Sri Lankan cricket royalty comes home. Aravinda de Silva inspires the next generation at Isipathana

Some visitors walk through the school gates. Others walk back into them. When Aravinda de Silva returned to Isipathana College, the school where his journey began as a primary student, it was more than just a visit. It was a living reminder of what an Isipathana boy can become.

A World Cup hero in our midst

For those who need no introduction, Aravinda de Silva is one of the greatest cricketers Sri Lanka has ever produced. His match-winning century in the 1996 Cricket World Cup final against Australia remains one of the most iconic innings in the history of the sport. He carried a nation on his shoulders that day, and every Sri Lankan who watched will never forget it.

For those too young to have seen it, that is exactly why his visit mattered so much.

De Silva spent time with the boys at Isipathana, sharing lessons that went far beyond cover drives and square cuts. He spoke about discipline. About resilience in the face of failure. About the character and humility that separate good players from great ones. And perhaps most importantly, about life beyond the boundary, because a cricket career, no matter how glorious, is only one chapter in a much bigger story.

An Isipathana boy first

What made this day so special for the Isipathana family is the connection. Aravinda de Silva is not just a cricket legend who happened to visit a school. He is a former Isipathana primary student. He walked the same corridors, sat in the same classrooms, and played on the same grounds as the boys who sat in front of him that day, hanging on every word.

That connection changes the message. When a World Cup winner tells you that greatness is built on hard work and belief, it carries weight. When that same person started his journey in the very place you are sitting, it becomes something you never forget.

Passing the torch

The boys who listened to Aravinda de Silva that day will carry those words with them for years. Some may go on to represent Isipathana on the cricket field. Some may find their path in rugby, academics, or careers far removed from sport. But the lesson remains the same. Dream big, stay humble, work relentlessly, and never stop believing in what you can achieve.

This is what Isipathana is about. A school that produces not just players, but people of character. And when one of the greatest to ever do it comes back to remind the next generation of that, the entire ICOIC family feels it.

Thank you, Aravinda. An unforgettable day and a timeless legacy. The torch has been passed.