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Muttiah Muralitharan

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Muttiah Muralitharan is a legendary professional cricketer from Sri Lanka.

Muttiah Muralitharan
Muttiah Muralitharan

He is widely considered one of the greatest bowlers in the history of the sport. A bowler's primary role is to deliver the ball toward a batter to take wickets. Muralitharan achieved incredible success, taking more international wickets than any other bowler. He was a vital part of the Sri Lankan team that won the 1996 Cricket World Cup. His team also became joint-winners of the 2002 ICC Champions Trophy alongside India.

Muralitharan was a pioneer in his field as the first wrist-spinning off-spinner.

] His unique bowling action began with a short run-up. It culminated in an open-chested release using a partly supinated forearm. This means his forearm was turned outward during the delivery. He used a super-flexible wrist to create significant turn on almost any pitch surface. He utilized a stock delivery called an off-break to deceive batters.

He also mastered several specialized deliveries to keep batters guessing. One was a fast topspinner that landed on the seam to go straight on. His most famous specialty was the doosra. The doosra is a surprise delivery that turns from leg to off. This is the opposite direction of his standard off-break. Because there was no easily discernible change in his action, it was very difficult to play. He also used various other unnamed novelties throughout his career.

Muralitharan's career was not without significant challenges and controversy. His bowling action was frequently questioned by umpires and the cricket community. This was due to a congenital bend in his arm and unusual hyperextension during delivery. Some officials believed he was throwing the ball rather than bowling it. To resolve this, the International Cricket Council conducted biomechanical analysis under simulated playing conditions. These scientific tests cleared his action in both 1996 and 1999.

His statistical achievements are unmatched in the history of international cricket.

MMuralidaranBowling
MMuralidaranBowling

He is the only bowler to take 800 Test wickets. He also recorded more than 530 One Day International (ODI) wickets. In 2004, he surpassed Courtney Walsh to become the highest wicket-taker in Test cricket. He later overtook Shane Warne in 2007 to claim the record. Muralitharan held the number one spot in the ICC player rankings for 1,711 days. He retired from Test cricket in 2010 after taking his 800th wicket on the final ball of his last match.

Muttiah Muralitharan in SCG 2005
Muttiah Muralitharan in SCG 2005

Muralitharan grew up in a Hill Country Tamil Hindu family in Kandy. His father, Sinnasamy Muttiah, ran a successful biscuit-making business. Murali began his career as a medium pace bowler at St. Anthony's College. His school coach, Sunil Fernando, advised him to switch to off-spin at age fourteen. He became a standout player, winning the Bata Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year in 1990–91. His family history includes a grandfather, Periyasamy Sinasamy, who moved from South India to Sri Lanka in 1920.

Beyond Test cricket, Muralitharan had a successful career in various global leagues. He played county cricket in England for clubs like Lancashire and Kent. He also participated in the Indian Premier League (IPL), playing for the Chennai Super Kings. He helped the Chennai Super Kings win the IPL championship in 2010. In 2012, he played for the Melbourne Renegades in Australia's Big Bash League. He later transitioned into coaching, serving as a mentor for Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2015.

Muttiah Muralitharan-web
Muttiah Muralitharan-web

His legacy was cemented when he became the first Sri Lankan inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in 2017.

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File:Muttiah Muralitharan in SCG 2005.jpg
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