muttiah muralitharan – Artifex.News

IPL 2026: Balanced surfaces could see games becoming tighter, says Muralitharan

admin — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 13:31:00 +0000

Sunrisers Hyderabad bowling coach Muttiah Muralitharan with Mumbai Indians mentor Sachin Tendulkar on April 29, 2026.
| Photo Credit: AP

Muttiah Muralitharan isn’t surprised by the run-fest that the Indian Premier League has turned into in the ongoing edition, but the Sunrisers Hyderabad spin-bowling coach believes the answer lies in balanced surfaces, not the size of boundaries.

Minutes after SRH overhauled the target of 244 against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede — the fourth-highest successful run chase in IPL history — Muralitharan pointed to tracks rather than dimensions as the key lever.

Published – April 30, 2026 07:01 pm IST

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Muttiah Muralitharan Says No One Will Break His Test Wickets Record, Gives This Reason

admin — Tue, 10 Sep 2024 02:00:11 +0000

Legendary Sri Lankan bowler Muttiah Muralitharan has expressed concern about the future of Test cricket. The off-spinner, who holds the record for the most wickets taken by any bowler in Test history with 800, admitted that he does not think his record would be broken by any bowler anytime soon. Muralitharan stated that cricketers nowadays focus on shorter formats, and therefore lack the consistency to near his record. He also expressed worry at decreasing viewership in many countries when it comes to Test cricket.

“I am definitely worried about Test cricket,” said Muralitharan, speaking to English newspaper Daily Mail.

“Every country will play maybe only six or seven Test matches. England and Australia might play the Ashes. But, in some other countries, not many people are watching. There will be very little Test cricket,” he added.

Muralitharan stated a fundamental reason behind why his record may not be surpassed for a long time.

“It’s very hard (for someone to surpass 800 Test wickets), because emphasis has shifted to short-form cricket. Also, we played for 20 years. Careers are shorter now,” he said.

The closest bowlers to Muralitharan’s record are Australian spinner Nathan Lyon (530 wickets) and Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin (516). However, Lyon is 36 and Ashwin is 37, and are unlikely to reach Muralitharan’s total before they retire. English fast bowler James Anderson recently retired on 704 wickets, the third-highest of all time.

Among bowlers below the age of 30, South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada has the highest Test wickets, with 299.

“Consistency is the problem. It’s not about how good they are, because they all are talented. The only thing is how can they become experienced? Nowadays, it’s difficult. There are too many tournaments and things in their heads,” Muralitharan added.

Muralitharan’s own country, Sri Lanka, are one of the Test-playing nations who’ve seen a downfall in viewership and performance, particularly after the retirement of stalwarts like himself, Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara.

In the just-concluded Test series between England and Sri Lanka, hosts England won 2-1. However, Sri Lanka ended the series on a high with an eight-wicket win.

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Did Muttiah Muralitharan Dance On ‘Tauba Tauba’ In Viral Video – Here’s The Truth

admin — Wed, 31 Jul 2024 11:16:36 +0000

A video has gone viral on social media featuring a dancer who looks extremely like legendary Sri Lanka spinner Muttiah Muralitharan. In the video, the dancer was seen grooving to the famous song “Tauba Tauba” featuring actor Vicky Kaushal from the film “Bad Newz”. The video quickly gained popularity among the social media users and a lot of them were convinced that it was indeed Muralitharan who could be seen shaking a leg. However, the dancer in the video was not Muralitharan and it was actually a choreographer called Kiran. He earned a lot of praise for his dance moves and the execution of the video.

Muralitharan’s got some sick moves dayumnnn pic.twitter.com/HwLDUmAule

— (@anubhav__tweets) July 30, 2024

Meanwhile, Rinku Singh and Suryakumar Yadav‘s late bowling efforts combined with Washington Sunder’s Super Over show helped India beat Sri Lanka in the third T20I.

muttiah muralitharan post retirement life pic.twitter.com/TAohqNQrXh

— Ajatshatru (@vernaculartube) July 29, 2024

Chasing a below-par 138, the hosts had a brilliant start with openers Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis raising a 58-run partnership for the first wicket.

