Sri Lanka has had some amazing bowlers over the years. Between the spinners and the pacers, they have some top-class players who have taken down some of the best batting lineups in the world.
But who is the best of the best? Let’s take a look at the top Sri Lankan bowlers of all time and see who comes out on top based on breaking news cricket today.
Muttiah Muralitharan: The Ace Bowler of Sri Lanka
Muttiah Muralitharan is without a doubt the ace bowler of Sri Lanka. He is the all-time leading wicket-taker in both Tests and one-day internationals and has often been hailed as one of the greatest bowlers in the history of the game. Muralitharan’s accomplishments are quite astonishing, and he has proven himself time and time again on the cricket field.
He has played for Sri Lanka in 133 Tests and 350 one-day internationals, taking a total of 800 Test and 534 ODI wickets in his career. His Test wicket tally is the highest ever, and his ODI wicket tally is second only to the great Wasim Akram. He is also the only bowler to take 100 five-wicket hauls in Tests, and he is the only one to take more than 500 wickets in both Tests and ODIs. He was inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame in 2019 and was awarded the highest civilian honour of Sri Lanka, the Sri Lankan Presidential Award of KalaKeerthi, in 2017.
Muttiah Muralitharan has also been an excellent contributor to the game with his athleticism, accuracy and deceptive spin. His doosra delivery was revolutionary in the cricketing world, which bamboozled the batsmen more often than not. His economy rate of 3.59 in one-day internationals is the best among all bowlers with more than 250 wickets, and his bowling strike rate of 31.50 in Tests is the best among all bowlers with more than 500 Test wickets.
Chaminda Vaas: Unparalleled Spellcaster
Chaminda Vaas is, quite simply, a magician with a ball. He was one of Sri Lanka’s most prolific wicket-takers, and still holds the record for the most Test wickets taken by a Sri Lankan bowler.
Vaas was an accurate and reliable new-ball bowler, often bringing the ball back into the right-handers. He had a smooth, rhythmic action which enabled him to often deceive the batsmen. He bowled with good discipline, rarely straying from the stump line.
The 34-year-old’s uncanny ability to swing the ball both ways made him a consistent threat to batsmen. He had a knack for picking up crucial wickets at any stage of the game. Vaas’ best delivery was described as ‘the perfect in-ducker’ which could surprise the batsmen with its late movement.
Overall, Vaas was an integral part of the Sri Lankan bowling attack during the mid-90s and early 2000s. He could make opposition batsmen dance to his tune and one of his greatest traits was that his bowling wasn’t affected by the pitch conditions.
Rangana Herath: The Legendary Left-Arm Bowler
Rangana Herath is a Sri Lankan cricketer and the current captain of the Sri Lankan Test team. He is a left-arm orthodox bowler and has been playing cricket for over two decades.
Herath is considered one of the greatest bowlers in the history of Sri Lankan cricket. He is the first bowler from Sri Lanka to take 400 Test wickets and is also the most successful left-arm spinner in Test cricket ever. He was named player of the series in Sri Lanka’s 2-0 victory over Pakistan in 2017, and he was also named Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 2016.
In my opinion, Rangana Herath is one of the best bowlers to have ever played for Sri Lanka. His unique bowling style and incredible skills have earned him a spot among the top five bowlers in Sri Lankan history.
Lasith Malinga: A True Maharaja of Short-Form Cricket
Moving on to the fourth spot in our list is Lasith Malinga, the maharaja of short-form cricket in Sri Lanka. With his ability to make the ball swing and his mastery of yorkers and slower balls, Lasith quickly become one of the most feared bowlers in the world. He has an impressive career record, with an average wicket-taking rate of 25.3 and an economy rate of 4.71 runs per over in both ODI and T20 cricket.
Malinga has been a star for Sri Lanka for many years now, with his prowess becoming evident from a very young age. He made his debut at just 19 years old, and since then he has gone on to take over 300 wickets in international cricket. His skill and experience make him a valuable asset to any team, and he truly deserves to be included in our top 5 list.
Lasith Embuldeniya: Magician of the Spin Department
Last but not least, let’s talk about Lasith Embuldeniya. This talented spinner from Galle is the youngest bowler to make it onto our list, having made his international debut in 2019. But despite his relative newness to the game, Embuldeniya has quickly become one of Sri Lanka’s most prolific bowlers.
His ability to combine spin and control has earned him the nickname “Magician of the Spin Department” and he has been a true blessing for Sri Lanka in Test matches. Embuldeniya has also been part of some memorable performances for Sri Lanka, including a record-breaking 8-wicket haul against South Africa in 2020. We’re sure that we’ll see a lot more from this amazing bowler in years to come!
Nuwan Kulasekara: The Accurate Pacer From Kandy
Last but not least, we have Nuwan Kulasekara. Hailing from Kandy, Sri Lanka, Nuwan Kulasekara is one of the most accurate pacers to ever come out of the country. He is best known for his exceptional control and accuracy which made him a tough bowler to face in any situation.
Kulasekara was especially dangerous in ODIs, where he took 152 wickets at an average of 31.09. While he might not have the same overwhelming speed as some of the other bowlers on this list, his crafty use of variations combined with his pinpoint accuracy made him a formidable opponent for even the most experienced batsmen.
His remarkable achievements make him one of the top 5 bowlers to come out of Sri Lanka of all time.
Conclusion
So, there you have it—our ranking of the top 5 bowlers of Sri Lanka of all time. We hope you enjoyed reading it and that it gave you a better understanding of the sport of cricket and the Sri Lankan team.
