Mahela Jayawardene: Sri Lanka's Greatest Batsman — 11,814 Test Runs, 34 Centuries, T20 WC 2014
Denagamage Proboth Mahela de Silva Jayawardene is a Sri Lankan cricketer born on 27 May 1977 in Colombo. He is Sri Lanka's greatest batsman, with 11,814 Test runs at 49.84 and 34 Test centuries in 149 Tests. He and Kumar Sangakkara formed one of the most productive partnerships in Test history — putting on 624 for the third wicket vs South Africa in Colombo in 2006 (the highest partnership in Test cricket history). He captained Sri Lanka in 52 Tests and led them to the 2007 and 2011 ODI World Cup finals (losing both). He scored 24 not out in his final T20I innings in the 2014 T20 World Cup Final vs West Indies at Dhaka — aged 36. He was named ICC Test Player of the Year in 2006. He retired from all international cricket in 2015.
Denagamage Proboth Mahela de Silva Jayawardene was born on 27 May 1977 in Colombo, Sri Lanka. He made his Test debut against India in Colombo in August 1997 and became one of the defining batsmen of the 2000s and 2010s. A right-handed middle-order batsman of exceptional elegance, he was famous for square cuts and back-foot drives of great precision. He and Kumar Sangakkara together constituted the most productive batting partnership in Sri Lanka's history.
11,814 Test Runs and the 624 Partnership
Mahela Jayawardene scored 11,814 Test runs at 49.84 with 34 centuries in 149 Tests — Sri Lanka's highest Test run-scorer at retirement. He was ICC Test Player of the Year in 2006 — the same year he and Kumar Sangakkara put on 624 runs for the third wicket against South Africa at the SSC in Colombo: the highest partnership in Test cricket history. Jayawardene scored 374 in that innings and Sangakkara scored 287. He captained Sri Lanka in 52 Tests. He led Sri Lanka to the 2007 ODI World Cup Final (lost to Australia by 53 runs in St Kitts) and the 2011 ODI World Cup Final (lost to India by 6 wickets at Wankhede).
The 2014 T20 WC Final and Retirement
Jayawardene played his final international match in the 2014 T20 World Cup Final at Dhaka in April 2014 — scoring 24 not out as Sri Lanka beat India by 6 wickets. He announced his retirement from all international cricket in August 2015, aged 38. His 24 not out in the T20 WC Final — his final T20I innings — gave Sri Lanka their first T20 World Cup title.
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest partnership in Test cricket history, and who set it?
The highest partnership in Test cricket history is 624 runs for the third wicket, set by Mahela Jayawardene (374) and Kumar Sangakkara (287) against South Africa at the Sinhalese Sports Club ground in Colombo in July 2006. Jayawardene scored 11,814 Test runs at 49.84 with 34 centuries across 149 Tests — Sri Lanka's all-time leading scorer at retirement. He was ICC Test Player of the Year in 2006 and captained Sri Lanka to two ODI World Cup finals (2007, 2011 — losing both). He retired in 2015 after scoring 24 not out in his final T20I, the 2014 T20 WC Final that Sri Lanka won.