Sri Lanka became only the third Asian team to become champions in 1996 when they beat Australia in the final of the tournament. In fact, Australia has lost only two finals out of seven, one of which came against Sri Lanka. However, Sri Lanka has had some success in World Cup events.
Apart from winning the title, they also ended as runners-up in consecutive editions in 2007 and 211, losing to Australia and India, respectively. They have had good success overall in World Cup events. And here we will talk about Sri Lanka’s highest totals in the history of the World Cup event.
Highest Total in Cricket World Cup for Sri Lanka
| Score | Overs | Inn | Against | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 398/5 | 50.0 | 1 | Kenya | Kandy | 6 Mar 1996 |
| 363/9 | 50.0 | 1 | Scotland | Hobart | 11 Mar 2015 |
| 344/9 | 50 | 1 | Pakistan | Hyderabad | 10 Oct 2023 |
| 338/6 | 50.0 | 1 | West Indies | Chester-le-Street | 1 Jul 2019 |
| 332/7 | 50.0 | 1 | Canada | Hambantota | 20 Feb 2011 |
| 332/1 | 50.0 | 1 | Bangladesh | Melbourne | 20 Feb 2011 |
| 327/6 | 50.0 | 1 | Zimbabwe | Pallekele | 26 Feb 2015 |
| 326 | 44.5 | 2 | South Africa | Delhi | 7 Oct 2023 |
| 321/6 | 50.0 | 1 | Bermuda | Port of Spain | 10 Mar 2011 |
| 318/4 | 50.0 | 1 | Bangladesh | Port of Spain | 15 Mar 2007 |
| 313/7 | 49.2 | 2 | Zimbabwe | New Plymouth | 21 Mar 2007 |
| 312 | 46.2 | 2 | Australia | Sydney | 23 Feb 1992 |
3. Sri Lanka (338/6) vs West Indies in 2019
The third-highest total for the Sri Lankan team came during the 2019 World Cup. They made it in the 39th game against the West Indies in Chester-le-Street. The Caribbean Team won the toss and decided to bowl first. Sri Lanka had a pretty solid start with a 93-run opening stand. Kusal Perera made 64 off 51, with eight fours at the top. Avishka Fernando also scored a brilliant century. He made 104 off 103 balls, with nine fours and two sixes.
Kusal Mendis (39), Angelo Mathews (26) and Lahiru Thirimanne (45*) also made good cameos in the inning. As a result, Sri Lanka reached a big total of 338/6 in 50 overs. In reply, West Indies also tried hard, and Nicholas Pooran made 118 off 103 for them. But they fell short and made 315/9, losing by 23 runs.
2. Sri Lanka (363/9) vs Scotland in 2015
The second biggest World Cup score for Sri Lanka came during the 2015 campaign. It was registered in a game against Scotland in Hobart. Batting first, Sri Lanka lost Lahiru Thirimanne (4) early. But after that, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara added 195 runs for the second wicket. Both batters scored a century each. Dilshan made 104 off 99 balls, with 10 fours and one six, while Sangakkara made 124 off 95, with 13 fours and four sixes.
In the end, Angelo Mathews scored Sri Lanka’s fastest World Cup fifty off 20 balls. He made 51 off 21 balls, including one four and six sixes. Sri Lanka scored 363/9 in their first innings. In response, Preston Mommsen (60) and Freddie Coleman (70) made some effort. But Scotland were bowled out for 215 runs in 43.1 overs and lost the game by 148 runs.
1. Sri Lanka (398/5) vs Kenya in 1996
The highest World Cup total for Sri Lanka came in the 1996 event, when they won the tournament. It was registered against Kenya in Kandy during the 28th game of the tournament. Batting first, both Sri Lankan openers started well with an 83-run stand. Sanath Jayasuriya made 44 off 27, while Romesh Kaluwitharana scored 33 off 18. Asanka Gurusinha also made 84 off 103 at No. 3.
Aravinda de Silva scored an excellent century and made 145 off 115 balls. 14 fours and five sixes. Skipper Arjuna Ranatunga scored an unbeaten 75 off 40 balls. Sri Lanka scored 398/5 (the fifth highest World Cup total). In response, Kenya showed some fight and made 254/7, losing the game by 144 runs.