Sanath Jayasuriya facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Deshabandu Sanath Jayasuriya
සනත් ජයසූරිය
Head Coach of Sri Lanka National Cricket Team
Member of Parliament for Matara
In office 22 April 2010 – 26 June 2015
Majority	74,352 Preferential Votes
Deputy Minister of Provincial Councils and Regional Development
In office 10 June 2015 – 17 August 2015
President	Maithripala Sirisena
Prime Minister	Ranil Wickremesinghe
Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development
In office 12 January 2015 – 10 June 2015
President	Maithripala Sirisena
Prime Minister	Ranil Wickremesinghe
Deputy Minister of Postal Services
In office 28 January 2013 – 9 January 2015
President	Mahinda Rajapaksa
Prime Minister	D. M. Jayaratne
Personal details
Political party	United People's Freedom Alliance
Spouses	Sumudhu Karunanayake ​ ​ (m. 1998; div. 1999)​ Sandra De Silva ​ ​ (m. 2000; div. 2012)​ Maleeka Sirisenage ​ ​ (m. 2012; div. 2012)​
Children	3
Residence	Matara
Alma mater	St. Servatius' College, Matara
Nicknames	Master blaster, Matara Hurricane Matara Mauler Matara Marauder,Sanaa
Personal information Full name Sanath Teran Jayasuriya Born (1969-06-30) 30 June 1969 (age 55) Matara, Ceylon Height 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) Batting Left-handed Bowling Slow left arm orthodox Role All-rounder International information National side Sri Lanka (1989–2011) Test debut (cap 49) 22 February 1991 v New Zealand Last Test 1 December 2007 v England ODI debut (cap 58) 26 December 1989 v Australia Last ODI 28 June 2011 v England ODI shirt no. 07 T20I debut (cap 4) 15 June 2006 v England Last T20I 25 June 2011 v England Domestic team information Years Team 1994–2011 Bloomfield 2005 Somerset 2007 Lancashire 2008 Warwickshire 2008–2010 Mumbai Indians 2010 Worcestershire 2011 Ruhuna Rhinos 2012 Khulna Royal Bengals 2012 Kandurata Warriors Career statistics Competition Test ODI FC T20 Matches 110 445 265 111 Runs scored 6,973 13,430 14,819 2,317 Batting average 40.07 32.36 38.39 22.71 100s/50s 14/31 28/68 29/71 1/12 Top score 340 189 340 114* Balls bowled 8,188 14,874 15,275 1,593 Wickets 98 323 205 77 Bowling average 34.34 36.75 33.20 25.75 5 wickets in innings 2 4 2 0 10 wickets in match 0 0 0 0 Best bowling 5/34 6/29 5/34 4/24 Catches/stumpings 78/0 123/0 162/0 21/0 Medal record Men's Cricket Representing  Sri Lanka ICC Cricket World Cup Winner 1996 India-Pakistan-Sri Lanka {{{3}}} Runner-up 2007 West Indies {{{3}}} Source: ESPNcricinfo, 15 April 2021

Deshabandu Sanath Teran Jayasuriya (Sinhala: සනත් ‌‌ටෙරාන් ජයසූරිය, Tamil: சனத் ஜெயசூர்யா; born 30 June 1969) is a famous Sri Lankan cricket player, captain, and coach. Many people think he is one of the best all-rounders in the history of One Day International (ODI) cricket.

Jayasuriya was a left-handed batsman, a left-arm spin bowler, and a great fielder. He and his opening partner, Romesh Kaluwitharana, changed how ODI cricket was played in the mid-1990s. They started hitting the ball very hard right from the start of the game. This aggressive style is now common in modern cricket.

He was a very important player when the Sri Lankan team won the 1996 Cricket World Cup. Later, as captain, he led Sri Lanka to be joint champions with India in the 2002 ICC Champions Trophy. Today, he is the head coach of the Sri Lanka National Cricket Team.

Sanath Jayasuriya is known for his powerful hitting and amazing all-round skills. He played international cricket for over twenty years. He is the only player to score more than 10,000 runs and take more than 300 wickets in ODI cricket. This makes him one of the best all-rounders in limited-overs cricket history. He also set many world records during his career.

Jayasuriya was named the Most Valuable Player of the 1996 Cricket World Cup. He was also the captain of the Sri Lankan cricket team from 1999 to 2003. He helped his team reach the finals of the 2007 Cricket World Cup and the 2009 ICC World Twenty20. He stopped playing Test cricket in 2007 and limited-overs cricket in 2011.

