This is a different type of article where we will compare the stats and records of 2 of the best batters that have ever played for Sri Lanka and we will try to see who was better amongst these 2. These 2 batters were the reason that Sri Lankan cricket was at its highest points in the 1990s till the mid 2010s where they were the constant of the Sri Lankan team and the batting revolved around them.
Both have been captains of the Sri Lankan team at various points in their career and the whole team had a lot of respect for them and they knew that till the time that both of them or either one of them was batting then Sri Lanka were in no trouble. They both have played for over 15 years and scored tens of thousands of runs in international cricket. So, let’s compare the stats and see who was the best of the best.
Mahela Jayawardene
Mahela Jayawardene was one of the best batters in the world when he was playing cricket and the same can be said about Kumar Sangakkara who we will talk about later. Mahela Jayawardene was a leader in the team and he was the one that was the glue of the batting before Kumar Sangakkara joined the team. Mahela Jayawardene is one of those rare batters that have scored a 100 in a 50 overs World Cup final.
Test Cricket
Mahela Jayawardene is one of the most technologically correct test match batters. He has played 149 Test Matches for Sri Lanka and in those matches he has made 11814 runs at an average of 49.85 and he made a total of 34 Test hundreds and 7 double Hundreds in test cricket. His highest test score was 374 runs and it is the 4th highest test individual score of all time. He was a true legend of test cricket.
ODI Cricket
Mahela Jayawardene was equally prolific in the ODI format as he played 448 ODIs which is the second most played by anyone in ODIs history. He has made 12650 runs in those Matches at an average of 33.38. He has also made 19 hundreds in ODI Cricket and his highest score was 144 runs. Mahela Jayawardene was a titan of the game and in total he made over 23000+ international runs which is much more than most players and he is also one of the rarest players who have made more than 10000+ runs in both formats.
Also Read | Mahela Jayawardene vs Rahul Dravid – Stats Comparison as Batter
Kumar Sangakkara
Kumar Sangakkara is also one of the best batters to have ever played the sport of cricket and the runs he has got us staggering. Kumar Sangakkara is my favorite left handed batter that I have seen Play Live and he has also made 12000+ runs in both formats of the sport and this is extraordinary.
Test Cricket
Kumar Sangakkara has played 134 Test Matches in his illustrious career and in those Matches he has made 12400 runs at a phenomenal average of 57.41 and he has scored 38 Hundreds and 11 double Hundreds and his highest score in test cricket was 319 runs. Kumar Sangakkara is someone who still could have played test cricket for a few more years.
ODI Cricket
Kumar Sangakkara has also played 404 ODIs for Sri Lanka and he has made 14234 runs at a very good average 41.99 and he has made 25 Hundreds in ODI Cricket. He has a highest score of 169 runs and he made 4 hundreds in 4 matches at the 2015 World Cup and when he retired he could have played 2 more years.
Also Read | MS Dhoni vs Kumar Sangakkara - Stats Analysis as wicket keeper and batsman
Who Is the best?
These 2 are the best batters that have played for Sri Lanka but according to me Kumar Sangakkara is the better batter and the best to have ever played for Sri Lanka because he has played 15 fewer test matches and has made 600 more test runs at a much higher average and more test hundreds and double Hundreds. And the sahe goes for ODIs as well where he has played 44 fewer ODIs and he has made 1500+ more runs than Mahela Jayawardene and has more hundreds in ODI Cricket as well. So, Kumar Sangakkara is the best Sri Lankan batter of all time.
Also Read: Brian Lara vs Mahela Jayawardene - Stats Comparison as Batter
