The historic final between India and Sri Lanka in the 2011 ODI Cricket World Cup was the first time two Asian teams had played for the trophy.
That game was played in Mumbai in front of a packed crowd but 12 years later, Sri Lanka will return to India for the 2023 edition of the tournament with what is considered to be an outside chance of clinching the trophy.
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Here's a look at Sri Lanka's past record at the ICC ODI men's tournament, and an assessment of their chances for the upcoming competition.
Sri Lanka Cricket World Cup record: How many times have Sri Lanka won the ODI WC?
The Arjuna Ranatunga-led Sri Lankan team won their only World Cup in 1996. That tournament was co-hosted by India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Australia and Sri Lanka met in the final in Lahore, Pakistan where Sri Lanka defeated Australia by seven wickets to lift the trophy.
That was the first time any tournament host or co-host had gone on to win the World Cup, with Aravinda de Silva being declared the Player of the Match for his unbeaten 107 and his decisive three-wicket haul.
Sri Lanka previous ODI World Cup performance by year
While Sri Lanka has won the World Cup only once, they're still among the most successful teams in the history of the tournament in terms of their overall record.
They have played in three finals and have also been knocked out in one semi-final and one quarter-final.
Here's their previous record in ODI men's World Cups.
Year |
Performance |
1975 |
Group Stage |
1979 |
Group Stage |
1983 |
Group Stage |
1987 |
Group Stage |
1992 |
Group Stage |
1996 |
Winners |
1999 |
Group Stage |
2003 |
Semi-finals |
2007 |
Runners-up |
2011 |
Runners-up |
2015 |
Quarter-finals |
2019 |
Group Stage |
Sri Lanka Cricket World Cup 2023 predictions, best bets and odds
Such is Sri Lanka's history at the World Cup that they will always be given a chance, but until the recent Asia Cup many had written them off.
They did not qualify for the World Cup outright and had to battle their way through the playoffs, but a run to the final of the Asia Cup — where they were beaten by India — has restored some faith that they could be competitive.
You can click the links below to see the latest odds on Sri Lanka and make your predictions on them!
Then follow along with all the action when the tournament runs from October 5 to November 19.
Sri Lanka men's ODI Cricket World Cup player and team records
Sri Lanka's journey at the World Cup has seen them create a host of records.
Highest run-scorer: Veteran batsman Kumar Sangakkara has amassed 1,532 runs in his World Cup career. He is the third-highest run scorer in ODI World Cup history.
Tillakaratne Dilshan holds the record for highest individual score by a Sri Lankan player. In the 2015 World Cup he scored an unbeaten 161 against Bangladesh.
Spinmaster Muttiah Muralitharan is Sri Lanka’s leading wicket-taker. He has taken 68 wickets in his ODI World Cup career.
Sri Lanka hold the record of posting the highest total by any team in a World Cup. They made 398 runs against Kenya in the 1996 World Cup.
Sri Lanka Cricket World Cup 2023 fixtures and schedule
Date |
Match |
Venue |
Time (Local, IST) |
Oct. 7 |
Sri Lanka vs South Africa |
Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi |
2:00 p.m. |
Oct. 10 |
Sri Lanka vs Pakistan |
Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad |
2:00 p.m. |
Oct. 16 |
Sri Lanka vs Australia |
Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow |
2:00 p.m. |
Oct. 21 |
Sri Lanka vs Netherlands |
Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow |
10:30 a.m. |
Oct. 26 |
Sri Lanka vs England |
M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru |
2:00 p.m. |
Oct. 30 |
Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan |
Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune |
2:00 p.m. |
Nov. 2 |
Sri Lanka vs India |
Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai |
2:00 p.m. |
Nov. 6 |
Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh |
Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi |
2:00 p.m. |
Nov. 9 |
Sri Lanka vs New Zealand |
M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru |
2:00 p.m. |