Sri Lanka’s legendary off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan—covering his early life, professional journey, records, and life beyond cricket. While it’s shorter than 5,000 words, it remains in-depth. Let me know if you’d like to expand any specific section further!
Muttiah Muralitharan (born April 17, 1972, Kandy, Sri Lanka) is a Sri Lankan cricketer whose unorthodox delivery made him one of the most effective and controversial spin bowlers in history and enabled him to take more wickets in both Test and one-day international (ODI) cricket than anyone else who had ever played the game.
Muttiah Muralitharan attended St. Anthony’s College in Kandy and began bowling off-spin on the advice of his coach. He made his Test debut against Australia in 1992 at age 20, taking two wickets with successive balls. When England toured Sri Lanka the following year, many batsmen found Muralitharan’s spin difficult to read and expressed concern about the legitimacy of his bowling action. To the naked eye, Muralitharan appeared not to bowl the ball but rather to flick it with a bent arm and flexible wrist. According to the rules of cricket, if his arm was bent and then straightened at the point of delivery, the ball would be deemed a throw (hence illegal), but Muralitharan’s arm remained bent throughout the action. Exhaustive studies by the International Cricket Council (ICC) of both his action and the physiology of his right arm showed that the bend was a natural deformity and therefore not illegal.
In 1995 Muralitharan was called for “chucking” (illegal delivery) seven times in one day by an Australian umpire and again in a one-day international match by two other Australian umpires. But it was not until four years later, once more in Australia, that he was again charged with throwing. Muttiah Muralitharan development of a new type of delivery, nicknamed the “doosra,” in which the ball turns away from a right-handed batsman, prompted still further allegations of throwing in 2004; however, in early 2005 the ICC modified the rules to allow Muttiah Muralitharan unusual arm movement.
Early Life & Childhood
- Born: April 17, 1972, in Kandy, Sri Lanka (a scenic hill city known for its rich culture and cool climate, which influenced his upbringing).
- Polio at Age 8: Contracted polio as a child, weakening his right arm—an early challenge he overcame, which later influenced his unique bowling technique.
- Schooling: Attended St. Anthony’s College, Kandy (a school famous for nurturing cricketing talent in Sri Lanka).
- Cricket Begins: Excelled in school cricket, captained his team, and was selected for Sri Lanka’s Under-19 tour of India in 1990–91.
Bowling Style & Technique
- Spin and Grip: Used a rare 12-finger grip to generate extraordinary spin on the ball—this grip allowed sharp off-breaks.
- Variety: Developed a deceptive arm ball and a masterful doosra (or “wrong ‘un”), which kept even seasoned batsmen guessing.
- Controversy & Validation: His unusual action sparked debates. However, biomechanical testing by ICC in 1995 and 2004 cleared his bowling as legal.
International Career & Debut
- Test Debut: August 28, 1992, at Adelaide Oval, Australia—during the historic Ashes series.
- ODI Debut: April 2, 1993, versus Zimbabwe in Colombo—this began his journey in Sri Lanka’s senior ODI team.
Major Achievements & Records
| Achievement | Details |
|---|---|
| Most Test Wickets | 800 – the most by any bowler in Test history |
| Most ODI Wickets | 534 – a record for spin bowlers |
| Test Five-Wicket Hauls | 67 – highest by a spinner |
| Test Ten-Wicket Matches | 22 – again, a spinner’s record |
| Best Test Innings Figures | 9/51 vs Zimbabwe (2004) – almost a 10-wicket haul in a single innings |
| Best Match Figures | 16/220 vs England (1998) – dominant bowling across both innings |
| Test Wickets at Sri Lankan Grounds | 166 at Colombo’s Sinhalese Sports Club |
| Career Span (Test) | 1992–2010 (18 years) |
| Career Span (ODI/T20) | 1993–2011 (also 18 years) |
Batting Career Summary
| M | Inn | Runs | BF | HS | Avg | SR | NO | 4s | 6s | 50 | 100 | 200 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test | 133 | 164 | 1261 | 1794 | 67 | 11.68 | 70.29 | 56 | 146 | 29 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| ODI | 350 | 162 | 674 | 869 | 33 | 6.81 | 77.57 | 63 | 50 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| T20 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 0.5 | 20.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| IPL | 66 | 9 | 20 | 30 | 6 | 3.33 | 66.67 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Bowling Career Summary