After retiring from playing, he became the chairman of the cricket selection committee for Sri Lanka Cricket in 2013. During his time, Sri Lanka won the ICC World Twenty20 for the first time in 2014.

Jayasuriya also entered politics. He was elected to the parliament from his hometown, Matara District, in the 2010 general elections. He served as a deputy minister in different government roles. He is not active in politics anymore.

Early Life and Cricket Start

Sanath Jayasuriya was born in Matara, a city in Southern Sri Lanka. His parents are Dunstan and Breeda Jayasuriya. He has an older brother named Chandana.

He went to St. Servatius' College in Matara. His school principal, G.L. Galappathy, and cricket coach, Lionel Wagasinghe, helped him develop his cricket skills. He was excellent at cricket in school and led his college team in 1988.

In 1988, Jayasuriya was named the 'Observer Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year' for players outside the main cities. He also won awards for 'Best Batsman' and 'Best All-rounder'. He played for the Sri Lanka Under-19 team in the first ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup in Australia in 1988.

Soon after, he played for the Sri Lanka 'B' team in Pakistan, where he scored two double centuries without being out. Because of his great performance, he was chosen for the national team's tour to Australia in 1989–90. He played his first One Day International game against Australia in Melbourne in December 1989. His Test debut was in February 1991 against New Zealand.

Playing Style and International Career

How He Batted

Sanath Jayasuriya, along with Romesh Kaluwitharana, changed how teams started their innings in One Day International cricket. During the 1996 Cricket World Cup, they used aggressive tactics. They would hit the ball hard and over the fielders right from the start. This was new at the time, as teams usually started slowly.

This new strategy helped Sri Lanka win the World Cup without losing a single game. Now, this aggressive opening style is common in limited-overs cricket. Famous cricketer Glenn McGrath said that Jayasuriya "changed everyone's thinking about how to start innings."

Jayasuriya was known for his powerful cuts and pulls, and his special shot was a lofted cut over the point area. He was a key player in Sri Lanka's 1996 World Cup win and was named the 'Man of the Tournament'. He aimed to hit the ball hard and score quickly. He holds the record for the second-highest number of ODI centuries and has scored the fourth most 150+ scores. When he scored over 50 runs in limited-overs cricket, Sri Lanka won about 75% of those matches.

He once said that the toughest bowlers he faced were Wasim Akram, Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Courtney Walsh, and Curtly Ambrose.

Sanath Jayasuriya was known for his aggressive batting style, especially in One Day Internationals.

How He Bowled

Jayasuriya was a left-arm spin bowler who bowled his overs quickly. Even though he was a spinner, he often bowled faster balls and yorkers with a quick arm action, which helped him take many wickets. He took 440 wickets in international cricket, including six times where he took 5 wickets in an innings.

His best bowling performance in an international game was 6 wickets for 29 runs against England in an ODI in 1993. This was the best bowling by a Sri Lankan in ODIs until Muttiah Muralitharan broke the record in 2000. In Test cricket, his best bowling was 9 wickets for 74 runs against Zimbabwe in 2001/2002.

One of his most memorable bowling moments was in the semi-final of the 1996 Cricket World Cup. He took three wickets for only 12 runs in seven overs. He got the important wicket of Sachin Tendulkar, which helped Sri Lanka win the game. Jayasuriya took 6 wickets in the knockout stage of the 1996 World Cup. Overall, he took 27 wickets in Cricket World Cups.

Test Cricket Career

Sanath Jayasuriya once held the record for the highest Test score by a Sri Lankan, with 340 runs against India in 1997. In that game, he and Roshan Mahanama set a record for the second-wicket partnership with 576 runs. Both these records were broken in 2006 by Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara.

In 2005, Jayasuriya became the first Sri Lankan to play 100 Test matches. He retired from Test cricket in December 2007. In his last Test innings against England in Kandy, he hit six fours in one over against James Anderson.

One Day International Records (2009–2010)

Jayasuriya held records for the fastest fifty (17 balls against Pakistan), fastest 100 for Sri Lanka (48 balls against Pakistan), and fastest 150 (95 balls against England) in ODI cricket. His fastest fifty record stood for 19 years. Although AB de Villiers later broke the fastest fifty record, Jayasuriya's was achieved in an era with fewer batting advantages.

He is the only player in ODI history to score two consecutive scores of 150 or more. His highest ODI score is 189 runs against India in 2000. This was the highest ODI score by a Sri Lankan for 24 years until Pathum Nissanka scored 210* in 2024.

