Sanath Jayasuriya targets Venkatesh Prasad in 151-run knock while chasing 226 to win

Sri Lanka's World Cup 1996 triumph was one of the most remarkable moments for the country's cricketing landscape. The Arjuna Ranatunga-led side had many match-winning players in the team and one among them was destructive opener Sanath Jayasuriya. The world first saw the glimpse of the left-handed batsman during the '96 World Cup and post the triumph he took international cricket by storm.

The Sri Lanka team's refreshing tactics of taking the opposition to the cleaners in the first 15 overs was executed by Sanath Jayasuriya to perfection as he provided a fast and solid start to the team at the top. The southpaw played some amazing knocks throughout the career, but the innings he played during the 1997 Independence Cup against India is still fondly remembered by fans of both cricketing nations.

Sanath Jayasuriya 150-run knock versus India 

The World Champions had started their campaign with a loss against Pakistan by 30 runs at Gwalior while India had convincingly won their opening game against New Zealand by eight wickets in Bangalore. The India vs Sri Lanka match was played at the iconic Wankhede stadium in Mumbai and the Sachin Tendulkar-led side certainly had the edge over their opponent. One more loss meant Sri Lanka faced elimination from the tournament, however, what happened in the match was something that no one saw coming. 

India, batting first, set before Sri Lanka 226 runs to win and had the visitors on ropes with the early wicket of Romesh Kaluwitharana. Following the loss of two early wickets, Jayasuriya and Marvan Atapattu stitched together a solid partnership before Atapattu was dismissed for 38 runs. Following Atapattu's dismissal, Jayasuriya launched an attack on Indian bowlers. Indian pacer Venkatesh Prasad was at the receiving end of Jayasuriya's attack as he was clobbered by the left-hander for multiple boundaries whenever he was brought on to bowl.

In the end, Sri Lanka won the match by 5 wickets and 55 balls to spare. Jayasuriya’s 151 off 120 deliveries was studded with 17 boundaries and four sixes. He overtook Aravinda’s 145 to record the highest innings by a Sri Lankan in ODI cricket. Three years later Jayasuriya broke his own record against India by scoring 189 at Sharjah.

Sanath Jayasuriya ban

Back in 2019, the 51-year-old was handed a two-year ban under the International Cricket Council (ICC) anti-corruption code for failing to co-operate with the Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) of the ICC in their investigation concerning corruption in the country. When the cricketer was to submit all his communication devices during the investigation and when the same was not done by the cricketer, the charges related to "refusing to co-operate with an ACU investigation, obstructing or delaying the investigation" were levied against him.

Sanath Jayasuriya stats

Looking at Sanath Jayasuriya stats, the cricketer represented the country in 110 Tests, 445 ODIs and 31T20I matches. He scored 6,793 runs in the Tests, 13,430 runs in ODIs and 629 runs in T20Is. With his left-arm spin bowling, Jayasuriya picked up 98 wickets in Tests, 323 wickets in ODIs and 19 wickets in T20Is.

Venkatesh Prasad Cred ad

Recently the former bowling coach of India, Venkatesh Prasad, was seen in a Cred ad alongside his bowling partner of yesteryears Javagal Srinath. The Venkatesh Prasad Cred ad left fans in awe as his Twitter handle was flooded with comments from former cricketers and fans. The ad also featured other former cricketers Maninder Singh, and Saba Karim Here's the video of the Venkatesh Prasad Cred ad.

Venkatesh Prasad net worth

Several unconfirmed reports suggest that the Venkatesh Prasad net worth is estimated to be around INR 10 crore. The pacer's income comprises the salary he receives from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for being a retired cricketer. Prasad also has made sporadic appearances in television ads, with the latest example being Cred's new commercial. Moreover, the former cricketer currently serves as the Deputy General Manager for Canara Bank. While not many details are known about the Venkatesh Prasad house, he is believed to be a resident of Bengaluru, where he resides with his family.

Disclaimer: The above Venkatesh Prasad net worth and Venkatesh Prasad house information is sourced from various websites/ media reports. The website does not guarantee a 100% accuracy of the figures.

Image: Cricket Classics / Youtube