have also won the 2001-02 Asian Test Championship, defeating Pakistan in the final by an innings and 175 runs.

Sri Lanka won their first Test match under the leadership of Duleep Mendis on 11 September 1985 against India, winning by 149 runs at P. Saravanamuttu Stadium. Eventually they won the three-match Test series, 1–0. Sri Lanka had to wait more than seven years for their next series victory, which came against New Zealand in December 1992, when they won the two-match series 1–0. This was immediately followed by a one-wicket victory against England in a one-Test series.

Two years later, on 15 March 1995, Sri Lanka won their first overseas Test match under the leadership of Arjuna Ranatunga against New Zealand, when they beat them by 241 runs at Napier. This win also resulted in their first overseas Test series victory, 1–0. Their next series too was an overseas series, against Pakistan, and that one too resulted in Sri Lankan victory.

Sri Lanka registered their first ODI win against India at Old Trafford, England on 16 June 1979.

Modern era

Wankhede ICC WCF
The 2011 Cricket World Cup Final, Sri Lankan team reached their third final in the Cricket World Cups

After many years of underdog status, Sri Lanka finally entered the limelight of the cricketing world after winning the 1996 Cricket World Cup under the captaincy of Arjuna Ranatunga. Meanwhile, they revolutionized modern day batting strategies by rapid scoring during the first 15 overs. Sri Lanka later became the co-champions in 2002 ICC Champions Trophy and also became six times Asian champions in 1986, 1997, 2004, 2008, 2014 and 2022.

On 11 September 1999, under the leadership of Sanath Jayasuriya, Sri Lanka won their first Test match against Australia, when they beat them by six wickets at Asgiriya Stadium, Kandy. Eventually they won the three-match Test series, 1–0.

On 14 June 2000, Sri Lanka played their 100th Test match. It was against Pakistan, at SSC, Colombo, under the leadership of Sanath Jayasuriya. Pakistan won by 5 wickets.

Sri Lanka vs Pakistan test match
The first Test match of Pakistan's 2012 Sri Lankan tour, Sri Lanka went on to win the match

On 4 August 2016, they played their 250th Test match when they played Australia in Galle. They won the match by 229 runs, and also won the Warne-Muralidharan trophy for the first time since its inception. On 17 August 2016, under the leadership of Angelo Mathews, Sri Lanka whitewashed Australia 3-0 for the first time in Test cricket. Until 2017, Sri Lanka had whitewashed Zimbabwe three times, Bangladesh once and Australia once in Test cricket.

Sri Lanka played their first day-night Test match on 6 October 2017 against Pakistan at Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Under the captaincy of Dinesh Chandimal, Sri Lanka convincingly won the match by 68 runs and sweep the series 2–0. In the match, Dimuth Karunaratne became the first Sri Lankan to score a fifty, a century and a 150 in a day-night Test. Lahiru Gamage, who debut in the match became the first Sri Lankan to take a wicket in a day-night Test, whereas Dilruwan Perera became the first Sri Lankan to take a five-wicket haul in a day-night Test.

Sri Lanka played their first Twenty20 International (T20I) match at the Rose Bowl, on 15 June 2006, against England, winning the match by 2 runs. In 2014, they won the 2014 ICC World Twenty20, defeating India by 6 wickets.

View across the field from the North East Stand, Headingley Stadium, Leeds during the second day of the England- Sri Lanka test (21st April 2014)
The second Test match of the 2014 Sri Lanka's England tour, Sri Lanka won the match, despite trailing in the first inning

As of July 2018, Sri Lanka have faced nine teams in Test cricket, only recent Test nations Afghanistan and Ireland are missing from their list of opponents, with their most frequent opponent being Pakistan, playing 55 matches against them. Sri Lanka has registered more wins against Pakistan and Bangladesh than any other team, with 14. In ODI matches, Sri Lanka have played against 17 teams; they have played against India most frequently, with a winning percentage of 39.49 in 149 matches. Within usual major ODI nations, Sri Lanka have defeated England on 34 occasions, which is their best record in ODIs. The team have competed against 13 countries in T20Is, and have played 15 matches against New Zealand. Sri Lanka have defeated Australia and West Indies 6 occasions each. Sri Lanka was the best T20I team in the world, where they ranked number one in more than 32 months, and reached World Twenty20 final in three times.

As of 29 January 2024, Sri Lanka have played 313 Test matches; they have won 100 matches, lost 121 matches, and 92 matches were drawn. As of 10 July 2018, Sri Lanka have played 816 ODI matches, winning 376 matches and losing 399; they also tied 5 matches, whilst 36 had no result. As of 10 July 2018, Sri Lanka have played 108 T20I matches and won 54 of them; 52 were lost and 1 tied and 1 no result match as well.

