Former Sri Lanka captain Arjuna Ranatunga. File
| Picture Credit score: Amol Karhadkar
Arjuna Ranatunga has by no means been one to melt his phrases, and forward of the India-Sri Lanka Take a look at sequence in August, the 1996 World Cup-winning captain gave a frank evaluation of the place the sport is headed and who’s responsible.
“T20 cricket has, in some ways, killed the expertise and expertise of gamers throughout the area — India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, everybody,” Ranatunga stated.
“At this time it’s all about power-hitting as a result of that’s what folks need.”
The consequence, he argues, is a technology with out the method to outlive the purple ball. He now not sees batters of the calibre of Sunil Gavaskar, Gundappa Vishwanath, Sachin Tendulkar or Mohammad Azharuddin, and isn’t satisfied as we speak’s stars will mentor the following technology the best way their seniors as soon as mentored him.
Method and dedication, he says, are the true casualties of the franchise period: gamers as soon as turned up with damaged fingers for his or her nation, however now sit out with niggles whereas grinding by means of ache for membership contracts.
He charges the present Sri Lankan crop as extra gifted than his personal 1996 facet, with one exception: “No person comes near Aravinda [de Silva]. He was the best expertise Sri Lanka has produced.”
On India’s present facet with out Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, Ranatunga was characteristically blunt — he’d again his previous bowling assault to dismiss them twice over. Requested about teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ranatunga turned protecting quite than vital. “Most significantly, let him be a toddler. He’s nonetheless a child”.
Revealed – July 06, 2026 12:50 am IST
