Sri Lanka discovered one of the best cricketing gems in the legendary Mahela Jayawardane. Running alongside Kumar Sangakkara, he was a part of the formidable opening pair that made bowlers wreck their knees in worry. His contribution to Sri Lankan cricket helped him emerge as one of the most revered cricketers, not just within the country but across the globe.
Besides his batting prowess, batsmen feared him fielding around them. Within the 30-yard circle, he established himself as one of the most proficient fielders, contributing to maximum runouts.
| Full name: Denagamage Praboth Mahela de Silva Jayawardane | Born: 27th May 1977 |
| Birth Place: Colombo, Sri Lanka | Nationality: Sri Lankan |
| Years Active: 1997- 2013 (16 years) | Height: 5ft 8in |
| Role: Batsman | Batting Style: Right-handed |
| Bowling Style:Right-hand Medium Bowler | Nickname: Maiya |
MahelaJayawardane was born to Senerath and Sunila Jaywardane. He had a younger brother named Dishal who breathed his last at the tender age of 16 due to a brain tumour. He married the love of his life Christina Mallika Sirisena in 2005. Both of them are parents to a beautiful daughter named Sanasa Araya Jayawardane.
Mahela Jayawardene made his international test debut on 2nd August 1997 against India in his birthplace Colombo. ODI debut came a year later on 24th January 1998 vs Zimbabwe in Colombo itself. His T20 debut came quite later in 2006 in Southampton against England. His test debut against India was a historic one, where Sri Lanka posted a mammoth 952 runs in six wickets, which is still the highest total in the annals of cricket history..
The flamboyant drive of the bat and the mesmerizing shots were the pillars on which his ascension to glory gained a boost. He started on the international team with flying colours. The year 2006 saw him getting the accolade of Captain of the year as well as the captain of the ODI team of the year, as declared by the ICC. He also hit the list of the top five cricketers on the Wisdon's list in 2007. Upon assuming captaincy in 2006 in both ODIs and Tests, he scored a humongous 374 against South Africa. Throughout his career, he scored one triple-hundred and six double-hundreds. His first century came against New Zealand, which was just the fourth test of his career. His 624 runs partnership with Sangakkara is one of the most looked-up partnerships to date.
2003 was one of the rough patches in his career, where his lack of form in the ODI took away his place in the national team. He even ended up missing the final list of the players in the 2003 ODI world cup. His comeback was a memorable one, like a phoenix rising from the ashes, where England got victimized in 2004. His captaincy in the 2007 World Cup led Sri Lanka to the finals. Throughout the tournament, his contribution of a century and four half-centuries put Sri Lanka in a driving seat.
He decided to relinquish his captaincy in 2009 after the team faced a humiliating ODI series defeat of 4-1, against India. He resumed his captaincy duties in the 2011-12 season, taking over from the retired Dilshan. Later in 2012, he passed the baton to Angelo Mathews, expressing his reluctance to continue the role. 2014 was the year of his retirement across all cricketing formats. After achieving a marvelous feat in his cricketing career, he decided to hang the boots in 2014. A standing ovation from the Sri Lankan team showed how important he was.
413 catches across his career are a testimony of his lethal fielding skills. After retiring from International cricket, he assumed coaching responsibilities, where he succeeded Ricky Ponting as the head coach of the IPL team Mumbai Indians. Before assuming his coaching duties, he used feature in numerous ICC tournaments as a revered and experienced commentator.
Mahela Jaywardane is one of most illustrious cricketers from Sri Lankan grounds. His legendary contribution to the game speaks volumes.
| ODI | |
|---|---|
| Matches: 448 | Run Scored: 12650 |
| Batting Average: 33.38 | Top Score: 144 |
| Strike Rate: 78.97 | |
| T20 | |
|---|---|
| Matches: 55 | Run Scored: 1493 |
| Batting Average: 39.77 | Top Score: 100 |
| Strike Rate: 133.18 | |
| Test | |
|---|---|
| Matches: 149 | Run Scored: 11814 |
| Batting Average: 49.85 | Top Score: 374 |
| Strike Rate: 59.46 | |
Sachin Tendulkar of India fields during the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup Group B match between India and the Netherlands at Feroz Shah Kotla stadium on March 9, 2011 in Delhi, India.
Sachin Tendulkar of India raises his bat on scoring his century during the Group B ICC World Cup Cricket match between India and South Africa at Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground on March 12, 2011 in Nagpur, India.
Sachin Tendulkar of India hits out watched by wicketkeeper Matt Prior of England during day five of the 4th npower Test Match between England and India at The Kia Oval on August 22, 2011 in London, England.
Sachin Tendulkar reach the iconic landmark of 100 international centuries against Bangladesh in the Asia Cup in 2012
Sachin's first Test century
Sachin Tendulkar’s dream to hold the World Cup in his hands and in 2011 it finally happened.
