Sanath Jayasuriya

Sanath Jayasuriya, born on June 30, 1969, in Matara, Sri Lanka, is a former Sri Lankan cricketer who revolutionized the role of the opener in limited-overs cricket. He was a left-handed batsman and slow left-arm bowler who played 123 Tests and 445 ODIs for Sri Lanka. Jayasuriya was the 1996 World Cup's most valuable player and scored over 13,000 ODI runs, making him one of the highest run-scorers in ODI history. He was known for his explosive batting at the top of the order and his partnership with Romesh Kaluwitharana transformed Sri Lanka's approach to ODI cricket. After retirement, he entered politics and served as a Member of Parliament and Minister of Postal Services. He has also been involved in cricket administration and coaching.