Jayasuriya was the first cricketer to score a century in less than 50 balls (48 balls). This record was later broken by Shahid Afridi, Corey Anderson, and then AB de Villiers. He also held the world record for most ODI sixes (270), which Shahid Afridi later surpassed.

He was the fourth batsman to score over 10,000 runs in ODIs, and the second to reach 12,000 and 13,000 runs. He has 28 centuries, which is the fourth-highest in ODIs. He also held the record for scoring the most runs in an ODI over (30 runs, achieved twice), being the first to score over 30 in an over. This record is now held by Herschelle Gibbs.

In 2006, during a series in England, he scored two centuries, including 152 runs off 99 balls in the final match. In that game, he and Upul Tharanga (109) set a new record for the first wicket partnership with 286 runs. Sri Lanka won the series 5–0, and Jayasuriya was named 'Man of the Series'.

Later in 2006, against the Netherlands, Jayasuriya scored 157 runs off 104 balls. This helped Sri Lanka make a world record team total of 443/9. This innings was his fourth score over 150 and his second consecutive 150+ score, a unique achievement in ODI history.

He scored two centuries and two half-centuries in the 2007 Cricket World Cup. In 2008, at age 39, he scored a century against Bangladesh on his birthday during the 2008 Asia Cup. He became the third cricketer to score an ODI century on his birthday. His innings of 125 in the finals was voted the 'Best ODI Batting Performance of 2008'.

Twenty20 Career

Jayasuriya played in the 2007 ICC World Twenty20 and scored two half-centuries. He also holds a record with James Anderson for the most expensive bowling figures in a Twenty20 international, giving away 64 runs in 4 overs.

In 2008, he joined the Mumbai Indians for the Indian Premier League (IPL) T20. He scored an amazing 114 not out off just 48 balls against Chennai. This performance helped him get back into Sri Lanka's one-day team. He was the third-highest run-scorer in the IPL with 514 runs.

In 2010, he played for Worcestershire in their Twenty20 matches. At 42, Jayasuriya played for the Ruhuna Rhinos in the 2011 Champions League Twenty20. In 2012, he played for the Khulna Royal Bengals in the Bangladesh Premier League and for Kandurata Warriors in the Sri Lanka Premier League.

Captaincy and All-Round Skills

Sanath Jayasuriya was named the Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World in 1996 and one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 1997. He was the captain of the Sri Lankan cricket team for 38 Test matches and 117 One Day Internationals from 1999 to 2003. He led Sri Lanka to the semi-finals of the 2003 cricket world cup.

As an all-rounder, he had good batting averages in both Test and One Day Internationals. He also had an excellent batting strike rate in ODIs, meaning he scored runs very quickly. As a left-arm orthodox spin bowler, he took many wickets and helped reduce the pressure on other bowlers like Muttiah Muralitharan and Chaminda Vaas. By the end of his career, Jayasuriya had taken over 400 wickets in international cricket. He was also a skilled fielder, known for making many run-outs.

Role as a Selector

On 28 January 2013, Sanath Jayasuriya was chosen as the chairman of the national cricket team's selection committee. During his time as chief selector, Sri Lanka won the 2014 ICC World Twenty20 and the 2014 Asia Cup. They also achieved their first ever full series win in England across all three formats (Tests, ODIs, and T20s). His first period as chairman ended in 2015.

He was appointed chairman of selectors again on 11 April 2016. During this second period, many new players joined the team. However, Sri Lanka lost many series to other countries and performed poorly in the 2016 World Twenty20 and 2017 ICC Champions Trophy. Despite these challenges, Sri Lanka did achieve a historic whitewash (winning all matches) against Australia in a Test series. Jayasuriya and his panel resigned from the selection committee in August 2017 after a heavy loss to India.

Coaching Career

After a period away from international cricket, Sanath Jayasuriya started his first coaching job with Mulgrave Cricket Club in Melbourne, Australia. He was convinced to join by his former opening partner, Tillakaratne Dilshan.

In October 2024, Jayasuriya was officially named the full-time head coach of the Sri Lanka National Cricket Team, after serving as interim coach since July 2024.

Personal Life

Sanath Jayasuriya is the first cricketer to be appointed as a UN Goodwill Ambassador by UNAIDS (a UN program). He worked to help prevent HIV/AIDS among young people in Sri Lanka.