From 8 July 2017 to 23 October 2017, Sri Lanka lost twelve consecutive ODI matches, which is their second-longest losing run in ODIs. In the meantime, Sri Lanka involved 5-0 whitewash in three times against South Africa, India and Pakistan in 2017. And a 3-0 whitewash against the West Indies 3 years later (2020).

On 9 September 2019, Sri Lanka won the T20I series 3-0 against Pakistan in their home under Dasun Shanaka's captaincy. It was the first time that Sri Lanka whitewashed Pakistan in a T20I series. In July 2021, Sri Lanka won T20I series against India 2-1, recording their first ever bilateral T20I series win against India.

On 4 March 2022, Sri Lanka played their 300th Test match in Mohali against India. Sri Lanka lost the match by an innings and 222 runs. Amid political turmoil back home, Sri Lanka won the 2022 Asia Cup, defeating Pakistan in the final on 11 September 2022. On 28 April 2023, Sri Lanka won their 100th Test match against Ireland at Galle. They won the test series 2-0. They became the 8th test nation to reach this milestone.

Sri Lanka cricket was suspended, by the ICC on 10 November 2023 due to the alleged political interference with the cricket administration. The suspension was fully lifted on 28 January 2024.

Governing body

Sri Lanka Cricket (formerly the Board for Cricket Control or BCCSL), is the governing body for cricket in Sri Lanka. It operates the Sri Lankan cricket team and first-class cricket within Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka Cricket oversees the progress and handling of the major domestic competitions: the First-class tournament Premier Trophy, the List A tournament Premier Limited Overs Tournament and the Twenty20 Tournament. Sri Lanka Cricket also organises and hosts the Inter-Provincial Cricket Tournament, a competition where five teams take part and represent four different provinces of Sri Lanka.

Most of the regions of Sri Lanka that are rural areas apart from the Capital could not produce successful cricketers to the national and international side yet due to the lack of resources and opportunities while only a few major areas such as Galle, Matara, Kandy, Kurunegala usually produce successful cricketers to the national and international side instead of the capital. So the government is trying to distribute the game within the whole country by organizing some programs such as 2017–18 Super Four Provincial Tournament.

International grounds


Stadium City Capacity First used Last used Tests ODIs T20Is
Active stadiums
P. Sara Oval Colombo 15,000 1982 2019 22 12 2
SSC ground Colombo 10,000 1984 2024 47 65 2
R. Premadasa Stadium Colombo 35,000 1986 2023 9 149 41
Galle International Stadium Galle 35,000 1998 2023 42 9 0
Pallekele Cricket Stadium Pallekele, Kandy 35,000 2010 2023 9 34 22
Rangiri Dambulla Stadium Dambulla 16,800 2001 2018 0 55 0
Mahinda Rajapaksa Stadium Sooriyawewa, Hambantota 35,000 2011 2023 0 27 7
Former stadiums
Asgiriya Stadium Kandy 10,000 1983 2007 21 6 0
CCC ground Colombo 6,000 1983 1987 3 0 0
De Soysa Stadium Moratuwa 16,000 1984 1993 4 6 0

Note: Except abandoned and cancelled matches.

  • Updated 5 February 2024.

Team colours

Similar to other Sri Lankan sports teams, the Sri Lankan national cricket team bears blue and yellow as their colours. The bright blue represents the surrounding ocean, while the golden yellow represents the united island as a whole (depicting the sand).

In Test matches, the team wears cricket whites, with an optional sweater or sweater-vest with a dark blue and blue V-neck for use in cold weather, such as on Australia, England, and New Zealand tours. The Sri Lankan flag is found on the left side of the jersey's chest with the Test cap number usually below the flag; helmets are a deep blue and the fielder's hat (usually a baseball cap or a wide-brimmed sunhat) is coloured similarly. The sponsor's logo is displayed on the right side of the chest and the sleeve with the Sri Lankan Cricket logo is deployed on the left in test cricket.

Sri Lanka's One Day and Twenty 20 kits vary from year to year with the team wearing its bright blue colour in various shades from kit to kit with yellow stripes on shoulders and waist. Historically, Sri Lanka's kits have had shades of bright blue and golden yellow. In the World Series Cup in 1984–85, Sri Lanka wore yellow uniforms with blue stripes.

For official ICC tournaments such as ICC Cricket World Cup, ICC World Twenty20 and Asia Cup, "SRI LANKA" is written on the front of the jersey in place of the sponsor logo, with the sponsor logo being placed on the sleeve. A remarkable change in the colour of the kit of Sri Lanka can be found during the 2007 ICC World Twenty20 edition in South Africa. The team-coloured with pale silver and the kit has never been seen since then in the team. Since then, the Sri Lankan kit has never changed from the usual brilliant blue colour and very fine yellow stripes. For 2016 ICC World Twenty20, orange and green colours in the flag are also included in the jersey. In 2017 ICC Champions Trophy pool game against India, the kit changed to the mostly yellow coloured shirt with stripes of blue and usual blue trousers.

