Sanath Jayasuriya on batting alongside Sachin Tendulkar for Mumbai Indians
Sanath Jayasuriya in action (PC: Twitter)
Sri Lankan batting legend Sanath Jayasuriya opened up on his stint with the five-time champions Mumbai Indians (MI) in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
The swashbuckling left-handed batter had played 30 games for Mumbai Indians, scoring 768 runs at a startling strike rate of 144.36. He also has four half-centuries to his name and a sensational hundred against their league rivals Chennai Super Kings.
During an interaction with Sportskeeda, here's what the former Sri Lanka batter said:
“Mumbai is my second home. In and out we were there and playing. The team and the team owners were really good and they looked after all the players. It’s like a family.”
Jayasuriya further heaped praise on the legendary Sachin Tendulkar, saying he enjoyed batting with the cricketing legend during his Mumbai Indians stint.
“Batting with Sachin was quite relaxing as he would always come and say what to do. He always kept talking about ways to execute and win matches."
'They allowed me to play my natural game': Sanath Jayasuriya
The Sri Lankan batting veteran also shed light on how the Mumbai Indians' team management backed him and gave him the freedom to play his natural game, which helped bring out his best for the franchise.
“It’s about keeping things simple. We didn't complicate things and they always wanted me to play my natural game. So I needed to be smart to make sure that I tried and got a big score.”
If there’s one player who should be credited for bringing the power-hitting revolution in One-day cricket, it would be Sanath Jayasuriya. The left-hander was capable of ripping apart any bowling attack single-handedly on his day.
The Sri Lankan southpaw, hailed as one of the most destructive ODI openers of all time, changed the entire dimension of batting in the limited-overs format. His explosive batting at the top was the primary reason behind Sri Lanka's victory in the 1996 World Cup campaign.
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