In February 2010, he entered politics as a candidate for the Matara District. He was part of the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) party. He won the most votes from his district. In October 2013, he became the deputy minister of Postal Services. He later served as the Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development in 2015. He did not run for office in the 2015 election and is no longer active in politics.

In January 2018, it was reported that Jayasuriya had a serious knee injury. He needed surgery and treatment in Melbourne, Australia.

Player Statistics

Career Performance

Sanath Jayasuriya's career performance graph.

Centuries Scored

Jayasuriya scored 14 centuries in Test matches and 28 centuries in One Day Internationals.

He scored his first Test century in 1996. His highest Test score was 340 runs against India in August 1997. This was part of the highest team total (952/6) ever made in Test cricket. He also scored two double centuries (over 200 runs). He scored centuries against almost every Test-playing nation.

Jayasuriya started opening the batting in ODIs in 1993 and scored his first century in 1994. His 28 ODI centuries are the most by a Sri Lankan player. He is currently fourth in the world for most ODI centuries. His second century, 134 runs against Pakistan in 1996, was the fastest ODI century at the time. His 189 runs against India in 2000 is the sixth-highest ODI score in a single innings.

In 2006, his 157 runs against the Netherlands helped Sri Lanka set the world record for the highest ODI team total of 443/9. In 2009, at 39 years old, he became one of the oldest players to score an ODI century. He also became the second player to score over 13,000 runs in an ODI career.

Records and Achievements

Bold ones are World Records.

• Sanath Jayasuriya scored 19,298 runs as an opener in international cricket, which is the most by any opener in cricket history.
• He is the only cricketer in history to achieve the all-rounder double of scoring 10,000 runs and taking 300 wickets in a single format (ODIs).
• He was the first cricketer to score an ODI century in less than 50 balls (48 balls against Pakistan in 1996).
• Sanath Jayasuriya is the most successful left-arm spinner in the history of One Day International cricket, with 323 wickets.
• He holds the record for the second-highest ODI innings by a Sri Lankan, with 189 runs against India in 2000. In that match, his score was 64% of Sri Lanka's total and he outscored the entire Indian team by 135 runs.
• His 28 centuries are the most by a Sri Lankan in One Day Internationals. He also scored 14 Test centuries, including two double centuries and one triple century.
• He holds the record for most runs scored in a two-match Test series, with 571 runs against India in 1997.
• Jayasuriya scored 340 runs in a Test match against India in 1997. This is the highest Test score by a batsman against India and the second-highest by a Sri Lankan. It is also the seventh-highest Test score ever. He batted for 799 minutes, which is the fourth-longest Test innings in terms of time.
• Jayasuriya and Roshan Mahanama hold the record for the highest partnership for the 2nd wicket in Test cricket. They scored 576 runs together against India in 1997, which was the first time a partnership of over 500 runs was recorded.
• He is the first Sri Lankan cricketer to score a Test triple century (over 300 runs).
• At one point, Sanath Jayasuriya held the world records for the fastest 50, fastest 100, and fastest 150 in One Day International cricket.
• He is also the only all-rounder to score over 1,000 runs and take more than 25 wickets in Cricket World Cup history. He also took 18 catches, the second most for any outfielder in World Cup matches.
• Jayasuriya is the first cricketer to score over 10,000 ODI runs with a career strike rate over 90.
• Among the 12 cricketers who have scored over 20,000 runs across all international formats, Sanath Jayasuriya has the highest strike rate.
• He is the first and only batsman in history to score two consecutive ODI scores above 150.
• Jayasuriya has 58 'Man of the Match' awards in international cricket, second only to Sachin Tendulkar.
• He is the only all-rounder in list A cricket history to score over 15,000 runs and take over 400 wickets in his career.
• In his combined international cricket career, Jayasuriya scored 21,032 runs and took 440 wickets. He also took 205 catches as an outfielder.
• At the time he retired, he held the records for the most runs scored by a Sri Lankan player in Test and ODI cricket.

Awards

Sanath Jayasuriya won many international awards during his 20-year cricket career. He has 47 'Man of the Match' awards in ODIs, which is the second-highest number after Sachin Tendulkar (62 awards). He also won 11 'Man of the Series' awards in ODIs. In Test cricket, he won 4 'Man of the Match' awards and one 'Man of the Series' award. He also has 5 'Man of the Match' awards in Twenty20 Internationals.

See also

In Spanish: Sanath Jayasuriya para niños

• List of international cricket centuries by Sanath Jayasuriya
• List of One Day International cricket records