At the top-right side of the jersey, instead of the logo, there can be seen Sri Lanka's flag.

Lahiru Gamage, Pakistan vs Sri Lanka, 1st ODI, 2017
Sri Lanka flag on the jersey

In 2019 for the 2019 Cricket World Cup, the Sri Lankan jersey was made from recycled plastic sea waste from the Sri Lankan coast. On the side of the blue background, there is a drawing of a turtle on the shirt. However, for non-ICC tournaments and bilateral and tri-nation matches, the sponsor logo features prominently on the front of the shirt.

Sri Lanka's cricket team's logo is a golden lion with a sword bearing on the right arm and the background is bright blue. The name "Sri Lanka Cricket" is written below the lion. It's seen on the practice jersey at the top-right side.

Suraj Randiv
SLC cricket team logo on the practice jersey

In Test cricket, the logo in the cap is slightly changed, where the lion with a sword is surrounded by petals of lotus and then a blue circle surrounds the crest and a yellow circle surrounds the blue circle, present in the coat of arms. This logo is seen on the front of the caps and helmets in ODIs and T20Is.

Upul-Tharanga, Sri Lanka vs Pakistan, 1st ODI, 2017
Sri Lanka cricket team logo on the helmet

Tournament history

Key
Champions
Runners-up
Semi-finals
Quarter-finals

      Indicates tournaments hosted or co-hosted by Sri Lanka.

ICC World Test Championship

ICC World Test Championship record
Year League stage Final Host Final Final Position
Pos Matches Ded PC Pts PCT
P W L D T
2019-21 7/9 12 2 6 4 0 0 720 200 27.8 Rose Bowl, England DNQ 7th
2021-23 5/9 12 5 6 1 0 0 144 64 44.4 The Oval, England DNQ 5th

Cricket World Cup

World Cup record
Year Round Position GP W L T NR
England 1975 Group Stage 7/8 3 0 3 0 0
England 1979 5/8 3 1 1 0 1
England Wales 1983 7/8 6 1 5 0 0
India Pakistan 1987 7/8 6 0 6 0 0
Australia New Zealand 1992 8/9 8 2 5 0 1
India Pakistan Sri Lanka 1996 Champions 1/12 8 8 0 0 0
England Republic of Ireland Netherlands Scotland Wales 1999 Group stage 10/12 5 2 3 0 0
South Africa Kenya Zimbabwe 2003 Semi-finals 4/14 10 5 4 0 1
Cricket West Indies 2007 Runners-up 2/16 11 8 3 0 0
Bangladesh India Sri Lanka 2011 Runners-up 2/14 9 6 2 0 1
Australia New Zealand 2015 Quarter-finals 7/14 8 4 3 0 1
England Wales 2019 Group stage 6/10 9 3 4 0 2
India 2023 Group stage 9/10 9 2 7 0 0
Total Champion (1996) 1 title 89 40 46 1 2

ICC T20 World Cup

World Twenty20 record
Year Round Position GP W L T NR
South Africa 2007 Super 8s 6/12 5 3 2 0 0
England 2009 Runners-up 2/12 7 6 1 0 0
Cricket West Indies 2010 Semi-finals 3/12 6 3 3 0 0
Sri Lanka 2012 Runners-up 2/12 7 5 2 0 0
Bangladesh 2014 Champions 1/16 6 5 1 0 0
India 2016 Super 10s 8/16 4 1 3 0 0
United Arab Emirates Oman 2021 Super 12s 8/16 8 5 3 0 0
Australia 2022 Super 12s 7/16 8 4 4 0 0
Cricket West Indies United States 2024 Qualified TBD/20 0 0 0 0 0
India Sri Lanka 2026 Qualified TBD/20 0 0 0 0 0
Total Champion (2014) 1 title 43 28 15 0 0

ICC Champions Trophy

Champions Trophy record
Year Round Position GP W L T NR
Bangladesh 1998 Semi-finals 3 or 4/9 2 1 1 0 0
Kenya 2000 Quarter-finals 5–8/8 2 1 1 0 0
Sri Lanka 2002 Champions 1/12 4 3 0 0 1
England 2004 Round 1 8/12 2 1 1 0 0
India 2006 Round 1 8/10 6 4 2 0 0
South Africa 2009 Round 1 6/8 3 1 2 0 0
England 2013 Semi-finals 3 or 4/8 4 2 2 0 0
England 2017 Round 1 6/8 3 1 2 0 0
Pakistan 2025 Did not qualify
Total 7/7 1 title 26 14 11 0 1

