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

<p>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.</p> <p>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&rsquo;s own account to know more.</p> <p>The following is an account took place before the start of the 1996 WC Final match.</p> <p>&ldquo;<em>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&rsquo;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.</em></p> <p><em>Here we are going to play the greatest game of our lives and our preparation could be better. But Duleep told me something interesting.</em></p> <p><em>He said &lsquo;look, before a big match like this players are usually tensed. But look at our guys. They are relaxed. Don&rsquo;t put undue pressure on them.&rsquo; I thought fair point.</em></p> <p><em>Then, I walked towards my teammate and I too started bargaining for carpets.</em>&rdquo;</p> <p>(As said to Rex Clementine)</p> <p>This incident shows the interesting relation which Arjun Ranatunga had with his team. That was Sri Lanka&rsquo;s most successful cricket tournament. Later, they played two cricket World Cup finals in 2007 and 2011, but lost to Australia and India respectively.</p>

source https://news.abplive.com/sports/cricket/arjun-ranatunga-shares-1996-cricket-world-cup-final-story-sri-lanka-players-celebrate-silver-jubilee-of-wc-win-1448685