Sports

Thirty years since the World Cup win

Published

1 month ago

2026/03/17

On a day like today, 30 years ago, Sri Lanka became world champions.

Today marks the 30th anniversary of Sri Lanka’s unforgettable World Cup triumph. Ask any Sri Lankan where they were on the 17th March 1996 and chances are they will recall it in vivid detail. It was a red-letter day for a small island nation that punched above its weight, became world champions and changed the course of its cricket forever.

‎‎It had been a crazy, turbulent month. The Central Bank bombing had shaken the country to its core, crippling the economy and casting a shadow over the tournament. Australia and the West Indies refused to travel to Colombo, forfeiting their games amid security fears. Yet capable hands steadied the ship. Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar and cricket board president Ana Punchihewa ensured the show went on, steering the nation through stormy waters.

‎‎Adversity, as it often does, forged resolve. The troubled times brought the country together and the team responded by playing the brand of cricket that would become their trademark; fearless, inventive and unapologetically bold. Sri Lanka went through the tournament unbeaten, finding a man for every crisis and a solution for every problem.

‎‎The signs had been there from 1994 onwards. Sri Lanka were knocking on the door, threatening to do something special, and when the big stage arrived, they did not merely walk through it, they kicked the door down.

‎‎Three years earlier, Sir Garry Sobers had been asked who might break his world record of 365 in a Test innings. The great West Indian reckoned the race was between Brian Lara, Sachin Tendulkar and Aravinda de Silva. Aravinda never quite threatened that particular milestone, but what he did in Lahore remains etched in cricketing folklore. His majestic century in the final, steering a tense run chase with the composure of a grandmaster, remains one of the finest innings played under pressure. Kumar Sangakkara may have better numbers, but for many Sri Lankans Aravinda remains the darling of their cricketing hearts. Travel anywhere in the cricketing world, India, Pakistan, New Zealand or the West Indies and once people learn you are from Sri Lanka, the inevitable question follows: “What is Aravinda doing these days?”

‎‎Then there was Sanath Jayasuriya, the man who turned the Powerplay into a demolition derby. Bowlers barely had time to loosen their shoulders before the ball was disappearing over midwicket. His whirlwind starts tore attacks to shreds and rewrote the playbook of one-day cricket. Such was his impact that England captain Michael Atherton famously suggested the ICC should intervene and rethink the playing conditions. Jayasuriya had simply taken the first 15 overs away from them, lock, stock and barrel. Limited-overs cricket has never quite been the same since.

‎‎At the helm was Arjuna Ranatunga, a captain cut from rare cloth. Leadership, after all, is not just about calling the shots on the field but about standing by your men when the chips are down. Ranatunga literally opened the doors of his house to more than half a dozen members of that World Cup squad, treating them like family and backing them through thick and thin. Like Allan Border, Clive Lloyd and Imran Khan before him, Arjuna was a leader of men whose tactical acumen and fighting spirit sometimes overshadowed his considerable contributions with the bat.

‎‎Every great side also has its unsung heroes. Asanka Gurusinha was one of them. Naturally an aggressive striker of the ball, he curbed his instincts and played the anchor role, allowing the stroke-makers around him to cut loose. That willingness to put the team before personal glory summed up the camaraderie and collective spirit that defined the side.

‎‎The World Cup win did more than fill trophy cabinets , it changed the game at home. Cricket in Sri Lanka turned professional almost overnight. Players who once juggled day jobs with the demands of international sport found themselves with central contracts and proper match fees. Schools across the island embraced the game and its popularity soared, inspiring a new generation to pick up bat and ball.

‎‎Some argue that Sri Lanka later rested on their laurels. While other nations took a leaf out of our book and modernised their cricket structures, we were slow to move with the times. There may be some truth in that argument.

