Cricket is a game that is mostly dominated by batters, especially right-handed batters. We have seen many legendary right-handed batters in the history of cricket. Meanwhile, left-handed batters are not that much. Inn a playing XI with 5-6 batters, there are only one or two left-handed batters. Despite this, there are so many legendary left-handed batters who have been loved by fans all over the world. Let’s have a look at the top three left-handed batters in cricketing history.
Sangakkara shares his name with the greatest cricketers of Sri Lanka. He made his debut for the national side in July 2000 in an ODI against Pakistan. He went on to score 85 runs in the second ODI of his career against South Africa, cementing his place in the Sri Lankan Cricket Team. The wicketkeeper batter played his first international in the same month against the Proteas.
He scored his maiden Test century against India in August 2001, in the 10th Test of his career. Since then, he played so many match-winning innings including so many great partnerships with his teammates. Sangakkara has scored a total of 38 Test hundred including 11 double tons and is in the sixth number on the list of highest run-getters in Test Cricket. The 45-year-old has amassed 12400 runs from 134 Tests, with an impressive average of 57.40.
His heroics didn’t only limit to the longest format, as Sri Lanka is just behind Sachin Tendulkar (18426) in the list of highest run-getters in One-Day internationals. Sangakkara has scored 14234 runs from 404 ODI matches with 25 centuries at an average of 41.98.
Another Sri Lankan legend on the list was one of the top batters in world cricket in the decade of 1990s. He was one of the pivotal players for Sri Lanka in the 1996 World Cup triumph. He has been the main anchor in Sri Lanka’s highest total in both Test and ODI.
In 1997, Jayasuriya put up a historic partnership with Roshan Mahanama as Sri Lanka registered the highest Test total of all time, scoring 952 runs for 6 wickets against India in Columbo. Both Jayasuriya and Mahanama added 576 runs for the second wicket. As Mahanama scored 225 runs off 561 balls, Jayasuriya smashed 340 off 578 deliveries. He was adjudged Player of the match as the game ended in a draw.
In 2006, the Lankans also registered the highest ODI total of that time. Sri Lanka scored 443 runs for the loss of 9 wickets against the Netherlands in Amstelveen. And this time also Jayasuriya smashed 157 runs and 104 deliveries hitting 24 fours and a maximum. He was also accompanied by Tillakaratne Dilshan who remained unbeaten scoring 117 off 78. Sri Lanka won the match by 195 runs and Jayasuriya was again the player of the match.
Amassing 13430 runs, Jayasuriya comes fourth in the list of highest run-getters in the 50-over format, with 28 centuries and an average of 32.36. He has also scored 6973 runs in 110 Tests with 14 hundred.
One of the pivotal players for the West Indies in the decade 1990s made his international debut in November 1990 against Pakistan. With an experience of 22156 runs in first-class cricket, Brian Lara has a record of 501 not out in FC. He is the only batter to smash 400 runs in a Test match and remained unbeaten on 400 from 582 balls against England in 2004, smashing 43 fours and four sixes.
He comes in seventh on the list of highest run scorers in Test cricket with 11953 runs from 131 Matches including 34 centuries and an average of 52.88. He has also amassed 10405 runs in 299 ODIs for the Windies with 19 hundred and an average of 40.48.
Predicting Pakistan’s Playing XI for their first ODI against Zimbabwe
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Predicting Zimbabwe’s Playing XI for their first ODI against Pakistan
Predicting Hobart Hurricanes Women’s playing XI for their match against Perth Scorchers Women in WBBL