Asia Cup

Asia Cup record
Year Round Position GP W L T NR
United Arab Emirates 1984 Second place 2/3 2 1 1 0 0
Sri Lanka 1986 Champions 1/3 3 2 1 0 0
Bangladesh 1988 Runners-up 2/4 4 3 1 0 0
India 1990–91 Runners-up 2/3 3 2 1 0 0
United Arab Emirates 1995 Runners-up 2/4 4 2 2 0 0
Sri Lanka 1997 Champions 1/4 4 4 0 0 0
Bangladesh 2000 Runners-up 2/4 4 2 2 0 0
Sri Lanka 2004 Champions 1/6 6 4 2 0 0
Pakistan 2008 Champions 1/6 6 5 1 0 0
Sri Lanka 2010 Runners-up 2/4 4 3 1 0 0
Bangladesh 2012 Round 1 4/4 3 0 3 0 0
Bangladesh 2014 Champions 1/5 5 5 0 0 0
Bangladesh 2016 Round 1 4/5 4 1 3 0 0
United Arab Emirates 2018 Round 1 6/6 2 0 2 0 0
United Arab Emirates 2022 Champions 1/6 6 5 1 0 0
Sri Lanka/Pakistan 2023 Runners up 2/6 6 4 2 0 0
Total 16/16 6 titles 66 43 23 0 0


Other tournaments

Commonwealth Games record
Year Round Position GP W L T NR
Malaysia 1998 Fourth place 4/16 5 3 2 0 0
Total 1/1 0 Titles 5 3 2 0 0

Defunct tournaments

Asian Test Championship record
Year Round Position GP W L D NR
India Sri Lanka Bangladesh Pakistan 1998–99 Runners-up 2/3 3 0 1 2 0
Sri Lanka Bangladesh Pakistan 2001–02 Champions 1/3 2 2 0 0 0
Total 2/2 1 title 5 2 1 2 0


Honours

ICC

  • World Cup:
    • Champions (1): 1996
    • Runners-up (2): 2007, 2011
  • T20 World Cup:
    • Champions (1): 2014
    • Runners-up (2): 2009, 2012
  • Champions Trophy:
    • Champions (1): 2002

ACC

  • Asia Cup:
    • Champions (6): 1986, 1997, 2004, 2008, 2014, 2022
    • Runners-up (7): 1984, 1988, 1990–91, 1995, 2000, 2010, 2023
  • Asian Test Championship:
    • Champions (1): 2001–02
    • Runners-up (1): 1998–99

Others

  • Asian Games
    • Gold Medal (1): 2014
  • South Asian Games
    • Silver Medal (2): 2010, 2019

Current squad

This is a list of active players who are centrally contracted with SLC or has played for Sri Lanka in the past 12 months or has been named in the recent Test, ODI or T20I squad. Uncapped players are listed in italics.

