Player of the Tournaments in World Cups

#6 Sanath Jayasuriya, Sri Lanka - 1996

Jayasuriya changed the way 50 Overs Cricket was played

One of the 50 overs greats of all time, Sanath Jayasuriya, is known for his power striking and the ability to make use of the fielding restrictions while opening the batting for Sri Lanka. Jayasuriya also went on to captain the Sri Lankan side with decent amount of success.

In the 1996 World Cup, Jayasuriya changed the face of not only Sri Lankan cricket but world Cricket at large.

Jayasuriya along with Romesh Kaluwitharana introduced the modern trend of going after the bowlers in the fielding restrictions, now known as the Powerplay overs.

With this strategy, Sri Lanka would get off to a flying start during the course of the World Cup and the middle order could play their game, not having to worry too much about the run rate.

With 221 runs in the tournament and seven wickets with his more than useful spin bowling, Jayasuriya played a massive role in Sri Lanka clinching the World Cup Title in 1996 and was adjudged as the Man of the Tournament.

The first player to feature in 400 ODIs, Jayasuriya, played for many T20 franchises around the world, including the Mumbai Indians in IPL. The left-hander retired from limited overs cricket in 2011.