Muttiah Muralitharan

Muttiah Muralitharan was born on April 17, 1972, in Kandy, Sri Lanka, the eldest of four sons to Sinnasamy Muttiah and Lakshmi. His paternal grandfather migrated from South India to work in tea plantations in 1920. At nine, Muralitharan was sent to St. Anthony’s College, where he began his cricketing journey as a medium-pace bowler. Guided by his school coach, Sunil Fernando, he switched to off-spin at age fourteen, quickly excelling and playing for the school’s First XI for four years. During his final two seasons, he took over 100 wickets, earning the ‘Bata Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year’ title in 1990–91. After school, he joined Tamil Union Cricket and Athletic Club and made his Test debut against Australia in August 1992 at 20, claiming 3 for 141. His career was marked by significant achievements and occasional controversy regarding his bowling action.

Muralitharan became the first Sri Lankan to reach 100 Test wickets in March 1997 and captured his first ten-wicket haul against Zimbabwe in January 1998. He achieved his career-best Test match figures of 16 for 220 against England in August 1998, including 9 for 65 in one innings, marking Sri Lanka’s first Test victory in England. He quickly ascended to major milestones, becoming the fastest and youngest bowler to reach 400 wickets in 2002 and 500 wickets in 2004. In May 2004, he surpassed Courtney Walsh’s record of 519 Test wickets, holding the record until Shane Warne claimed it later that year. He reclaimed the record for most Test wickets on December 3, 2007, against England, overtaking Warne. Muralitharan retired from Test cricket on July 22, 2010, at his final ball in his last match, securing his 800th Test wicket, a unique feat in cricket history. He concluded his international career after the 2011 Cricket World Cup co-hosted by Sri Lanka.

Beyond his playing career, Muralitharan has transitioned into coaching, joining Sunrisers Hyderabad as bowling coach and mentor in 2015, where the team won the IPL championship in 2016. He also served as a coaching consultant for the Australian national team in 2014 and 2016. In philanthropy, he co-founded the Foundation of Goodness in the early 2000s, supporting communities in Seenigama and launching projects for war-displaced civilians in Mankulam. His efforts include building sports centers, schools, and IT training centers. In 2004, he became a United Nations World Food Program ambassador to combat hunger among school children. Recognized globally, Muralitharan was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in 2017 and was honored with the Deshabandu title.