| Event | 1996 Cricket World Cup | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||
| Date | 13 March 1996 | ||||||
| Venue | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | ||||||
| Player of the match | Aravinda de Silva (Sri Lanka) | ||||||
| Umpires | Steve Dunne (New Zealand) and Cyril Mitchley (South Africa) with Clive Lloyd (West Indies) being the referee | ||||||
| Attendance | 100,000 | ||||||
1996 Cricket World Cup semi-final was a One Day International (ODI) cricket match played between Sri Lanka and India on 13 March 1996 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata as the first semi-final of the 1996 Cricket World Cup. Sri Lanka scored 251 runs for the loss of eight wickets in their allotted 50 overs, while India collapsed from 98/1 to 120/8 during their chase. The match became one of the most controversial fixtures in Cricket World Cup history after crowd disturbances forced referee Clive Lloyd to abandon the match and award victory to Sri Lanka.[1][2][3]
India entered the semi-final after defeating Pakistan in the quarter-finals, while Sri Lanka had beaten England.[4] The match attracted intense public attention in India because of Sri Lanka's aggressive batting approach during the tournament, led by opening batters Sanath Jayasuriya and Romesh Kaluwitharana.[5]
After India won the toss and chose to field, Sri Lanka lost both openers early to Javagal Srinath, but recovered through a partnership between Aravinda de Silva and Roshan Mahanama. De Silva scored 66 runs from 47 balls and Mahanama made 58 before retiring hurt. Contributions from captain Arjuna Ranatunga and Hashan Tillakaratne helped Sri Lanka finish on 251/8 in 50 overs. Indian spinner Anil Kumble took 3 wickets for 51 runs.[1]
India's innings was anchored by Sachin Tendulkar, who scored 65 runs and shared partnerships with Navjot Singh Sidhu and Sanjay Manjrekar. However, after Tendulkar was stumped off Jayasuriya with the score at 98/2, India lost seven wickets for 22 runs and slumped to 120/8.[6] Television footage of Vinod Kambli leaving the field in tears became one of the defining images of the tournament.[7][8]
Following the fall of India's eighth wicket, spectators at Eden Gardens threw bottles and debris onto the field and set sections of the stadium on fire. Players briefly left the field before attempting to resume play, but further crowd trouble caused Lloyd to abandon the match and award it to Sri Lanka by default.[9] Sri Lanka subsequently defeated Australia in the final at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore to win their first World Cup title.[10]
See also[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "India vs Sri Lanka, 1st Semi-Final, Wills World Cup 1995/96". ESPNcricinfo. ESPN. Retrieved 26 May 2026.
- ↑ "Sri Lanka triumph as India's fans run riot". The Independent. 14 March 1996. Retrieved 26 May 2026.
- ↑ Siddhartha Vaidyanathan. "Tears in vain as India crash out". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 27 October 2007.
- ↑ "Wills World Cup, 1996 schedule and results". Cricbuzz. Retrieved 26 May 2026.
- ↑ Fernando, Andrew Fidel (27 April 2020). "Sri Lanka don't win the 1996 World Cup". ESPNcricinfo.
- ↑ Williamson, Martin (19 February 2009). "Unfinished business". ESPNcricinfo.
- ↑ Mohanarangan, Vinayakk (18 May 2019). "World Cup moments: An epic collapse, a tearful Vinod Kambli, India's 1996 WC ends in ignominy". Scroll.in. Retrieved 26 May 2026.
- ↑ "World Cup Redux: In 1996, It All Ends in Tears at Eden Gardens". News18. 13 April 2019. Archived from the original on 18 August 2019. Retrieved 27 May 2026.
- ↑ Ranganna, Akhila (28 January 2011). "Riot police, fires and a sobbing Vinod Kambli". ESPNcricinfo.
- ↑ "Australia vs Sri Lanka, Final, Wills World Cup 1995/96". ESPNcricinfo. ESPN. Retrieved 26 May 2026.