The Sri Lanka men's national cricket team, nicknamed The Lions, represents Sri Lanka in men's international cricket. It is a full Member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) with Test, One-Day International (ODI) and T20 International (T20I) status. The team first played international cricket in 1926–27 and became an associate member of the ICC in 1965. They were awarded the Test status in 1981, which made Sri Lanka the eighth Test cricket-playing nation. The team is administered by Sri Lanka Cricket.
Deshabandu Sanath Teran Jayasuriya, is a former Sri Lankan cricketer and captain, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest all rounders ever to play in ODI cricket. A left arm opening batsman, an orthodox spinner and a dynamic fielder, Jayasuriya together with his opening partner Romesh Kaluwitharana is credited for having revolutionized one-day international cricket with his explosive batting in the mid-1990s, which initiated the hard-hitting modern-day batting strategy of all nations. He was a key member of the Sri Lankan team that won 1996 Cricket World Cup. Under his captaincy Sri Lanka become joint champions along with India in the 2002 Champions Trophy.
The Asia Cup, officially known as the ACC Men’s Asia Cup is a men's international cricket tournament contested between Asian countries in either One Day International format and Twenty20 International format every 2 years. It was established in 1983 when the Asian Cricket Council was founded as a measure to promote goodwill between Asian countries being the only continental championship in cricket where the winning team becomes the champion of Asia. India are the current champions after winning the 2023 edition.
Kumar Chokshanada Sangakkara is a Sri Lankan former professional cricketer who represented Sri Lanka in 134 Test matches from 2000 to 2015, including fifteen as captain. In first-class cricket, he played for Nondescripts Cricket Club from 1997–98 to 2013–14 and for Surrey County Cricket Club from 2015 to 2017. He also played for numerous franchise teams. He was born in Matale, Central Province. He was a part of the Sri Lankan squads which won the 2001-02 Asian Test Championship, 2002 ICC Champions Trophy and the 2014 T20 World Cup.
Tillakaratne Mudiyanselage Dilshan, commonly known as TM Dilshan is a former Sri Lankan cricketer and former captain of the Sri Lanka national cricket team. He is often regarded as the best rated Sri Lankan player in run-chases in ODI history and one of the most innovative players of all time. He is the top run scorer in 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup with 500 runs, and scored century against England in Quater final of ICC 2011 world cup. Dilshan is considered to be a rare example of a cricketer with notable skills in all aspects of the game, who can bat, bowl, field and keep wicket. He is an aggressive right-hand batsman who invented the scoop, which has come to be known as the Dilscoop, a shot that hits the ball over the keeper. Apart from being an opening batsman, he is also a capable off-break bowler. Energetic in the field, he usually fielded at the point region. He was part of the Sri Lankan team that won the 2014 ICC World Twenty20.
Herath Mudiyanselage Rangana Keerthi Bandara Herath, known as Rangana Herath, is a former Sri Lankan cricketer, who played all forms of cricket game and a former Test cricket captain for Sri Lanka. Herath is the most successful left arm bowler in Test cricket history. He worked as spin bowling consultant with the Bangladesh cricket team. Herath was a member of the Sri Lankan team that won the 2014 ICC World Twenty20.
Denagamage Praboth Mahela de Silva Jayawardene is a Sri Lankan former professional cricketer and captain of the Sri Lankan national cricket team. He is the current consultant coach of the Sri Lankan national team and the head coach of the Indian Premier League franchise Mumbai Indians. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen from Sri Lankan cricket.
Deshamanya Arjuna Ranatunga, is a Sri Lankan politician and former cricketer, who was the 1996 Cricket World Cup winning captain for Sri Lanka, and scored the winning boundary in the final. He is regarded as the pioneer who lifted the Sri Lankan cricket team from underdog status to a leading force in the cricketing world.
Warushavithana Upul Tharanga, commonly known as Upul Tharanga is a former professional Sri Lankan cricketer. A former limited over captain, Tharanga played for all formats of the game. He is a left-handed opening batsman and occasional wicket-keeper. He is widely regarded as one of the best batsmen in Cricket History for One Day Internationals (ODIs). On 23 February 2021, Upul announced his retirement from international cricket. He is the current national chief selector of both Sri Lanka men's and women's cricket teams.