‎‎But what is also true is that players of the calibre of Arjuna, Sanath and Muttiah Muralitharan come along perhaps once in half a century. And as for Aravinda, well, there won’t be another like him, not in our lifetimes.

by Rex Clementine

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Tilak ends Mumbai Indian’s losing streak with 45-ball century

Published

10 hours ago

2026/04/21

Priyan

Tilak Varma went from 19 off 22 to 101* off 45 [Cricinfo]

Mumbai Indians (MI) needed something dramatic to scrape themselves off the bottom of the table, and Tilak Varma provided that with a record-breaking hundred to lift them from 103 for 4 in 14 overs. The momentum MI built at the end of their innings was so irresistible it carried into a first-ball wicket for Jasprit Bumrah after he had gone six IPL games wicketless, and the Gujarat Titans (GT) wickets just kept tumbling, ending MI’s four-match losing streak. It was so dramatic in the end that GT ended one short of Tilak’s 101, losing by 99 runs.

The 82 runs that Tilak scored in the last six overs is the most anyone has scored in that period of an IPL innings, resulting in the joint-quickest century for MI, level with Sanath Jayasuriya’s effort in 45 balls in the inaugural IPL season. Sensationally, Tilak did so after not having hit a boundary in his first 20 balls, making this the highest IPL score after such a start.

Without taking anything away from Tilak, Naman Dhir arguably scored the tougher runs when the GT bowlers were red-hot: 45 off 32 from No. 3, when MI had slipped to 44 for 3. Tilak was offered some gifts by bowlers failing to stick to their plans, but his response to the errors was intimidating and likely resulted in further errors.

GT take the fewest risks among IPL teams when they bat. They can afford to do so because their bowlers regularly give them low scores to chase. For the second match in a row, they had their Test bowlers Mohammed Siraj and Kagiso Rabada bowl like they would in a Test match, running through the powerplay with three overs each.

Siraj was excellent with three overs for 15 runs, but the wickets went to Rabada, who was direct with his attack, bowling full, straight and fast. He ripped out Danish Malewar, Quinton de Kock and Suryakumar Yadav in this spell, the latter two with balls timed at 150 and 152kmph.

Led by Rashid Khan, GT kept the batters honest in the middle overs. Encouraged by the turn on offer for Rashid, Shubman Gill went to Washington Sundar in the 11th over. Tilak, still struggling for fluency, turned the strike over to Dhir, who took down Washington like a medium-pacer. And Washington did bowl like a medium-pacer, firing the ball at upwards of 100kmph and getting step-hit for six and four.

However, Prasidh Krishna soon got the wicket of Dhir with yet another short ball, making it 23 IPL wickets for him with short or short-of-a-length balls since the start of the 2025 season. That’s nine more than anyone. He also has the third-best economy rate off those lengths (minimum 30 balls bowled).

Which is what makes what followed all the more inexplicable. When he started the 15th over, Prasidh had the field set for the short ball, but proceeded to bowl one full ball after another. One can be a bluff, two can be errors, but four in a row is hard to explain. Tilak was ruthless, taking 16 off these balls.

Rabada came back to bring some order to proceedings, ending with figures of 4 for 33. Rashid, though, didn’t enjoy a similar end. He overpitched and underpitched the first two balls of the 17th over, and Tilak was now in an irresistible flow, hitting him for four and six.

The biggest over was the 18th, when Tilak outdid Ashok Sharma, who actually followed his plans. The first ball was a wide slower bouncer with the bigger boundary on the off side, but he still upper-cut it for a six. The second ball was hard length outside off, but he still managed to ramp it just over short fine. Now the young fast bowler begun to falter, and Varma demolished the rest of the over for 4, 4 and 6.

Siraj bowled a good 19th, getting the wicket of Hardik Pandya and ending up with figures of 4-0-25-1, but Prasidh again started the 20th over with a full ball. When he eventually went short, Tilak pulled him for a six, but only just cleared the sweeper. A high full-toss flew over long leg for a huge six, and the last ball was pulled away for four to bring up the hundred.

