Top 10 Best Sri Lankan Cricketers of All Time

Cricket isn't just a sport in Sri Lanka. It's woven into the fabric of the nation. Sri Lankan cricketers play with passion, with flair, and with a certain grit that sets them apart.

Over the years, Sri Lanka has given the cricketing world extraordinary players who have rewritten record books and captured our imaginations.

But who are the absolute best? Are you a fan of explosive opening batsmen who sent bowlers scrambling? Or perhaps the mysterious art of spin bowling has your heart. Does an elegant wicketkeeper or a rock-solid fielder draw your eye?

The Top Ten

Sanath Jayasuriya

It's hard to imagine that for the first half-decade of his career, Sanath Jayasuriya was considered a bowler who could bat a bit. Think of him now, and you think of forearms straight out of a smithy, brutal shots hammered through point and cover, and scythes over the leg side - and everything in-between. You recall a man who could score equally briskly in every form of the game, who absolutely slashed and burned his way through bowling attacks and murdered them.
As with anyone who relied so much on extraordinary hand-eye coordination, there were troughs and lean times. But just as the obit writers got busy, he would produce another innings of supreme power and insane brute power! He is for sure the GREATEST of all time who ever played the game, the GOD of Cricket!
Kumar Sangakkara

Kumar Chokshanada Sangakkara is a cricket commentator, former cricketer, and former captain of the Sri Lankan national team. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket. Sangakkara has also served as the President of the Marylebone Cricket Club.

He is their best batsman, their best-ever wicketkeeper, saved or won more matches for Sri Lanka than anyone else in tests, and a fine captain leading Sri Lanka to finals of T20 and ODI world cups. He simply is their best cricketer ever.

He is the greatest, most consistent wicket-keeper/batsman ever produced by Sri Lanka, with a great fighting spirit.

Kumar Sangakkara is a hero of Sri Lankan cricket. He played a pivotal role in elevating the team's status in the world of cricket. It's because of the foundation laid by players like him that Sri Lankan cricket has reached such impressive heights.
Muttiah Muralitharan

Muttiah Muralitharan was so full of zest when he took his 709th test wicket to break the all-time record in his native Kandy in 2007, that no one would have bet confidently against him becoming the first man to take 1,000.

He is the leading wicket-taker in the world. The one Sri Lankan who is known worldwide for good reasons. An incredible player.

Undoubtedly, his contribution to Sri Lankan cricket is enormous, and he will remain one of the greatest cricketers the world has ever seen.
Lasith Malinga

Separamadu Lasith Malinga is a retired Sri Lankan cricketer widely regarded for his skill in limited-overs formats. He was known for his distinctive round-arm bowling action and his ability to bowl yorkers. Malinga captained Sri Lanka's T20 team to victory in the 2014 ICC World T20 and officially retired... read more

Best bowler Sri Lanka will ever see. A world-accepted player as a simple, honest man. Mumbai Indians were lucky to have him. Always smiling, Sri Lanka cricket selectors and the board thought the years played foul by him, but he was always able to prove his talent with the cricket ball. Hope he will be used wisely for future cricket bowlers.

He is my favorite player in cricket. I like Bumrah also because he is like Lasith.
Mahela Jayawardene

Mahela Jayawardene was the most important part of Sri Lankan cricket in the post-World Cup era. He was not only a fantastic batsman but also possessed the smartest cricketing brain ever produced by Sri Lanka.
The impact of Jayawardene on Sri Lankan cricket is evident from the fact that Sri Lanka continued to lose games after his retirement in 2014, even though the team still had Sangakkara, who was a legendary batsman in his own right. Mahela was the mastermind behind many of Sri Lankan Cricket's fabulous achievements in the modern era.

You've gotta love Sanath, Muttiah, Aravinda, and among them stands this man as well. Someone on whom Sri Lankan cricket could always rely. Great batsman, great captain, and above all, a great human being.
He has been there for Sri Lankan cricket when they needed his service the most. He'll always be one of the greatest players of not only Sri Lanka but also cricketing history. Hail the master!
Aravinda de Silva

Please don't prioritize numbers and records at first. When contesting for the best batsman, the following should be considered:
1. Match-winning ability
2. Ability to handle pressure
3. Ability to manage the match situation
4. The number of shots played with full confidence
5. Strike rate, batting average, and the number of centuries scored
6. The ability to counterattack against bowlers
7. Natural talent
Considering the above, Aravinda De Silva is the most prolific and accomplished batsman, and he deserves to be recognized as the best Sri Lankan batsman the country has ever produced.

