The following are considered as the All time Greatest Cricketers from Sri Lanka. Unfortunately, Sri Lankan Cricket Legends has just suffered a setback. The Lions dominated from the 1990s until the 2011 World Cup. The first One-Day International (ODI) was played in 1975, while the first Test was played in 1982. Their cricket has progressed since then, and they went from being the underdogs to winning the World Cup in 1996.
Sri Lanka has had some ICC success, winning an ODI World Cup, a T20 World Cup, and the Champions Trophy in 2002 with India. They did not handle the change well when their legends and best players retired.
In over 40 years of international debut, Sri Lanka has produced world-class talents, record-breaking players like Muralitharan, captains like Ranatunga, explosives like Jayasuriya, and brilliance like Sangakkara. The question is, who are the top 10 greatest players to wear the shirt, with success spanning decades and players contributing in their eras?
Here is a list of the top 5 Greatest Cricketers from Sri Lanka:
5. Aravinda De Silva
The man in command of the World Cup in Sri Lanka. Silva was Sri Lanka’s most crucial player at the 1996 World Cup, according to the great Sanath Jayasuriya, “In modern times, De Silva would have scored 20,000 runs.”
He was Sri Lanka’s leading run-scorer in the World Cup, with 448 runs. Sri Lanka were crowned world champions courtesy to his 107 not out against Australia in the finals.
Aravinda has scored over 15000 runs and taken over 100 wickets in one-day internationals.
4. Mahela Jayawardene
Statistics reveal that Jayawardene contributes more to Sri Lankan cricket than statistics show. He guided Sri Lanka to new heights with his captaincy. He assembles a team that includes Dilshan, Jayasuriya, Sangakkara, Malinga, and the entire roster of luminaries.
Jayawardene guided Sri Lanka to the World Cup final in 2007. He played an important role in both the 2011 and 2014 World Cups. Jayawardene is the first Sri Lankan to have scored 10,000 Test runs. With 12,650 runs, he is also Sri Lanka’s third highest ODI run scorer.
In international cricket, Jayawardene has scored over 24,000 runs. After Kumar Sangakkara, he is Sri Lanka’s second-highest run-scorer.
Also check: Indian Cricket Legends: India’s finest cricket players in history
3. Kumar Sangakkara
Kumar Sangakkara is without a doubt Sri Lanka’s most talented cricketer. Despite having played 9 years less than Sachin Tendulkar, Kumar is the second-highest ODI run-scorer.
Sangakkara has amassed over 28000 runs in Tests and ODIs and is Sri Lanka’s highest run-scorer in both formats. He has appeared in every World Cup and was vital in Sri Lanka reaching the World Cup finals in 2011 and 2015.
Sangakkara’s four consecutive centuries in the 2015 World Cup were among the most memorable moments of his career. This accomplishment reveals the majesty of his batsmanship. This achievement has never been achieved by another batsman in international cricket.
2. Muttiah Muralitharan
Murali is the finest and most successful bowler in cricket history. He is the leading international wicket-taker. He has 1,334 wickets to his name. He took his 800th wicket on the final ball of his career.
Individually, he is the highest wicket-taker in both Tests and One-Day Internationals. Murali had to go through a lot of pain and shame to establish that he was not breaking any bowling laws after being investigated for his unusual behavior. Despite his limitations, he had the ability to twist batsmen like no other bowler.
Also check: Legendary Cricketers from South Africa: The best South African cricketers
1. Sanath Jayasuriya
Sanath Jayasuriya is at the top of the list because he is without a doubt Sri Lanka’s best cricketer. His overall abilities are amazing, not just his hitting ability.
Jayasuriya’s aggressive batting changed the dynamics of the first 15 overs, and several world-class bowlers dreaded him. According to speculations, “Jayasuriya had spring in his bat,” and even opposing supporters thought he was entertaining to watch.
He was voted the most valuable player in the 1996 Cricket World Cup. According to his statistics, he is Sri Lanka’s second-highest ODI run-scorer and third-highest Test run-scorer. Jayasuriya has scored over 20,000 runs in international cricket.
Not only that, but he is the 11th most successful ODI wicket-taker with 323 wickets, which is more than Shane Warne’s ODI total. He has to be one of the top five all-rounders in the world, and without a doubt the best all-rounder in one-day international cricket. In one-day internationals, his numbers are even better than Jacques Kallis’.
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