Last updated: 20 February 2024

Keys
Symbol Meaning
C/G Contract grade with SLC
S/N Shirt number of the player in all formats
Format Denotes the particular format/s played over the last year, not entire career
Name Age Batting style Bowling style Domestic team LPL team Forms C/G S/N Last Test Last ODI Last T20I Captain
Batters
Dinesh Chandimal 35 Right-handed N/A Army Kandy Test B1 56 2024 2022 2022
Shevon Daniel 20 Left-handed N/A Ragama Galle ODI N/A 11 N/A 2024 2023
Avishka Fernando 26 Right-handed N/A Colts Dambulla ODI C1 28 N/A 2024 2023
Nuwanidu Fernando 25 Right-handed Right-arm off break SSC Colombo ODI N/A 27 N/A 2023 2023
Dimuth Karunaratne 36 Left-handed Right-arm medium SSC N/A Test, ODI A1 16 2024 2023 N/A
Nishan Madushka 25 Right-handed N/A Ragama Jaffna Test N/A 24 2024 N/A N/A
Pathum Nissanka 26 Right-handed N/A NCC Colombo ODI, T20I B1 18 2022 2024 2024
Kusal Perera 34 Left-handed N/A CCC Dambulla ODI, T20I B1 55 2021 2023 2024
All-rounders
Sahan Arachchige 28 Left-handed Right-arm off break NCC Kandy ODI N/A 43 N/A 2024 2023
Charith Asalanka 27 Left-handed Right-arm off break SSC Jaffna ODI, T20I B2 72 2022 2024 2024 ODI, T20I (VC)
Akila Dananjaya 31 Left-handed Right-arm off break, leg break Colts Galle ODI, T20I N/A 4 2019 2024 2021
Dhananjaya de Silva 33 Right-handed Right-arm off break Tamil Union Dambulla Test, ODI, T20I A1 75 2024 2023 2024 Test (C)
Wanindu Hasaranga 27 Right-handed Right-arm leg break CCC Kandy ODI, T20I A1 49 2021 2024 2024 T20I (C)
Dushan Hemantha 30 Right-handed Right-arm leg break Burgher Dambulla ODI N/A 34 N/A 2023 N/A
Chamika Karunaratne 28 Right-handed Right-arm medium-fast NCC Colombo ODI, T20I C1 29 2019 2023 2023
Janith Liyanage 29 Right-handed Right-arm fast-medium Ragama Dambulla ODI N/A 67 N/A 2024 2022
Angelo Mathews 37 Right-handed Right-arm medium Colts Kandy Test, ODI, T20I B1 69 2024 2023 2024
Kamindu Mendis 26 Left-handed Ambidextrous off break CCC Kandy T20I N/A 21 2022 2022 2024
Ramesh Mendis 29 Right-handed Right-arm off break Moors Colombo Test B2 25 2023 2022 2021
Dasun Shanaka 33 Right-handed Right-arm medium SSC Galle ODI, T20I B1 7 2021 2024 2024
Wicket-keepers
Kusal Mendis 29 Right-handed Right-arm leg spin SSC Dambulla Test, ODI, T20I C2 13 2024 2024 2024 ODI (C), Test (VC)
Sadeera Samarawickrama 29 Right-handed N/A Colts Dambulla Test, ODI, T20I N/A 23 2024 2024 2024
Spin Bowlers
Prabath Jayasuriya 33 Right-handed Slow left-arm orthodox SSC N/A Test N/A 77 2024 2018 N/A
Maheesh Theekshana 24 Right-handed Right-arm off break Colts Jaffna ODI, T20I N/A 61 2022 2024 2024
Jeffrey Vandersay 34 Right-handed Right-arm leg break Bloomfield Colombo ODI N/A 46 2022 2024 2022
Dunith Wellalage 21 Left-handed Slow left-arm orthodox Colts Jaffna ODI N/A 1 2022 2024 N/A
Pace Bowlers
Dushmantha Chameera 32 Right-handed Right-arm fast NCC Kandy ODI, T20I A1 5 2021 2024 2024
Asitha Fernando 27 Right-handed Right-arm medium-fast CCC Jaffna Test, ODI N/A 78 2024 2024 2022
Binura Fernando 29 Right-handed Left-arm medium-fast Ragama Dambulla T20I N/A 71 N/A 2021 2024
Vishwa Fernando 33 Right-handed Left-arm medium-fast CCC Galle Test C1 68 2024 2019 2017
Chamika Gunasekara 24 Right-handed Right-arm medium-fast NCC N/A Test N/A 2024 2022 N/A
Lahiru Kumara 27 Left-handed Right-arm fast NCC Galle ODI, T20I N/A 8 2023 2023 2023
Pramod Madushan 30 Right-handed Right-arm medium-fast Tamil Union Dambulla ODI, T20I N/A 40 N/A 2024 2023
Dilshan Madushanka 24 Right-handed Left-arm fast-medium Colts Jaffna Test, ODI, T20I N/A 98 2023 2024 2024
Matheesha Pathirana 21 Right-handed Right-arm fast NCC Colombo ODI, T20I N/A 81 N/A 2023 2024
Kasun Rajitha 31 Right-handed Right-arm medium-fast Badureliya Galle Test, ODI, T20I N/A 65 2023 2023 2023
Nuwan Thushara 30 Right-handed Right-arm medium-fast Badureliya Jaffna T20I N/A 53 N/A N/A 2024

Coaching staff

Position Name
Team Manager Sri Lanka Mahinda Halangode
Head coach England Chris Silverwood
Consultant Coach Sri Lanka Mahela Jayawardene
Cricket Consultant Sri Lanka Sanath Jayasuriya
Assistant coach Sri Lanka Naveed Nawaz
Batting coach Sri Lanka Thilina Kandamby
Spin Bowling coach Australia Craig Howard
Fast Bowling Coach Pakistan Aaqib Javed
Fielding Coach Sri Lanka Upul Chandana
Physiotherapist vacant
Physical Performance Manager vacant
Analyst Sri Lanka Shirantha Niroshana

Selection Committee

  • Sri Lanka Upul Tharanga (Chairman)
  • Sri Lanka Dilruwan Perera
  • Sri Lanka Tharanga Paranavithana
  • Sri Lanka Ajantha Mendis
  • Sri Lanka Indika de Saram

