The ICC Champions trophy has been a happy hunting ground for the Sri Lankans in the past, but with the recent loss of form and stalwarts like Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara and TM Dilshan, Sri Lanka will face a daunting task at this year’s tournament.
Sri Lanka have taken part in every ICC Champions Trophy, with this summer’s edition across England and Wales being their eighth appearance in the tournament.
Over the course of the previous seven tournaments Sri Lanka have won over half of their games, coming out victorious in 13 of the 24 matches they have played and losing just nine with two games ending without a result.
They’ve also appeared in the final on one occasion – incidentally when the tournament was held on home turf.
Rain played spoilsport on the day of the final as the game was postponed to the reserve day. New day – new game, but the result was the same as the final in 2002 ended without a result as Sri Lanka and India were crowned joint champions.
Sri Lanka have always performed well in ICC events but with the cricket in the emerald island on the decline, Sri Lanka will have to perform out of their skins if they are to make an impact at the ICC Champions Trophy 2017.
Ahead of the tournament, we look back at some of the key stats and players from Sri Lanka’s previous ICC Champions Trophy tournaments.
- Mahela Jayawardena and Kumar Sangakkara top the list of matches played in the ICC Champions Trophy tournament with 22 matches each dating from 2000 – 2013.
- Of the current squad selected for the tournament in 2017- eight players – Lasith Malinga, captain Angelo Mathews, Nuwan Kulasekara, Upul Tharanga, Kusal Perera, Dinesh Chandimal, Thisara Perera and Chamara Kapugedara – have featured at the ICC Champions Trophy before, with Lasith Malinga, who hasn’t played an ODI for his country since 2015, making the most appearances at the tournament for Sri Lanka (13).
- With the bat, former captains and leading cap winners Mahela and Sangakkara lead the way with 742 and 683 runs respectively.
- Sangakkara also recorded his country’s highest score with his 134* against England at the Oval in the most recently concluded tournament (2013).
The match winning knock against England came when Sri Lanka was in a spot of bother. He along with Nuwan Kulasekara saw their team home with 7 wickets and 17 balls in hand. Kumar ended on an unbeaten 134 off 197 balls with 12 fours. Kulasekara finished with a run-a-ball 58 with 5 fours and 3 sixes.
- Upul Tharanga tops the charts for most centuries (2) and the highest average of all the batsmen who have played 5 or more games at 53.33. Legendary captain Arjuna Ranatunga has the best average (94), having played just 2 games with a best of 90.
- With the ball, it’s spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan leading the way with 24 wickets in 17 matches. Lasith Malinga, the king of death bowling, is in second place with 22 wickets. If Sri Lanka have a good tournament, however, Malinga could well overtake Murali at the top of that list.
- Farveez Maharoof tops the list of wickets taken in a single tournament, having bagged 12 in 2006/07 in India. His 12 wickets came at a superb average of 15.83 and a tight economy of 5.27.
- Not only for a Sri Lankan but the best figures by any bowler at the ICC Champions Trophy is held by Maharoof with a magnificent spell against West Indies, picking 6 for 14 in 9 overs at an economy of just 1.55.
Thanks to Maharoof’s magnificent bowling effort (6/14) Sri Lanka managed to restrict West Indies to just 80 runs in 30.4 overs. Sri Lanka eased to victory losing just a single wicket in the process.
- As a team, Sri Lanka’s highest ever total at the ICC Champions Trophy is their mammoth 319 for 8 they recorded against South Africa in 2009. T.M Dilshan top-scored with 106, with Jayawardene and Sangakkara also notching up half-centuries with scores of 77 and 54 respectively.
- With the ball, the lowest total Sri Lanka have restricted their opponents to at the tournament is the 80 West Indies were bowled out for in 30.4 overs at Mumbai in 2006. Maharoof was the pick of the bowlers, ending up with fine figures of 6-14 off nine overs.