The last time Bumrah took a wicket in the IPL was in the Eliminator last year, incidentally against GT. He had gone six IPL matches without a wicket since then without bowling badly at all. He took the brand-new ball for the first time this season, and had a wicket first up with an unremarkable full ball, which B Sai Sudharsan sliced to cover point.

That MI’s luck was turning was evident in how Pandya got Jos Buttler lbw on umpire’s call with the ball projected to just clip the top of leg stump. Gill then played a nothing pull, neither rolling his wrists over nor trying to hit a six, to make it the first time in 21 matches that GT had lost all of their big three in the powerplay.

The powerplays cancelled each other out with GT scoring 45 for 3 to MI’s 46 for 3. Any hopes of a similar fightback to MI were dashed when Mitchell Santner took out Washington and Glenn Phillips in the same over, Washington to an excellent boundary catch by Dhir.

Ashwani Kumar was then at the receiving end of pressure-induced gifts on three occasions as GT continued to slide. Mystery spinner AM Ghazanfar wrapped up the tail with the wickets of Siraj and Rabada in the same over, making it the first time that an MI batter had outscored the entire opposition.

Brief scores:
Mumbai Indians 199 for 5 in 20 overs (Quinton de Kock 13, Tilak Varma 101*, Naman Dhir 45, Suryakumar Yadav 15, Hardik Pandya 15; Mohammed Siraj 1-25, Kagiso Rabada 3-33, Prasidh Krishna 1-54) beat Gujarat Titans 100 in 15.5 overs (Shubman Gill 14, Washington Sundar 26, M Sharukh Khan 17, Kagiso Rabada 12; Jasprit Bumrah 1-15, Hardik Pandya 1-18, Ashwani Kumar 4-24, Mitchell Santner 2-16, AM Ghazanfar 2-17) by 99 runs

[Cricinfo]

Sports

Lyceum celebrate historic promotion with dominant title triumph‎

Published

13 hours ago

2026/04/21

Thilina Walpola

Lyceum International Wattala became the first international school in the country to earn a place in the Under 19 Division I tournament

Lyceum International School, Wattala etched their name into schools cricket history with a commanding first innings victory over Taxila College, Horana to clinch the Under 19 Division II Tier ‘A’ title at Kosgama on Sunday.‎The victory was the icing on the cake after they secured a landmark promotion to the top Division of the country’s premier schools cricket tournament by virtue of their semi final win.

‎The triumph was built on a disciplined all-round performance, with Ravindu Vikasitha spearheading an incisive bowling effort after a solid collective showing with the bat in the first innings.

‎Having elected to bat first, Lyceum’s top and middle order combined effectively to post a competitive 244 in 74.2 overs. Contributions flowed throughout the lineup, with Dinosh Jelon leading the way with a fluent 51, while Gagan Enosh (42), Tharusha Ranasinghe (24), Mihisara Osan (31), Thisanga Semith (27), and Shaleela Prabashshara (21) all played valuable supporting roles. Taxila’s response with the ball was steady, with Janiru Athulathmudali claiming 3 for 33, while Yasith Weththasinghe and Thilin Kumara picked up two wickets apiece.

‎However, the game turned decisively in Lyceum’s favour when their bowlers dismantled the Taxila batting lineup for just 92 runs in 34.3 overs. Vikasitha was the chief destroyer with an outstanding five-wicket haul, while Sadil Dias and Jelon chipped in with two wickets each to ensure a massive first innings lead.

‎Lyceum continued their dominance in the second innings, scoring 276 runs in 95 overs. Mihisara Osan came agonizingly close to a century, falling for 99, while Thisanga Semith (68) and Shaleela Prabashshara (56) produced impressive half-centuries to further underline the team’s batting depth. Despite Yasiru Kalhara’s excellent effort of 6 for 59 and Rashan Nawanjana’s 3 for 58, Taxila were unable to claw their way back into the contest.

‎Set an improbable task, Taxila showed some resistance in their second innings, reaching 121 for 3 in 49 overs at the close. Sandith Ranaweera top-scored with 40, while Raniru Athulathmudali added 38 in a steady rebuilding effort.