Source: Ada Derana

Coaching history

  • 1995–1996: Australia Dav Whatmore
  • 1997–1998: Australia Bruce Yardley
  • 1998–1999: Sri Lanka Roy Dias
  • 1999–2003: Australia Dav Whatmore
  • 2003–2005: Australia John Dyson
  • 2005–2007: Australia Tom Moody
  • 2007–2011: Australia Trevor Bayliss
  • 2011: Australia Stuart Law (interim)
  • 2011: Sri Lanka Rumesh Ratnayake (interim)
  • 2011–2012: Australia Geoff Marsh
  • 2012–2013: South Africa Graham Ford 1st stint
  • 2013–2014: England Paul Farbrace
  • 2014–2015: Sri Lanka Marvan Atapattu
  • 2015–2016: Sri Lanka Jerome Jayaratne (interim)
  • 2016–2017: South Africa Graham Ford 2nd stint
  • 2017: South Africa Nic Pothas (interim)
  • 2017–2019: Sri Lanka Chandika Hathurusingha
  • 2019–2021: South Africa Mickey Arthur
  • 2022: Sri Lanka Rumesh Ratnayake (interim)
  • 2022–present: England Chris Silverwood

Sponsorship

The period between 2000 and 2010 saw the sponsorship pass between Ceylon tea, Reebok, Mobitel Sri Lanka and Dialog Axiata; Dilmah has remained a sponsor since the early 2000s, replacing Singer, which was the main sponsor in the 1990s. Former manufacturers were Reebok, AJ Sports, Asics, ISC, and Adidas.

Currently, the main sponsors for Sri Lanka cricket are Dialog Axiata, Jat Holdings and MAS Holdings.

Current Sponsors & Partners
Inbound Team Sponsor Nippon Paint
Outbound Team Sponsor Dialog SriLanka
Kit Sponsor Moose Clothing Company
Cricket Helmet Partner Masuri
Beverages Partner My Cola
Energy Drink Partner Red Bull
Casual Clothing Sponsor Licc Jeans
Formal Clothing Partner Namal Balachandra Private Limited
Official Broadcaster Sony Pictures Networks
Period Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor Team sponsor Official Broadcaster Internet streaming
1995–2000 MAS Singer CTC Sky Sports Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation
2000–2001 AJ Sports Dilmah WSG Nimbus Taj Television
2001–2008 Nike Dilmah Pepsi Caltex SriLankan Airlines Emerald Ten Sports
2009–2010 Reebok Dialog National Development Bank Carlton Sports Network
2010–2012 Mobitel ESPN
2013-2014 Emerald Homestead Ten Sports
2014–2016 MAS Dialog Ceylon Tea Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation
2017–2018 Huawei Kent RO Systems Huawei Sony Sports Network YouTube
2019 –2020 Dialog
2021–2022 AstroPay
2022–2027 FairPlay Amul Nippon Paint Brandix Red Bull MTV Channel
Sponsorship for ICC Tournaments
Tournament Kit Manufacturer Sleeve Sponsor
1975 Cricket World Cup
1979 ICC Trophy
1979 Cricket World Cup
1983 Cricket World Cup
1987 Cricket World Cup
1992 Cricket World Cup ISC
1996 Cricket World Cup Singer
1998 ICC KnockOut Trophy
1999 Cricket World Cup ASICS
2000 ICC KnockOut Trophy
2002 ICC Champions Trophy AJ Sports Dilmah
2003 Cricket World Cup
2004 ICC Champions Trophy Trendy
2006 ICC Champions Trophy MAS
2007 Cricket World Cup
2007 ICC Men's T20 World Cup
2009 ICC Men's T20 World Cup Reebok
2009 ICC Champions Trophy
2010 ICC Men's T20 World Cup
2011 Cricket World Cup
2012 ICC Men's T20 World Cup MAS Homestead
2013 ICC Champions Trophy
2014 ICC Men's T20 World Cup
2015 Cricket World Cup
2016 ICC Men's T20 World Cup Confident Group
2017 ICC Champions Trophy Dialog
2019 Cricket World Cup Kent RO
2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup AstroPay
2022 ICC Men's T20 World Cup Moose
2023 Cricket World Cup Qualifier Moose Dialog
2023 Cricket World Cup Amul

Records and statistics

International match summary

Format Matches Won Lost Tied Drawn No result %Won Inaugural match
Test 316 103 121 0 92 32.59 17 February 1982
ODI 918 421 452 5 40 45.86 7 June 1975
T20I 189 85 98 4 2 44.97 15 June 2006

Updated: 25 March 2024

Test matches

Team records

  • Highest team total: 952/6 dec. v. India at RPS, Colombo in 1997
  • Lowest team total: 71 v. Pakistan at Asgiriya in 1994
  • Sri Lanka holds the world record for the highest team score, 952/6

Individual records

  • Most matches: 149 Tests – Mahela Jayawardene
  • Longest-serving captain: 56 Tests – Arjuna Ranatunga

Batting records

  • Most runs: 12,400 – Kumar Sangakkara
  • Best average: 57.40 – Kumar Sangakkara
  • Highest individual score: 374 – Mahela Jayawardene v. South Africa at SSC, Colombo in 2006
  • Highest partnership: 624 – Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene v. South Africa at SSC, Colombo in 2006
  • Most centuries: 38 – Kumar Sangakkara

