Sanath Jayasuriya

Ever since he first stepped into international cricket, Sanath Jayasuriya has become one of the strongest pillars of Sri Lankan cricket, redefining the concept of class and talent. 

For most of the initial stages in his career, Jayasuriya was considered more of a bowler than a specialist batsman. However, as time passed, he became the most suitable opener Sri Lanka ever produced. He first opened during the Hero Cup in 1993 and went on to cement a firm place in the side. It was his rattling attacks on the bowlers in the 1996 World Cup that proved his potential as a batsman, helping the Islanders clinch their maiden WC title. Later, he crept into the Test side as well and began to display his batting prowess, notching one hundred after the other. Jayasuriya dominated the cover and point region and was an exponent of brilliant hand-eye co-ordination. Just like any other cricketer, he had his own share of lows, but every time critics pointed a finger at him, he would respond with his bat. Also, his astute bowling coupled with his sound batting made him the perfect all-rounder in the game. Soon, captaincy came knocking and it was gladly accepted by Jayasuriya, as he guided his team to a semi-final berth in the 2003 World Cup.

Retirement plans were announced in 2006, only to make a comeback within weeks. Few months later, Jayasuriya hung his whites, whilst continuing to exhibit the coloured clothes. Once again, he was a significant contributor to Sri Lanka’s place in the 2007 CWC final and steered his team to an Asia Cup win in 2008. However, age caught up and he failed to duplicate his magic from the Test and ODI arena to the T20 format, particularly the IPL. He still made it to the 30-man squad for the 2011 CWC, and made a surprise comeback to the ODI side when he was named for the one-day series against England. Immediately, he decided to hang up his boots after the first ODI.