As Sri Lanka marked the 30th anniversary of their Cricket World Cup triumph, the odds they overcame remain the stuff of cricketing folklore. Barely 15 years into their journey as a full member of the ICC, they didn’t just compete – they turned the game on its head, blindsiding the cricketing world with a brand of cricket that was as audacious as it was effective.

With field restrictions in place for the first 15 overs, Sri Lanka cashed in like seasoned pros at the top of their game. They went after bowlers with a nothing-to-lose attitude, throwing caution to the wind and runs on the board. By the time opponents tried to plug the gaps, the horse had well and truly bolted, the damage was already done.

Arjuna Ranatunga had long been tipped for greatness. Sir Garry Sobers, Sri Lanka’s first coach after gaining Test status, had earmarked him as one to watch. While Ranatunga’s contributions with the bat were invaluable, it was his leadership that truly set him apart, a skipper who knew how to marshal his troops and bring out the best in each of them.

A towering presence in Sri Lankan cricket, Ranatunga, much like Imran Khan in 1992 was handed the reins and the freedom to build a side in his own image. More than half a dozen players in that World Cup squad hailed from outstations, many of them taken under the captain’s wing and housed in his own home, a gesture that spoke volumes of the unity and trust within the camp.

“I was very lucky to have guys like Duleep Mendis, Roy Dias and Ranjan Madugalle working closely with the team. We had developed this side for about two years and our batting unit from number one to number seven had collectively played over 1000 ODIs. We knew no team could match that,” Ranatunga told Telecom Asia Sport.

For Ranatunga, success was about spotting raw talent and backing it to the hilt.

“It was clear to me there was a lot of hidden talent in the outstations. You had to identify them and give them confidence. Take Sanath Jayasuriya; in his early years he struggled. I think he had just one half-century in his first 50 games. But we knew what he was capable of. Once he got his confidence, he was unstoppable,” he said.

Sri Lanka’s triumph was not built on luck or favourable conditions, it was forged in the fire of big-match pressure. They beat India twice in their own backyard, a feat that underlined their dominance.

“Why our win is special is because we beat India twice in that tournament, in their own backyard. They had a very strong side, but we outplayed them. Aravinda’s knocks in the semi-final and final were sensational. At that point, he was the best player in the world and I was fortunate to have played alongside him,” Ranatunga recalled.

The ICC recently presented Sri Lankan players
with medallions to mark the World Cup win.

Until 1996, Sri Lanka had never made it past the first hurdle in a World Cup. But in that tournament, they were unstoppable, brushing aside England in the quarter-finals, overwhelming India in the semis and then outplaying a formidable Australian outfit in the final.

Ranatunga, never one to shy away from a verbal duel, believed that taking the fight to Australia was half the battle won.

“I always tried to get under the Australians’ skin. I knew that if you gave it back to them, they could crack under pressure,” he said.

There was much chatter ahead of the final about how Sri Lanka would handle Shane Warne. But Ranatunga had his cards in place.

“We had four left-handers in the top seven, so we knew we could counter him. Australia rely on building dot-ball pressure when wickets don’t come. But we handled it well. Asanka Gurusinha stepped out to Warne and hit a few boundaries and from there, we had the chase under control.”

Three decades on, that triumph still stands tall, not just as a victory, but as a turning point. It was the day Sri Lanka didn’t just win a World Cup, but rewrote the script of one-day cricket, proving that even the underdogs can have the last laugh if they are willing to play with courage, conviction and a touch of madness.

(Telecom Asia Sport)