‎Despite the defeat, Taxila have much to celebrate, as both finalists earned promotion to the top Division—marking a historic breakthrough for the Horana school, which, like Lyceum, had never previously competed at that level.

‎For Lyceum International, this victory carries even greater significance, as they become the first international school in Sri Lanka to qualify for the top Division of the Under 19 schools cricket tournament—an achievement that signals a new chapter in the island’s school cricket landscape.

‎Brief Scores:

‎Lyceum International, Wattala – 244 all out in 74.2 overs (Gagan Enosh 42, Dinosh Jelon 51, Mihisara Osan 31; Janiru Athulathmudali 3/33) and 276 all out in 95 overs (Mihisara Osan 99, Thisanga Semith 68, Shaleela Prabashshara 56; Yasiru Kalhara 6/59)

‎Taxila College, Horana – 92 all out in 34.3 overs (Sandith Ranaweera 23; Ravindu Vikasitha 5/18) and 121 for 3 in 49 overs (Sandith Ranaweera 40, Raniru Athulathmudali 38)

(RF)‎

Sports

Lithum, Kavindu steer Wesley to title with huge stand

Published

13 hours ago

2026/04/21

Thilina Walpola

Wesley College clinched the Under 19 Division I Tier B cricket title with a first innings win over Sri Sumangala College, Panadura at Surray Village ground on Monday

A monumental sixth-wicket partnership between Lithum Senuja and Kavindu Hettiarachchi powered Wesley College to a commanding first innings victory over Sri Sumangala College Panadura in the Under 19 Division I Tier ‘B’ cricket tournament final at Surrey Village Ground, Maggona on Monday.

‎Resuming the final day on 281 for 5 in reply to Sri Sumangala’s first innings total of 239, Wesley were already in a strong position. However, the overnight pair of Senuja and Hettiarachchi ensured there would be no way back for their opponents, extending their partnership to a match-defining 278 runs for the sixth wicket.

‎Sri Sumangala, who had built a reputation for strong second innings fightbacks during the latter stages of the tournament, were effectively taken out of contention as Wesley piled up a formidable 416 for seven wickets in their alloted first innings overs. The sheer scale of the total left the Panadura outfit with no realistic chance of mounting another comeback.

‎Both batsmen converted their overnight scores into well-deserved centuries. Senuja anchored the innings with a patient 101 off 239 deliveries, striking 13 boundaries, while Hettiarachchi played the more aggressive role, compiling an impressive 134 off 164 balls, including 13 fours and three sixes. Their contrasting yet complementary knocks laid the foundation for Wesley’s dominance.

‎In their second essay Sri Sumangala were 148 for four wickets at close.

‎Earlier in the match, Sri Sumangala posted 239 in their first innings, with Vidura Basuru leading the way with a solid 97. He received support from Nikesh Iddamalgoda (54) and Bihanga Silva (32). Wesley’s bowling effort was shared, with Jeewahan Sriram claiming 3 for 40, while Hettiarachchi and Methnula Mayadunna chipped in with two wickets apiece.

‎Despite the defeat, Sri Sumangala had the consolation of promotion, as both finalists secured elevation to the top tier of Division I cricket next season.

‎‎Scores:

‎Sri Sumangala

239 all out in 82.5 overs

‎(Vidura Basuru 97, Nikesh Iddamalgoda 54, Bihanga Silva 32; Jeewahan Sriram 3/40, Kavindu Hettiarachchi 2/37, Methnula Mayadunna 2/20) and 148 for 4 in 46.4 overs (Sandeep Wijerathne 31, Neksha Iddamalgoda 63, Bihanga Silva 23n.o.; Kavindu Hettiarachchi 2/09)

‎Wesley 281 for 5 overnight 416 for 7 in 120 overs (Rasheed Nahyan 78, Lithum Senuja 101, Kavindu Hettiarachchi 134, Senura Lakshan 32n.o.; Mevindu Kumarasiri 5/197)