Bowling records

Fielding records

  • Most catches by an outfielder: 205 – Mahela Jayawardene
  • Most dismissals as wicketkeeper: 156 – Prasanna Jayawardene
  • Most dismissals in an innings: 6 – Amal Silva v. India at SSC, Colombo in 1985 and Dinesh Chandimal v. Pakistan at PSS, Colombo in 2015
  • Most dismissals in a match: 9 – Amal Silva v. India at SSC, Colombo & PSS, Colombo in 1985 and Prasanna Jayawardene v. Pakistan at Dubai in 2014

Record versus other nations

Opponent Matches Won Lost Draw Tied % Won First Last
 Afghanistan &&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 &&&&&&&&&&&&0100.&&&&&0100.00 2024 2024
 Australia &&&&&&&&&&&&&033.&&&&&033 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&05.&&&&&05 &&&&&&&&&&&&&020.&&&&&020 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&08.&&&&&08 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 &&&&&&&&&&&&&015.15000015.15 1983 2022
 Bangladesh &&&&&&&&&&&&&026.&&&&&026 &&&&&&&&&&&&&020.&&&&&020 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&05.&&&&&05 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 &&&&&&&&&&&&&076.92000076.92 2001 2024
 England &&&&&&&&&&&&&036.&&&&&036 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&08.&&&&&08 &&&&&&&&&&&&&017.&&&&&017 &&&&&&&&&&&&&011.&&&&&011 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 &&&&&&&&&&&&&022.22000022.22 1982 2021
 India &&&&&&&&&&&&&046.&&&&&046 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&07.&&&&&07 &&&&&&&&&&&&&022.&&&&&022 &&&&&&&&&&&&&017.&&&&&017 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 &&&&&&&&&&&&&015.21000015.21 1982 2022
 Ireland &&&&&&&&&&&&&&02.&&&&&02 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&02.&&&&&02 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 &&&&&&&&&&&&0100.&&&&&0100.00 2023 2023
 New Zealand &&&&&&&&&&&&&038.&&&&&038 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&09.&&&&&09 &&&&&&&&&&&&&018.&&&&&018 &&&&&&&&&&&&&011.&&&&&011 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 &&&&&&&&&&&&&025.&&&&&025.00 1983 2023
 Pakistan &&&&&&&&&&&&&058.&&&&&058 &&&&&&&&&&&&&017.&&&&&017 &&&&&&&&&&&&&022.&&&&&022 &&&&&&&&&&&&&019.&&&&&019 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 &&&&&&&&&&&&&029.31000029.31 1982 2023
 South Africa &&&&&&&&&&&&&031.&&&&&031 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&09.&&&&&09 &&&&&&&&&&&&&016.&&&&&016 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&06.&&&&&06 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 &&&&&&&&&&&&&029.&3000029.03 1993 2021
 West Indies &&&&&&&&&&&&&024.&&&&&024 &&&&&&&&&&&&&011.&&&&&011 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&09.&&&&&09 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 &&&&&&&&&&&&&045.83000045.83 1993 2021
 Zimbabwe &&&&&&&&&&&&&020.&&&&&020 &&&&&&&&&&&&&014.&&&&&014 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&06.&&&&&06 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 &&&&&&&&&&&&&070.&&&&&070.00 1994 2020
Total 316 103 121 92 0 32.59 1982 2024
Statistics are correct as of  Sri Lanka v  Bangladesh at Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chattogram, 2nd Test, 30 March – 3 April 2024.

One Day Internationals

ODI team records

  • Highest team total: 443/9 (50 overs) v. Netherlands at VRA Cricket Ground in 2006
  • Lowest team total: 43 (20.1 overs) v. South Africa at Boland Park in 2012

ODI individual records

  • Most matches: 443 – Mahela Jayawardene
  • Longest-serving captain: 193 matches – Arjuna Ranatunga

ODI batting records

  • Most runs: 14,234 – Kumar Sangakkara
  • Best average: 44.12 – Pathum Nissanka
  • Best strike rate: 112.59 – Thisara Perera
  • Highest individual score: 210* – Pathum Nissanka v. Afghanistan at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in 2024
  • Highest partnership: 286* – Sanath Jayasuriya and Upul Tharanga v. England at Headingley in 2006
  • Most centuries: 28 – Sanath Jayasuriya
  • Most Sixes: 268 – Sanath Jayasuriya

ODI bowling records

  • Most wickets: 534 – Muttiah Muralitharan
  • Best average: 21.87 – Ajantha Mendis
  • Best figures in an innings: 8/19 – Chaminda Vaas v. Zimbabwe at Colombo (SSC) in 2001
  • Best strike rate: 27.3 – Ajantha Mendis
  • Best economy rate: 3.93 – Muttiah Muralitharan

