Captaincy record was 56 matches,12 wins,19 losses, 25 draws and the highest ODI batting score of 131 not out was made against India, Colombo, 1997.
Arjuna Ranatunga is a former international cricketer and cricket administrator. He captained the Sri Lankan cricket team in the 1990s and led them in the 1996 Cricket World Cup victory. In the 2015 General elections he contested with the UNF for Good Governance and was placed second in Gampaha District, and was appointed Minister of Ports and Shipping.
Arjuna along with his brothers (Dammika,Nishantha,Prasanna, Sanjeeva and Ruwan) he studied at Ananda College Colombo where his mother was a teacher and where he started playing cricket. He represented his school in both junior and senior teams.
A specialist left-handed batsman and part-time medium pace bowler, Ranatunga’s career with the Sri Lankan national team began in 1982, when Sri Lanka were relative new-comers to international cricket and was a key player in the team. Under Ranatunga’s captaincy, Sri Lanka started to improve rapidly. Their growing success rate culminated with a dominating performance and triumphed in the 1996 Cricket World Cup.
Ranatunga is also remembered for his stand in a One Day International against England. Australian Umpire Ross Emerson called Muttiah Muralidaran for throwing and Ranatunga exchanged heated words with umpire Emerson and led his team to a point just inside the boundary line, halting play and giving the impression that he was about to forfeit the match, until the Sri Lankan management conferred with him and play resumed.
In June 2000, Ranatunga played in Sri Lanka’s 100th Test match, becoming the only player to represent his country in their first and hundredth Tests.
Ranatunga’s highest Test batting score of 135 not out was made against Pakistan, Colombo,1985-1986.
Captaincy record was 56 matches,12 wins,19 losses, 25 draws and the highest ODI batting score of 131 not out was made against India, Colombo, 1997.
Ranatunga’s best bowling figures of 4 for 14 came against India at Kanpur in 1986-1987.