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RSSSanath Jayasuriya redefined batting shots
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Sanath Teran Jayasuriya, popularly known as Sanath Jayasuriya, has been one of the most admired names feared by bowlers of all cricketing nations. Born on June 30, 1969 at Matara (Sri Lanka), Jayasuriya redefined power hitting with his opening partner Romesh Kaluwitharana during the 1996 World Cup that was hosted by India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka - the third time the World Cup was hosted on the sub-continent.
During the first half-decade of his illustrious career, Sanath Jayasuriya was treated more as a bowler who can bat a bit but his cricket skills were identified and explored by the then Sri Lanka Captain, Arjuna Ranatunga and Jayasuriya amassed 221 runs and took 7 wickets in 6 matches to help Sri Lanka win the sixth edition of the Cricket World Cup (1996) beating Australia at Lahore on March 17, 1996.
In the 2007 Cricket World Cup held in the West Indies, Jayasuriya stole the show again by scoring two centuries and an equal number of half-centuries. Sanath holds the world record for the fastest fifty (17 balls) and has the second highest number of ODI centuries (27). Not only this, he has won the second highest number of Man of the Match awards (46) in ODI cricket and is the only batsman in the history of cricket to have made four ODI scores above 150.
Sanath Jayasuriya was chosen as one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year in the year 1997 and has the distinction of being the first cricketer to be appointed as a United Nations (UN) Goodwill Ambassador for his attempts to create AIDS awareness among the youth in Sri Lanka.
