Though the level of cricket for the Sri Lankan team has declined a bit after the retirement of some of their premium players. But still, Sri Lanka is one of the most successful teams in history book. Since making their debut in 1982, Sri Lanka has won almost every major ICC tournament in the game.
Not just in ICC tournaments, their records in the Asia Cup are also phenomenal. Sri Lanka is one of the few teams that have won all three major white-ball events. They have won the ODI World Cup, T20 World Cup, and Champions Trophy in their history. Here, we will talk about all those major championships won by Sri Lanka in this game.
List of ICC Trophies won by Sri Lanka
| No. | Year | Title | Opponent |
| 1 | 1996 | ODI World Cup | Australia |
| 2 | 2002 | Champions Trophy (joint-winners) | India |
| 3 | 2014 | T20 World Cup | India |
1. 1996 ODI World Cup
Sri Lanka became only the third Asian country after India and Pakistan to win the ODI World Cup. They created history in 1996, and it was Arjuna Ranatunga who led his country to success. The tournament was jointly held by India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. The final game took place in Lahore between Australia and Sri Lanka. Batting first, Australia posted a challenging total of 241/7.
Chasing the target, Sri Lanka lost both of their openers for just 23 runs. But after that, Aravinda de Silva smashed an unbeaten century and made 107 runs. He got a good support from captain Arjuna Ranatunga, who made 47 not out. Sri Lanka made 245/3 in 46.2 overs and won their maiden World title.
2. 2002 Champions Trophy (joint-winners)
Sri Lanka’s second win in ICC events came in 2002. It was the 2002 Champions Trophy. It was held in Sri Lanka, and the hosts faced India in the final, which took place in Colombo. This game is remembered for various reasons. It started with Sri Lanka scoring 244/5 and India made 14/0 in two overs when the rain came and the game was washed out.
It went to the reserve day. The Sri Lankans made 222/7 in the first inning, and India were at 38/1 in 8.4 overs. Once again, the rain came, and the game was washed out on the reserve day as well. As a result, both India and Sri Lanka were declared joint winners of the 2002 Champions Trophy. It was the first and only instance when two teams jointly won an ICC event.
3. 2014 T20 World Cup
It took the Sri Lankan team 12 years to get their hands on their third ICC championship. It came in 2014, when Lasith Malinga led his country to their maiden World title in the shorter format. The 2014 T20 World Cup took place in Bangladesh. Sri Lanka and India qualified for the final. It took place in Mirpur. Batting first, India had some struggles in their batting lineup.
Only Virat Kohli looked good, who made 77 off 58. India made 130/4 in the first inning. Chasing the target, Kumar Sangakkara led the way for his team to reach the target. He made 52 not out from 35 balls, and Sri Lanka made 134/4 in 17.5 overs to win their maiden T20 World title and third ICC overall.