Who captained Sri Lanka to the 1996 Cricket World Cup title?

Arjuna Ranatunga captained Sri Lanka to the 1996 Cricket World Cup title. In the final at Lahore, Sri Lanka defeated Australia by seven wickets to win its first men’s World Cup.

Ranatunga won the toss and chose to field, a decision influenced by the dew he had observed at Gaddafi Stadium the previous evening. Australia made 241 for seven from 50 overs, but Sri Lanka chased the target with 245 for three in 46.2 overs.

The final belonged statistically to Aravinda de Silva, who scored an unbeaten 107 and took three wickets. Asanka Gurusinha added 65, while Ranatunga finished unbeaten on 47. De Silva was named player of the match for his all-round contribution.

The other names in the options were important to Sri Lanka’s campaign but were not captain. Muttiah Muralitharan was the team’s celebrated spinner, Sanath Jayasuriya was a destructive opener and player of the tournament, and Aravinda de Silva was the final’s match-winner. Ranatunga’s leadership was the decisive distinction in the question.