Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with the members of Sri Lanka's 1996 World Cup-winning team during his visit to the island nation. SL defeated Australia in the final to lift the elusive trophy for the first time. They have played 2 ODI WC finals since then.

"Cricket connect! Delighted to interact with members of the 1996 Sri Lankan cricket team, which won the World Cup that year. This team captured the imagination of countless sports lovers!" PM Modi wrote on X after interacting with the players.

Kumara Dharmasena, Aravinda de Silva, Sanath Jayasuriya, Chaminda Vaas, Upul Chandana and Marvan Atapattu were among the members of the team who met the Indian Prime Minister.

Dharmasena is now a well-known umpire and is considered one of the best in the business. Jayasuriya is the present head coach of the Sri Lanka cricket team. Under him, SL defeated India in the three-match ODI series in 2024.

Sri Lanka enjoyed a dream run in the 1996 World Cup and won all their 5 league stage matches. One of their wins came against India. Courtesy of Sachin Tendulkar's 137, India registered a total of 271/3 on the board. Captain Arjuna Ranatunga's 46 and Hashan Tillakaratne's 70 propelled SL to a six-wicket win.

SL registered a five-wicket win over England in the first quarter-final. They defeated India in the semi-final played at the Eden Gardens. The fixture was abandoned during India's chase due to the crowd's unruly behaviour. The Men in Blue were 8 down for 120 in the chase to the target of 252 when SL were announced as the winners.

SL restricted Australia to a below-par score of 241/7 in the final and chased it down in 46.2 overs. de Silva shone with the bat and remained unbeaten on 107 in the chase. Ranatunga played a captain's knock and scored an unbeaten 47 off 37 balls.

Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from IPL 2025,IPL Orange Cap, IPL Purple Cap, Most Sixes in IPL, Cricket, Sports and around the world.