There have been quite a few left handed batsmen to play cricket for Sri Lanka at the highest level, but few have managed the feats of the players mentioned below. We take a look back at the best ever left handed batsmen produced by the island nation in the longest format since Sri Lanka gained Test status back in 1982.

1. Kumar Sangakkara – 12,400 runs @ 57.40 in 134 matches (38x100s, 52x50s, HS:319)

Kumar SangakkaraKumar Sangakkara is arguably the best ever left handed Test batsman produced by Sri Lanka, if not the best in the world. Sangakkara’s list of achievements in Test cricket is so vast, it will leave you speechless. When analyzing the career numbers of some players, there tends to be a notion that stats don’t do them full justice, but that isn’t the case with Sangakkara. He’s ticked most of the boxes over a stunningly successful 15-year Test career, scoring heaps of runs all around the world, evolving a compact and no-frills technique that served him well against both pace and spin.

Beginning his career as a wicketkeeper batsman in Test cricket, ‘Sanga’ couldn’t really go on to make the big scores that he was capable of, as he had to bat lower down the order due to the wear and tear from standing behind the stumps. But since he was relieved of the keeping duties, it was a completely different story as his average as a specialist batsman rose to 66.78, second only to that of  Sir Don Bradman’s 99.94 among batsmen who have at least 1000 Test runs.

2. Sanath Jayasuriya – 6,973 runs @ 40.07 in 110 matches (14x100s, 31x50s, HS:340)

sanath JayaSanath Jayasuriya, born on the 30th of June 1969, was one of the most feared openers in world cricket. His most memorable performance in Test cricket would come during the Colombo Test against India in 1997, where Sri Lanka piled on a world record score of 952 for six at the back of Jayasuriya’s triple ton. During that Test, he shared a 576-run partnership with Roshan Mahanama, which went past Andrew Jones and Martin Crowe’s 467-run stand in 1991, to become the highest partnership for any wicket in Tests. The record stood for nearly nine years before Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene stitched together a 624-run partnership for the third wicket against South Africa in 2006. The ‘Matara Marauder’ may have under-achieved in Test cricket but he signed off in style from the format in 2007 against England at Kandy by hitting 78 in his final Test innings while also taking James Anderson to the cleaners, as he hit six fours in an over.

3. Arjuna Ranatunga- 5,105 runs @ 35.69 in 93 matches (4x100s, 38x50s, HS:135*)

ranatungeHe made his debut in Sri Lanka’s inaugural Test against England at the age of 18, and subsequently went on to make his country’s first Test half-century. A dominant leader for Sri Lanka for nearly 20 years, he never shied away from confrontation, defending his players to the hilt. His stats do not do justice to the impact he had as a cricketer, but he was always a man for the crisis for Sri Lanka in the longer format. His career best of 135*, came against Pakistan when the Sri Lankans were staring down the barrel before Ranatunga batted for 341 minutes to salvage a draw.

4. Hashan Tillakaratne- 4,545 runs @ 42.87 in 83 matches (11x100s, 20x50s, HS: 204)

hashanHashan Tillakaratne started his Test career in 1989 with a duck in his first ever innings but recovered quickly to score his first half-century in only his third innings though it came in a losing cause in Chandigarh against India. His next big knock came in December 1992, but this time it was in an outstanding win. His brilliant innings of 93 and a 92-run partnership with his then skipper Ranatunga, set his side up for a big victory against New Zealand in Colombo (SSC). For some reason Tillakaratne could never hold on to a regular place in the Test team but just when you thought his career was over just after the 1999 Cricket World Cup, he showed his gritty spirit when he broke into the team in the year 2001 on the back of some impressive domestic performances. He hit a century against India on his comeback and notched up his career best score of 204* against West Indies later in the year. The runs continued to flow for this stylish left hander and he was eventually named captain of the Test team in the year 2003. He signed off with an unbeaten 74* in the last Test of the Australia home series in 2004 which Sri Lanka lost 0-3 under his captaincy; a result which prompted the selectors to strip him of the captaincy and also drop him from the team.

5. Asanka Gurusinghe- 2,452 runs @38.92 in 41 matches (7x100s, 8x50s, HS:143)

image1Asanka Gurusinghe was an unsung hero for Sri Lanka when it came to Test cricket. A well-built, solid left handed number three batsman, Gurusinghe was the backbone of a fragile Sri Lankan top order in the early to mid-90s. He earned a lot of respect all around the world for his gutsy efforts with the bat, with the best example being a gritty 143 against Australia in Melbourne which was almost half of the total team runs. His conversion rate was a staggering 46.66% with 7 centuries and 8 half centuries but his career was cut short when he refused to return home for training in 1997 after a club season in Melbourne where he eventually migrated to. He was a costly miss for Sri Lanka as he never represented the country again to end his career at the age of 31.

*Notable Mention – Chaminda Vaas- 3,089 runs @ 24.32 in 111 matches (1×100, 13x50s, HS:100*)

(AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)
(AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Warnakulasuriya Patabendige Ushantha Joseph Chaminda Vaas, more known for his bowling, may come as a surprise on this list, but he has made plenty of valuable contributions for Sri Lanka lower down the order. He started off slowly and didn’t spend a lot of time on his batting early in his career, but towards the second half he gradually gained recognition as a very useful all-rounder. He made useful 30’s and 40’s which proved very vital for Sri Lanka to go along with his 13 half centuries but he had to wait for 97 tests to make his maiden century, which came against Bangladesh at the SSC in the year 2007.