This guy was a cold-blooded killer. This comment comes from an Indian: Sanath was fire at the top, but he was hit and miss. If Sanath succumbed, as sure as death, De Silva would walk out and set things in motion.
Watching him bat was spooky. For a while, you don't notice him. You feel what's going on is insignificant in terms of the bigger narrative. Then, 10 overs later, you pay attention and realize he has ten shots for every ball bowled at him.
Tillakaratne Dilshan

He is the fourth greatest after Sanath, Sanga, and Mahela. His aggressive style has always been admired by all Sri Lankans. His new opening partner, Kusal Perera, is almost as dashing.
No wonder people have started to think that Dilshan, the old boy, and Kusal, the youngster, are bound to be like Kaluwitharana and Jayasuriya, like in the '90s. Flashy starts! Another era for Sri Lanka!

In a short amount of time, he'll become Sri Lanka's greatest batsman in history, even better than Jayasuriya. Chandimal is on track to beat him because Dilshan's power is low.
Chaminda Vaas

Simply the best and most consistent fast bowler that Sri Lanka has ever had. Any country would be proud to include him in their list of best cricketers!

There is no other bowler as consistent and genuine as he is. He was not only a great bowler but an exceptionally reliable all-rounder who gave his all with the bat and ball.

The best ever Sri Lankan fast bowler. Chaminda Vaas is the best Sri Lankan bowler after Muralitharan.
Marvan Atapattu

Marvan was a highly talented and technically sound batsman who could not provide his 100% to the team for many reasons. He is my second favorite after the great Roy Dias.
He is a very true and generous character as well. I really like his attitude.

His style is unique and beautiful to watch. The drives, the cuts, the pulls are textbook accurate! The best batsman after Sanath Jayasuriya.

For me, there are three opening pairs who changed the world, and Marvan is in one of them:
1st: Sanath Jayasuriya & Romesh Kaluwitharana
2nd: Sanath Jayasuriya & Marvan Atapattu
3rd: Sanath Jayasuriya & Tillakaratne Dilshan
Go Sri Lanka!
Dinesh Chandimal

He has made many sacrifices for the sake of the team, the spirit of the game, and the pride of Sri Lanka. He never plays for individual records. He always plays for the country. He is a great batsman, fielder, and wicketkeeper.
He is a true champion behind the 2014 T20 World Cup. He is that good. I will rank him as the second greatest ever, behind only Sanath Jayasuriya. Come on Dinesh Chandimal! May you be blessed!

He always shows true sportsmanship during play. A great player who likes to give his best to the country. However, being captain at an early stage of his career made him stressed and inconsistent.

The Newcomers

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Charitha Buddhika

Thudellage Charitha Buddhika Fernando (also known as Charitha Buddhika. Born 22 August 1980) is a former Sri Lankan cricketer who played Tests and One Day International matches for the national side. He has his own Wikipedia page.

Sublime perfection! Charitha the Buddhika!
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Saman Jayantha

Another one who was fortunate enough to open innings with the great Jayasuriya.

The Contenders

Nuwan Kulasekara

In Sri Lanka's bowlers, Lasith Malinga comes in first place, Rangana Herath in second place, and Nuwan Kulasekara deserves nothing less than third place.

He is an innocent but very talented player. He also has a brave heart and always gives 100% to the game while bowling, batting, and fielding. He is an underrated player but was the number one ODI bowler once. He is also one of the greatest swing bowlers after Vass.
Romesh Kaluwitharana

Sanath Jayasuriya is the greatest, but Romesh Kaluwitharana deserves to be recognized as nothing less than the second greatest!
Together with Sanath, Kalu revolutionized One Day International batting with his aggressive tactics during the 1996 Cricket World Cup. It's a massive compliment to say someone changed the game, and their explosive batting in the 1996 World Cup altered everyone's approach to starting innings.
And man, he was and will always be the greatest wicket-keeper to ever play the game!

