Gone are the days when the Sri Lankan national cricket team used to be a thorn for opposition teams in international cricket. They literally had a strong team with all their bases covered and were capable of posing a serious threat to the opponents.
However, once the greats called it quits from the sport, Sri Lankan cricket is still finding its way to carve out a reputation. Sri Lanka defeated Pakistan in the 2022 Asia Cup to win their sixth Asia Cup title. However, they still have plenty of work to be done in terms of overall development.
The fans wouldn’t forget the contributions made by the great players before. Case in point, let’s take a glimpse at the two Sri Lankans with a batting average in excess of 50 in ODIs after age 36 (Minimum 500 runs).
1. Kumar Sangakkara
The cricket fraternity has often witnessed a steady decline in batters’ performances once they reach the age of 35 or 36. However, Sri Lankan batting great Kumar Sangakkara was totally a different player altogether.
Kumar Sangakkara is widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen of all time. Notably, he is the second-leading run-scorer in international cricket in both Tests and ODIs after Sachin Tendulkar.
The former Sri Lankan captain has a batting average of 55.36 after age 36 (Minimum 500 runs). Sangakkara scored 14234 runs in 404 ODIs at an average of 42 including 25 centuries and 93 half-centuries.
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2. Tillakaratne Dilshan
Tillakaratne Dilshan has one of the vital cogs of the Sri Lankan batting set-up during the heydays of his cricketing career. He operated as an aggressive right-handed batter and he was the one who invented “Dilscoop”.
It is a type of innovative shot that hits the ball over the wicketkeeper. On top of that, he has helped Sri Lanka win games, courtesy of his grit and determination in successful run-chases.
Dilshan has the second-best batting average of 50.35 as a Sri Lankan after age 36 (Minimum 500 runs). Overall, Dilshan scored 10,290 runs at an average of 39.3 including 22 centuries and 47 fifties.