Angelo Davis Mathews is a professional Sri Lankan cricketer and a former captain of the national cricket team in all formats. Mathews currently plays all formats for Sri Lanka., Mathews was a key member of the team that won the 2014 ICC World Twenty20 and was part of the team that made the finals of 2011 Cricket World Cup, 2009 ICC World Twenty20 and 2012 ICC World Twenty20. Mathews and Lasith Malinga hold the record for the highest ninth wicket partnership in ODI cricket.
Ranasinghe Arachchige Suranga Lakmal is a former professional Sri Lankan cricketer, who played in all formats of the game and is a former Test cricket captain. He is a right-arm fast bowler and right-handed batsman. He started his cricket life in Debarawewa National School, Tissamaharama. He was first included in the national squad for the tour of Pakistan in 2008-2009 and was reported to have been injured in the attack on the Sri Lankan team by terrorists.
Lokuge Dinesh Chandimal is a professional Sri Lankan cricketer and a former captain of the Sri Lanka national cricket team. A handy right-handed middle order batter who sometimes plays as the wicket-keeper, Chandimal lead Sri Lanka in the group stages of the 2014 ICC World Twenty20 in which Sri Lanka ended up as the champions.
Narangoda Liyanaarachchige Thisara Chirantha Perera, popularly as Thisara Perera, is a former Sri Lankan international cricketer who played all formats for the national team. He also captained the team in limited-overs formats. Domestically he plays for Sri Lanka Army Sports Club in the Premier Trophy and Premier Limited-Overs Tournament, and the Jaffna Stallions in the Lanka Premier League. Perera has played franchise T20 cricket all around the world for numerous leagues. Primarily a bowling all-rounder, he is an aggressive left-handed batsman who can hit big sixes in death overs and is a useful right-arm medium-fast bowler.
Pramod Bhanuka Bandara Rajapaksa,, popularly known as Bhanuka Rajapaksa, is a professional Sri Lankan cricketer, who plays limited over internationals for the national team. He is a left-handed batsman who bowls right-arm medium. He was born in Colombo. Despite a prolific domestic career, Rajapaksa only made his international debut when he was called up for the T20I series against Pakistan in 2019, ten years after his first-class debut.
Deshabandu Pinnaduwage Aravinda de Silva is a former Sri Lankan cricketer and captain, Regarded as one of the best Sri Lankan cricketer, he played in the team as an all-rounder. De Silva was a key member of the Sri Lankan team that won 1996 Cricket World Cup, where he scored a match winning century in the final, that brought Sri Lanka from underdog status to present-day form. He has held various posts in Sri Lankan Cricket after his retirement in 2003. He was inducted into ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in 2023.
Frank Dimuth Madushanka Karunaratne, popularly known as Dimuth Karunaratne, is a professional Sri Lankan cricketer and former captain of the Sri Lanka Test and ODI teams. Considered as one of the best Test openers in the world, he has been included 3 times in the ICC Test Cricket Team of the Year. He is the opening batter for Sri Lanka in Test cricket and ODIs. He plays first-class cricket for the Sinhalese Sports Club.
Mathurage Don Kusal Janith Perera, aka Kusal Perera is a professional Sri Lankan cricketer currently plays limited overs cricket and a former ODI cricket captain. He was a key member of the 2014 ICC World Twenty20 winning team.
Balapuwaduge Kusal Gimhan Mendis, popularly known as Kusal Mendis is a professional Sri Lankan cricketer who plays as a top-order batter in all forms of the game and current captain of national ODI team. He only played sixteen first-class matches before playing for the national side. In November 2017, he was named the One Day International (ODI) batsman of the year for the 2016–17 season at Sri Lanka Cricket's annual awards.
Madagamagamage Dasun Shanaka is a professional Sri Lankan cricketer and former limited overs captain of the Sri Lankan cricket team. An all-rounder, Shanaka is a right-handed batter and a right-arm medium fast bowler.
Pinnaduwage Wanindu Hasaranga de Silva, better known as Wanindu Hasaranga, is a professional Sri Lankan cricketer and current T20I captain who plays for the Sri Lanka cricket team in white ball cricket as a Batting All rounder. He is a Right-arm leg spinner. Hasaranga made his international debut for Sri Lanka in July 2017. His elder brother, Chaturanga de Silva, has also represented the national team. Hasaranga made history when he took the first ever hat-trick for Sri Lanka in a T20 World Cup during the 2021 edition of the tournament, and being the first Sri Lankan on an ODI debut to take a hat-trick. He is regarded as one of the best bowlers in the T20 format
