00:00Before Rohit Sharma's explosive starts, before Virender Sehwag's fearless hitting, before
00:04Brendan McCallum's step-out sixes, there was one man who showed the world how to truly
00:10dominate the power play, Sri Lanka's very own Sanat Jai Surya.
00:14Sanat Jai Surya, the name that sent chills down the spines of bowlers in the 1990s and
00:19early 2000s.
00:21The man who redefined the art of opening the innings in one-day internationals.
00:25Born on June 30th, 1969 in Matala, Sri Lanka, Jai Surya was the face of Sri Lankan Cricket's
00:31rise on the world stage.
00:33Jai Surya made his international debut in 1989 but his game-changing moment came much later
00:39during the 1996 Cricket World Cup.
00:42Originally a middle-order batsman, Jai Surya was promoted to opener by Arjuna Ranatunga
00:47in the 1996 World Cup, a decision that would change cricket history.
00:51Under the 1996 World Cup, openers were expected to be cautious, taking time to build an innings.
00:56The idea of smashing the bowlers in the first 10 overs, almost unheard of.
01:00But Jai Surya, he tore that playbook apart.
01:03With a brutal combination of fearless hitting, fast footwork and the ability to find gaps,
01:08Sanat Jai Surya along with Ramesh Kaluvitharna turned the first 15 overs into a nightmare for
01:14bowlers.
01:15During the 1996 World Cup, he smashed 221 runs in just 6 innings at a strike rate of
01:20131, an unimaginable number back then.
01:24His fearless stroke play helped Sri Lanka lift their first ever World Cup trophy and his
01:28approach changed ODI Cricket forever.
01:31But Jai Surya wasn't just about ODI fireworks.
01:34He played 110 Test matches scoring almost 7000 runs, including a mammoth 3-potty against India
01:40in Colombo, still one of the highest Test scores of all time and don't forget, he was a genuine
01:45all-rounder.
01:46His left arm spin fetched him over 440 international rickets across formats.
01:50There were times he'd win matches with the ball when the bat was silent.
01:55Add to that his electric fielding and bullet throws.
01:58Sanat Jai Surya was the quintessential modern day all-rounder.
02:01In an era when T20 cricket didn't exist, Jai Surya brought that explosive T20 mindset
02:06to ODIs hitting bowlers out of the park and thrilling millions around the world.
02:10Over a glittering career spanning two decades, Jai Surya scored more than 13,000 ODI runs
02:15including 28 centuries and led Sri Lanka to numerous memorable wins.
02:20More importantly, his fearless style laid the foundation for a new era of aggressive opening
02:24batting.
02:25Players like Gilchrist, Saewag, McCallum and even today's stars like Warner and Rohit owe
02:30a part of their batting DNA to the path Jai Surya paved.
02:34Some of his staggering records include the fastest 15 ODIs at one time, the second highest
02:39individual ODI score of 189 against India and a Player of Tournament award in the 96
02:44World Cup.
02:45Sanat Jai Surya's legacy isn't just in his runs or wickets, it's in how he chased the
02:50game.
02:51He demonstrated that a small island nation like Sri Lanka could take on the giants and emerge
02:55victorious.
02:56He was a revolutionary, the original power play king whose fearless spirit forever
03:00choose the game will love.
03:03Have a nice day.
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