Little Kalu! You are the greatest wicket-keeper of all time! There will never be a keeper better than you. You are the best because you are the backbone of the team behind the wicket.
SANA and KALU: The greatest batting pair in the history of the game!
Rangana Herath
Arjuna Ranatunga

He should have been rated higher than this. One of the best captains in the history of the game.

Captain cool absolutely... love his way of captaincy in the 1996 World Cup, which changed Sri Lankan cricket. Also, his brave innings against Pakistan at Pindi Test with one hand, winning the game for Sri Lanka and also giving confidence to Murli during his bowling in Australia.

He is a really great captain, and he brought his team from a low stage to a higher stage.
Angelo Mathews

Certainly deserves to be higher up. Was an absolute beast in the three peak years of his career.
Hashan Tillakaratne

Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni of Cricket! Deshabandu Action Batta Hashan Prasantha Tillakaratne is memorable for his two one-day tons - 104 in 1993 and 100 in 1995 - both against the lethal West Indies. We lost both matches.
Muthumudalige Pushpakumara

After Sanath Jayasuriya, Muthumudalige Pushpakumara is the 2nd best cricketer ever produced by Sri Lanka. Just go to ESPN Cricinfo and check him out!
Kumar Dharmasena
Asanka Gurusinha

He may not reach the same level as Sanath Jayasuriya, but he was an awesome player in the '96 World Cup winning team. He was a big factor and played major roles in the win. Asanka was the best one-down batsman when Sanath or Kalu were dismissed. He did his best to help win the World Cup. What a great player - had to vote for him.
You will never find a better team than the '96 World Cup winning team: Sanath Jayasuriya, Romesh Kaluwitharana, Asanka Gurusinha, Aravinda de Silva, Arjuna Ranatunga, Hashan Tillakaratne, Roshan Mahanama, Upul Chandana, Kumar Dharmasena, Chaminda Vaas, Marvan Atapattu, Ravindra Pushpakumara, Pramodya Wickramasinghe, and Muttiah Muralitharan. The golden era of Sri Lankan cricket!
Ajantha Mendis
Eric Upashantha

Eric Solheim Upashantha is the real deal. He bowls a considerable line and length and plays well against seam bowlers. Upashantha played 2 Tests and 12 ODIs for Sri Lanka over 7 years and had batting averages of 3.33 and 7.00 in Tests and ODIs, respectively.
Chandika Hathurusingha

Sir Chandika Hathurusingha probably might be the second best ever from Sri Lanka behind Jayasuriya, in sheer terms of match-winning ability and opponent-scaring ability.

In May 2014, C. Hathurusingha was named coach of the Bangladesh national side. C. Hathurusingha is the most successful coach to ever get involved in Bangladesh cricket.
Nuwan Zoysa

In his eighth Test, Zippy became the first player in history to take a hat-trick off his first three balls of a Test match. He achieved this against Zimbabwe at Harare in November 1999, dismissing Trevor Gripper, Murray Goodwin, and Neil Johnson. He has gone on to take over 100 ODI wickets for Sri Lanka, the ninth to have achieved the milestone. To me, he is the best bowler produced by the subcontinent!

Nuwan Zoysa! Standing 6'4", he is often regarded alongside Malcolm Marshall, Andy Roberts, Michael Holding, Colin Croft, Courtney Walsh, Curtly Ambrose, and Joel Garner as one of the eight most lethal fast bowlers of all time!
Indika de Saram

He was a prolific batsman at the domestic level in Sri Lanka, renowned for his composure and solid technique. At the international level, he wasn't able to replicate that success, but the team management also deserves part of the blame for batting him in inappropriate positions in the order.
A classy player who made batting look extremely easy, he batted mostly in the top five in domestic cricket but found himself at the back end of the lower-middle order for Sri Lanka. It was a role that didn't sync with his natural style, and hence, he wasn't able to click at the top level.
You could argue that he should have adapted to the nuances of the game, and not having a single international fifty from 18 innings isn't something that can be defended.
- Hariprasad Sadanandan
Jehan Mubarak