Imagine starting your career as a struggling middle order batsman and then, becoming world’s most innovative batsman of the modern era. He has came a long way.
In my view, He was highly under-estimated rather than unpredictable.
Being surrounded by the likes of Sanath Jayasuriya, Kumar Sangakara and Mahela Jaywardhene and you went to revolutionlised the cricketing world with your aggressive batting and went on to become the widely destructive opening batsman. He shocked the whole world with his hidden cricketing abilities.
He was been compared with the aggressive batting mindset of Matthew Hayden, Adam Gilchrist, Chris Gayle, Harchelle Gibbs and Brendon McCulum.
Also, remember his competition with India’s Virendra Sehwag which we Asian Subcontinent cricketing fans used to watch.
He is non other than Tillakaratne Mudiyanselage Dilshan aka Tilakratne Dilshan or TM Dilshan.
- Dilshan is considered to be a rare example of a cricketer with notable skills in all aspects of the game, who can bat, bowl, field and keep wicket.
- It is worthwhile to note that, the Dilscoop shot has been named after him.
- Dilshan scored 1000 or more ODI runs in a calendar year four times and never failed to amass fewer than 800 runs in any calendar year in consecutive 7 years from 2009 and 2015.
- He was the first player who smashed 200 fours in T20 internationals matches.
- In his initial years he used to bat on 6th or 7th position but when he gained the opening slot He smashed over 21 centuries.
- He has the highest score scored 193 runs at Lord’s by a Sri Lankan.
- He is involved in the highest partnership for the fifth wicket 280 runs with Thilan Samarweera in 2005 against Bangladesh.
- He is the only Sri Lankan to score centuries in both innings in his 50th Test.
- He was also the first crickter whl successful challenged an umpiring decision.
- He is the second Sri Lankan to have 3 ODI centuries above 150, after Jayasuriya.
- He also has the highest individual score for Sri Lanka without hitting a six – Dilshan scored 161* with only 22 fours against Bangladesh.
- Most runs 513 runs by a subcontinent batsman in an ODI Tri-series away from home in CB series.
- He is the only cricketer who scored most ODI runs by any batsman since the age of 35 (4,674 ODI runs).
- Most runs as an opener for Sri Lanka in a calendar year 1207 runs by Dilshan in the year 2015.
- He has scored 1,889 runs in 80 matches in T20Is, highest by a Sri Lankan, also 2nd before retirement.
- Dilshan was the first player to score a T20I century as captain and he is the only captain to score a T20I century in a winning cause.
- He held the highest opening partnership 282 runs with Upul Tharanga against Zimbabwe in 2011 CWC.
- He was also the first captain to score centuries in all formats while captaining.
- He is the fourth Sri Lankan and eleventh overall to pass 10,000 ODI runs.
- Who dares to play a Ramp Short or Dilscoop short in the prime days of Mitchell Starc who was bowling over 152km/hr but he played that short with a thing of beauty.
- Smashing 6 fours in a world cup match against deadly Mitchell Johnson in an over, Dilshan was on a high prime in his last cricketing days.
He was the key member of the golden Sri Lankan Team who used to fight back from any situation in cricket.
Many of us remember the key opening batsman likes Hayden, Gilchrist, Ganguly, Jayasuriya, Tendulkar, Sehwag but downside there was a Sri Lankan Legend who shocked the cricketing world with his unremarkable comeback from being a struggling batsman to modern great.