Hyderabad:

Several key members of the historic team, including Aravinda de Silva, the man of the match in the final, and all-rounder Sanath Jayasuriya, who is currently the head coach of the Sri Lankan cricket team, were present.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday met with members of Sri Lanka’s 1996 ICC Cricket World Cup-winning team during his official visit to Colombo.In a post shared on X, PM Modi wrote he was excited and glad to interact with the players, adding that the team had captured the imagination of countless sports lovers.

"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," Modi said in his post.

World Cup-winning captain Arjuna Ranatunga, however, was absent from the meeting as he is currently overseas. The 1996 Sri Lankan team made history by defeating Australia in the final by seven wickets on 17 March 1996 at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, Pakistan, marking a turning point in the nation’s cricketing journey.

The 1996 Cricket World Cup, also called the Wills World Cup 1996 for sponsorship reasons, was co-hosted by India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka played an aggressive brand of ODI cricket with Jayasuriya and his opening partner Romesh Kaluwitharana setting the tone for the innings.

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