Sri Lanka has been a land of brilliant spinners. This country has given the games many spin magicians who have performed in all parts of the world. The likes of Muttiah Muralitharan, Rangana Herath, and Ajantha Mendis are among the best. But not just the spinners; the Sri Lankan batters are also among the best.
Sanath Jayasuriya, Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, and Dilshan were of the same batch when Sri Lanka was among the top teams. These batters are also among the most prolific ODI century scorers. In fact, Sangakkara is the only batter in history to have scored four consecutive ODI centuries. And now we’ll look at the Sri Lankan batter with the most hundreds in ODI.
Most Centuries in ODI by Sri Lanka
| Batter | Span | Mts | 100s | Runs | 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sanath Jayasuriya | 1989-2011 | 441 | 28 | 13364 | 68 |
| Kumar Sangakkara | 2000-2015 | 397 | 25 | 13975 | 90 |
| Tillakaratne Dilshan | 1999-2016 | 330 | 22 | 10290 | 47 |
| Mahela Jayawardene | 1998-2015 | 443 | 18 | 12381 | 75 |
| Upul Tharanga | 2005-2019 | 234 | 15 | 6941 | 37 |
| Marvan Atapattu | 1990-2007 | 268 | 11 | 8529 | 59 |
| Aravinda de Silva | 1984-2003 | 308 | 11 | 9284 | 64 |
| Kusal Perera | 2013-2021 | 107 | 6 | 3071 | 15 |
| Lahiru Thirimanne | 2010-2019 | 127 | 4 | 3194 | 21 |
| Dinesh Chandimal | 2010-2022 | 157 | 4 | 3854 | 35 |
5. Upul Tharanga – 15 Centuries in 234 games
Former Sri Lankan opener Upul Tharanga is among the fifth highest century makers. He was a solid opening batter who carried forward the legacy of Sanath Jayasuriya. Tharanga made his ODI debut in August 2005 against the West Indies. He also holds the record for the joint-most ODI centuries (5) in a calendar year for Sri Lanka. Tharanga played 234 games and scored 6941 runs at 33.85. He scored 15 centuries and 37 half-centuries in his career.
4. Mahela Jayawardene – 18 Centuries in 443 games
Former Sri Lankan skipper Mahela Jayawardene was among the best batters in the game during his era. His composure at the crease and timing were great to watch. Jayawardene was the third-most capped player in the history of 50-over cricket. He played a total of 443 ODIs and scored 12381 runs at 33.01. Jayawardene also scored 18 centuries in his career, including one in the 2011 World Cup final. He also scored 75 half-centuries in his career.
3. Tillakaratne Dilshan – 22 Centuries in 330 games
Tillakaratne Dilshan was one of the few players who has played all roles in the game. He has kept wickets for Sri Lanka, batted in the middle order, played as an opener, and also bowled and taken wickets as well. Dilshan got his success in the later half of his career, when he was promoted to open the inning, and things changed from that moment on. He played 330 ODIs and scored 10290 runs with 22 centuries and 47 half centuries, along with 106 wickets as well.
2. Kumar Sangakkara – 25 Centuries in 397 ODI games
Former Sri Lankan wicketkeeper and the man with most international runs for his country, Kumar Sangakkara, is second on the list. In fact, Sangakkara has scored the most international centuries (63) for his country, but in ODIs, he is second. Sangakkara was among the most prolific scorers in the game. He played 397 games and scored 13975 runs at 41.95. He also scored 25 centuries and 90 half centuries (most for Sri Lanka) in ODI cricket.
1. Sanath Jayasuriya – 28 Centuries in 441 ODI games
Sanath Jayasuriya played the most number of matches in 50-over cricket after Sachin Tendulkar (466). He played for over two decades, from 1989 to 2011. Jayasuriya was the face of Sri Lanka’s batting during his time. He played 441 games and scored 13364 runs at 32.51. He also made 28 centuries and 68 half-centuries in 50-over cricket. Not many know that he was more than part-time bowler and had mare ODI wickets than Shane Warne (293), Zaheer Khan (282) and Saqlain Mushtaq (288). Jayasuriya took 323 wickets, with a best of 6/29.