“My Sri Lanka Team Would Destroy India in 3 Days” – Ex-Captain Makes Bold Claim
Arjuna Ranatunga makes a shocking claim—says his 1996 Sri Lanka team would have crushed India in just three days.
Former Sri Lanka captain Arjuna Ranatunga has made a bold statement, claiming that his 1996 World Cup-winning team would have beaten India in just three days in a Test match. His comments come at a time when India has been dominant at home, with their only recent Test series defeat coming against New Zealand in 2024.
Arjuna Ranatunga’s Big Claim on Sri Lanka’s 1996 Team
Ranatunga, who led Sri Lanka to their first and only ODI World Cup victory in 1996, spoke about his team’s capabilities and how they would have performed against India in red-ball cricket. He believes that with legendary bowlers like Chaminda Vaas and Muttiah Muralitharan in the squad, they would have easily defeated India in a three-day Test match.
“My team had bowlers like Chaminda Vaas and Muttiah Muralitharan, and we would have defeated India in India in three days,” Ranatunga told The Telegraph.
Sri Lanka’s 1996 team also featured stars like Sanath Jayasuriya and Aravinda de Silva. The squad defeated India in the semi-final of the 1996 World Cup at Eden Gardens, a match remembered for the infamous crowd trouble that forced an early finish.
Sri Lanka’s Test Record in India
While Ranatunga’s statement reflects confidence in his era’s team, Sri Lanka’s actual Test record in India tells a different story. The island nation has never won a Test match in India despite playing 22 games. They have lost 13 matches, while nine ended in draws. Their last tour to India in 2022 resulted in a 2-0 series defeat.
Ranatunga himself captained Sri Lanka in seven Test matches against India, losing four of them by an innings margin and drawing the remaining three. One of the most notable series defeats came in 1994 when Sri Lanka suffered a 0-3 whitewash in India.
Sri Lanka’s Current Struggles in International Cricket
Sri Lanka’s current form in international cricket has been concerning. They recently faced a 0-2 Test series defeat at home against Australia, struggling across all departments. Their decline has also led to a major setback—they failed to qualify for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which will be hosted in Pakistan and Dubai.
