How The Sri Lankan Team Was Busy ‘Bargaining’ For Carpets Hours Before The 1996 WC Final

Arjun Ranatunga was ‘angry’ at the SL players before the final but he didn’t put undue pressure on them as suggested by Duleep Mendis. Read to know the full story.

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Sri Lanka will complete 25 years of their 1996 World Cup win on 17 March, 2021. The erstwhile players are celebrating the silver jubilee at the Shangri-La Hotel in Colombo on 17th. A Sri Lankan website 'Newswire' has quoted senior journalist Rex Clementine who revealed stories of Arjun Ranatunga about the historic 1996 World Cup.

Clementine said that Ranatunga once said it to him that before the 1996 WC Final in Lahore, the Sri Lankan team got busy buying carpets at a bargained price. When captain Ranatunga got to know about it, he got really angry. What happened next, read Arjun Ranatunga’s own account to know more.

The following is an account took place before the start of the 1996 WC Final match.

“I woke up a little late and as I was walking in for breakfast, Duleep Mendis and Roshan Mahanama joined me. We could see the Australian team; all wearing the same kit, seated in the same table and having breakfast. I asked where our chaps are. Roshan informed me there’s a carpet sale downstairs and all our guys were there. I quickly went there. The boys were bargaining at the top of their voices. I was angry.

Here we are going to play the greatest game of our lives and our preparation could be better. But Duleep told me something interesting.

He said ‘look, before a big match like this players are usually tensed. But look at our guys. They are relaxed. Don’t put undue pressure on them.’ I thought fair point.

Then, I walked towards my teammate and I too started bargaining for carpets.”

(As said to Rex Clementine)

This incident shows the interesting relation which Arjun Ranatunga had with his team. That was Sri Lanka’s most successful cricket tournament. Later, they played two cricket World Cup finals in 2007 and 2011, but lost to Australia and India respectively.