ODI fielding records

  • Most catches by an outfielder: 212 – Mahela Jayawardene
  • Most dismissals as wicketkeeper: 473 – Kumar Sangakkara
  • Most dismissals in a match: 5 – Guy de Alwis v. Australia at Colombo (PSS) in 1983; Hashan Tillakaratne v. Pakistan at Sharjah Cricket Stadium in 1990; Romesh Kaluwitharana v. Pakistan at Sharjah Cricket Stadium in 1995; Kumar Sangakkara v. Netherlands at Colombo (RPS) in 2002

ODI record versus other nations

Opponent Matches Won Lost Tied No Result % Won First Last
Full Members
 Afghanistan 15 10 4 0 1 66.66 2014 2024
 Australia 103 35 64 0 4 33.98 1975 2023
 Bangladesh 57 43 12 0 2 75.43 1986 2024
 England 79 37 38 1 3 46.83 1982 2023
 India 168 57 99 1 11 33.92 1979 2023
 Ireland 5 5 0 0 0 100.00 2007 2023
 New Zealand 102 41 52 1 11 40.19 1979 2023
 Pakistan 157 59 93 1 4 37.57 1975 2023
 South Africa 81 33 46 1 1 40.74 1992 2023
 West Indies 64 30 31 0 3 46.88 1975 2023
 Zimbabwe 64 49 12 0 3 76.56 1992 2024
Associate Members
 Bermuda 1 1 0 0 0 100 2007 2007
 Canada 2 2 0 0 0 100 2003 2011
 Kenya 6 5 1 0 0 83.33 1996 2011
 Netherlands 6 6 0 0 0 100 2002 2023
 Oman 1 1 0 0 0 100 2023 2023
 Scotland 4 4 0 0 0 100 2011 2023
 United Arab Emirates 3 3 0 0 0 100 2004 2023
Total 918 421 452 5 40 45.86 1975 2024
Statistics are correct as of  Sri Lanka v  Bangladesh at Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chattogram; 18th March 2024

Twenty20 Internationals

T20I team records

  • Highest team total: 260/6 v. Kenya at Johannesburg in 2007
  • Lowest team total: 79 v. India at Visakhapatnam in 2016

T20I individual records

  • Most matches: 97 – Dasun Shanaka†
  • Longest-serving captain: 48 matches – Dasun Shanaka

T20I batting records

T20I bowling records

  • Most wickets: 107 – Lasith Malinga
  • Best average: 14.42 – Ajantha Mendis
  • Best bowling: 6/8 – Ajantha Mendis v. Zimbabwe at Hambantota in 2012
  • Best strike rate: 13.4 – Ajantha Mendis
  • Best economy rate: 6.45 – Ajantha Mendis

T20I fielding records

  • Most catches by an outfielder: 37 – Dasun Shanaka
  • Most dismissals as wicketkeeper: 45 – Kumar Sangakkara
  • Most dismissals in an innings: 4 – Dinesh Chandimal v. South Africa at Johannesburg in 2017

T20I record versus other nations

Opponent Matches Won Lost Tied No Result % Won First Last
Full Members
 Afghanistan 8 5 3 0 0 62.50 2016 2024
 Australia 26 10 15 1 0 38.46 2007 2022
 Bangladesh 16 11 5 0 0 68.75 2007 2024
 England 14 4 10 0 0 28.57 2006 2022
 India 29 9 19 0 1 31.03 2009 2023
 Ireland 3 3 0 0 0 100.00 2009 2022
 New Zealand 23 7 13 2 1 30.43 2006 2023
 Pakistan 23 10 13 0 0 43.47 2007 2022
 South Africa 17 5 11 1 0 29.41 2012 2021
 West Indies 15 8 7 0 0 53.33 2009 2021
 Zimbabwe 6 5 1 0 0 83.33 2008 2024
Associate Members
 Canada 1 1 0 0 0 100.00 2008 2008
 Kenya 1 1 0 0 0 100.00 2007 2007
 Namibia 2 1 1 0 0 50.00 2021 2022
 Netherlands 3 3 0 0 0 100.00 2014 2022
 United Arab Emirates 2 2 0 0 0 100.00 2016 2022
Total 189 85 98 4 2 44.97 2006 2024
Statistics are correct as of  Sri Lanka v  Bangladesh at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium, Sylhet, 3rd T20I, March 9, 2024.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Selección de críquet de Sri Lanka para niños

  • Cricket in Sri Lanka
  • List of Sri Lanka national cricket captains
  • List of Sri Lanka ODI cricketers
  • List of Sri Lanka Test cricketers
  • List of Sri Lanka Twenty20 International cricketers
  • Sri Lanka women's national cricket team
  • Lanka Premier League
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