Sri Lankan cricket was a synonym of consistency and some great cricket during and late 90s and the all of 2000s. Back in 1996 when they won the first world cup, a phenomenon rose into prominence. Taking the world of cricket by storm.
Sanath Jayasuriya revolutionised the white ball cricket and maximized the powerplay more than anyone ever did. Sri Lankan cricket’s rise went hand in hand with the rise of Jayasuriya, and he went on to be one of the best all-rounders in white ball cricket during his time.
Then came the downfall, Sri Lankan cricket lost all its heroes in a few years’ time. By 2015, the team started to face a decline like no other team. A team once dominating the world of cricket stopped to the lowest of all lows. Time and again they showed a few glimpses of the talent that the country possessed, but again; are glimpses enough?
Enter the Maverick, Sanath Teran Jayasuriya. Sri Lanka was in desperate need of a figure to look up to, and Sanath’s entry just provided them with it. Initially chosen as a temporary coach, his first assignment was to coach the Sri Lankan white ball side against the mighty India. After losing the T20 series, they unexpectedly went on to defeat India in the ODIs. India was playing their full-strength side in this series.
The next assignment was a tough test series against the English in their home turf. It was expected to be a one sided affair, but it turned out to be a competitive series with England winning it 2-1. Sri Lankans gave a good fight in two of those matches and went neck on neck with the English.
The talking point of this series was the performance of two upcoming stars of the Sri Lankan test team, Kamidu Mendis and Ashita Fernando. There were some notable contributions from the other players as well, but these two in particular seem to be the brightest star of the Sri Lankan team, going forward. They are expected to lead the team towards a great future in the coming years.
The latest victory came against a solid New Zealand side. The Kiwis are a solid side in the world of test cricket currently and were poised to keep the Lankas on their toes. However, led by Kamidu Mendis again, the Lankans went on to thrash the Kiwis 2-0, completely dominating them throughout. Prabhat Jayasuriya was another hero during this victory.
The very answer to the questions regarding the uncertainty of the Sri Lankan team has been provided by the legend Sanath himself. He recently had been appointed as the full time coach till 2026. It definitely seems that Jayasuriya has instilled the self belief that the team lagged in the past few years.
The team looks confident with some really exciting talents, ready to take over the world of cricket. The cricketing world really needs the Sri Lankan team to restore their lost glory, and the great man has taken this up on himself to lead and bring about the change that the team needs.
