Mahela - A Mastermind In The Shortest Format
Mahela Jayawardene who turns 48 years today, is an underrated example of format adaptation, with a strike rate in T20Is greater than Test and ODIs combined!
Who is the G.O.A.T. in T20I for Sri Lanka? Many would say Lasith Malinga for his bowling, but when it comes to batting, there is one Cricketer who started his Test career a decade before the format was introduced and by the end of his career, he finished with outstanding numbers. It's none other than Mahela Jayawardene!
Born today in 1977, he learned his cricket at Nalanda College under the watchful eyes of the legendary coach Mr. Nelson Mendis. It was where he learned how to hold the bat with his left hand, take the single after hitting a boundary (watch video where he explains this) to keep his mind in the game, and the Nelson Mendis special - discipline (we are going to speak about this again very soon!)
The Nalanda College Team Photo of 1995
Coming up the ranks as a young schoolboy batter, he captained Nalanda in 1995 and played as the senior man in 1996. It was in this year Mahela had the unusual dilemma and even tried to convince the Principal to shift the dates of the Battle of the Maroons to avoid missing the World Cup Final!
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