| M | Inn | B | Runs | Wkts | Avg | Econ | SR | BBI | BBM | 5w | 10w | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test | 133 | 230 | 44039 | 18180 | 800 | 22.73 | 2.48 | 55.05 | 9/51 | 16/220 | 67 | 22 |
| ODI | 350 | 341 | 18811 | 12326 | 534 | 23.08 | 3.93 | 35.23 | 7/30 | 7/30 | 10 | 0 |
| T20 | 12 | 12 | 282 | 297 | 13 | 22.85 | 6.32 | 21.69 | 3/29 | 3/29 | 0 | 0 |
| IPL | 66 | 66 | 1524 | 1696 | 63 | 26.92 | 6.68 | 24.19 | 3/11 | 3/11 | 0 | 0 |
Career Information
T20 debut : Shri Lanka vs New Zealand, Dec 22 at 2006 at Sky Stadium
Last T20 : Shri Lanka vs Australia, Oct 31 at 2010 at W.A.C.A. Ground
Test debut : Shri Lanka vs Australia, Aug 28 at 1992 at R.Premadasa Stadium
Last Test : Shri Lanka vs India, Jul 18 at 2010 at Galle International Stadium
Odi debut : Shri Lanka vs India, Aug 12 at 1993 at R.Premadasa Stadium
Last Odi : Shri Lanka vs India, Apr 02 at 2011 at Wankhede Stadium
Ipl debut : Shri Lanka vs Punjab Kings, Apr 19 at 2008 at Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium
Last Ipl : Shri Lanka vs Kolkata Knight Riders, May 22 at 2014 at Eden Gardens
Cl debut Shri Lanka vs Central Stags, Sep 11 at 2010 at Kingsmead
Last Cl Shri Lanka vs Warriors, Sep 26 at 2010 at The Wanderers Stadium
ICC Tournaments & World Cups
- 1996 Cricket World Cup Champion: Part of Sri Lanka’s historic first World Cup-winning team.
- 2003 World Cup: Claimed 8 wickets, best ODI figures of 3/45 against India.
- 2007, 2011 World Cups:
- In the 2011 semifinal, he took a wicket against Pakistan in his final ODI match.
- Featured in ICC events like Champions Trophy and Asia Cups.
Leadership & Captaincy
- Captained Sri Lanka in 2000–2001 across both Test and ODI formats during tours to Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
- Known for his disciplined approach and for guiding a transitioning team.
Franchise & County Cricket
- English County Teams: Played for Derbyshire (2003) and Lancashire (2004).
- Indian Cricket League (ICL): Joined in 2007.
- Indian Premier League (IPL): Represented Chennai Super Kings in 2008–09.
- Featured in other leagues across Pakistan, Canada, and Ireland.
Awards & Distinctions
- Named Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 2000.
- ICC World Player of the Year awards in 2006 and 2007.
- National honor Deshabandu in 1996, recognizing his service to Sri Lankan sport.
- Multiple times Sri Lanka’s Sportsperson of the Year (1996, 1997, 2004, 2005, 2006).
Retirement
- Test Retirement: July 14, 2010 (in a match against India).
- ODI & T20 Retirement: March 2, 2011, after Sri Lanka’s World Cup semifinal loss to India.
- Finished with 800 Test wickets and 534 ODI wickets, cementing his legacy.
Life After Cricket & Philanthropy
- Founded the Muttiah Muralitharan Sports Foundation in 2006—supporting cricket development.
- Served as a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF, Special Olympics, and other global causes.
- Entered Sri Lankan Parliament in 2004 and served until 2010.
- Made appearances in TV commercials and films, staying involved in media and charity.
Legacy & Impact
- Widely regarded as one of cricket’s greatest bowlers, especially in spinner ranks.
- Holds the all-time record for most Test wickets—a testament to consistency and skill.
- Inspired a generation of spin bowlers (e.g., Ravichandran Ashwin, Rangana Herath).
- Played a key role in elevating Sri Lankan cricket, helping build depth and competitiveness.
The Essence of Muttiah Muralitharan
- Turn Master: His exceptional turning ability and variation broke many batting lines.
- Mental Fortitude: Overcame physical and technical criticism to dominate world cricket.
- Off-Field Integrity: Dedicated to social good—his contribution stretched beyond runs and wickets.
- Inspirational Figure: A shining example of resilience, talent, and giving back to society.
It has been alleged that Murali has picked up a lot of ‘cheap’ wickets by playing often against Zimbabwe and Bangladesh, but even if you exclude his statistics against these two teams, he still has world-beating figures of 612 Test wickets at an average of 24.73 — which incidentally is better than Shane Warne’s career average of 25.41.
The spin wizard signed off Test cricket in 2010, with a wicket off his last ball, propelling his tally to 800 wickets. Fittingly, the final script had tinges of romance. The ODI flame though kept flickering until the 2011 World Cup. Murali has also featured in T20 leagues across the world including the IPL, BBL and CPL.
2 Responses