28 years since Sri Lanka triumphed the World Cup
On this day in 1996, under the captaincy of Arjuna Ranatunga, the Sri Lankan cricket team achieved a remarkable feat by clinching the World Cup title, defeating Australia in the final match. Throughout the tournament, the Sri Lankan team, known as the Lankan Lions, showcased stellar performances, notably defeating England and India in the quarterfinals and semi-finals, respectively.
In the decisive final match, the Sri Lankan bowlers delivered an outstanding performance, limiting Australia to 241/7 in 50 overs. Notably, Aravinda de Silva emerged as the star performer, claiming three wickets in nine overs. Later, with the bat, de Silva played a pivotal role by scoring a crucial century, guiding Sri Lanka to victory with 22 balls to spare. His remarkable contribution earned him the title of man-of-the-match.
Despite coming close to lifting the trophy on two occasions in 2007 and 2011, Sri Lanka had to settle for the runners-up position, losing to Australia and India in the respective finals.