Don’t tell me he’s NOT Muttiah Muralitharan??

Anyway, love this! https://t.co/fGPZsl5T6X

— Archana Kadam (@auk_sanejourno) July 30, 2024

Spinner Ravi Bishnoi broke the opening stand in the ninth over. Kusal Perera joined Mendis in the middle and stitched another big partnership of 52 runs to lay the foundation for a comfortable win. However, Bishnoi once again gave the hosts a jolt by removing Mendis (43) in the 16th over.

At that time, Sri Lanka needed 28 runs off 28 balls. But things took a left turn for the hosts as their batting faltered agonisingly and were reduced to 132/6 in 19 overs. Rinku Singh bagged two wickets including the scalp of Perera (46) in the penultimate over of the innings which was his first of the match.

In the final over, surprisingly Suryakumar came on to defend six runs off six balls. Astonishingly, he did wonders and restricted Sri Lanka to 137/8, the exact total that India posted to tie the match.

The match went into the Super Over in which Washington Sundar dismissed both Kusal Perera and Pathum Nissanka to restrict Sri Lanka to 2/2 in 0.3 overs.

In reply, Suryakumar hit a boundary of the first ball off Maheesh Theekshana‘s Super Over to stay unbeaten in the series.

(With IANS inputs)

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“Please Pay Us”: World Cup-Winning India Star Reveals This IPL Team Did Not Give Salary To Anyone

admin — Sat, 11 May 2024 13:16:22 +0000

The IPL 2024 is heading towards its business ned. Eight of the 10 teams which are playing are old ones, while Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants are two relatively new teams. There were several other teams which have been part of the IPL but are now no longer there due to various reasons including ownership changes. Deccan Chargers, Gujarat Lions, Kochi Tuskers Kerala, Rising Pune Super Giants have ceased to exist due to various reasons.

Former Indian cricket team star player Sreesanth, who was part of the Kochi Tuskers Kerala team, said that he is yet to be paid by the franchise.

“They have to pay a lot of money. They still haven’t. You should get Muralitharan sir (Muttiah Muralitharan), you should get Mahela (Mahela Jayawardene) and in your show they will only tell you. McCullum was also there, and Jadeja,” Sreesanth said on ‘The Ranveer Show’.

“Please guys, BCCI has literally paid you, I think. Please pay us…anyway whenever you’re paying, remember the 18% interest every year. I feel by the team my kid gets married, we will definitely receive the money (laughs). The team was supposed to be three years, and the team got terminated in the first year. I think no one has spoken about it. Even now when the players meet, they talk about it. NOt a single international cricket is talking for it. “

Sreesanth on Friday backed Hardik Pandya‘s selection in the T20 World Cup squad, saying the all-rounder’s presence alongside Virat Kohli will make for a “great combination” when chasing tricky totals.

But Sreesanth, one of India’s best outswing bowlers in the post-Kapil Dev era, supported the move.

“We have seen what he can do on the field minus this year’s IPL. The way he’s been batting and the way he’s been bowling, for the country, he even led the country in one series and we won,” Sreesanth remarked during a discussion on Star Sports.

“It was asked to Rohit about that and he said sometimes I’m the captain and sometimes I’m not. But that doesn’t change the team’s aura and atmosphere.

“So, it’s one good thing that Hardik Pandya comes in and bats, especially when he’s chasing and Virat is on the other side, I think the combination they create is great.”

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“Indian Cricket Is In Good Shape Because Of IPL,” Says Muttiah Muralitharan

admin — Thu, 14 Sep 2023 11:27:41 +0000

Legendary Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan said that Indian cricket is in good shape because of the Indian Premier League (IPL), which has given the country a lot of cricketing talent. Muralitharan in an exclusive conversation with ANI talked about cricket, Sri Lanka, the movie ‘800’, an upcoming Indian Tamil language biopic on him etc. “It (IPL) has given players something to look forward to. It has given them a lot of money and opportunities. IPL has given a lot of talent to India as well. There are so many talented players. Now, like the IPL, many leagues like the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) have started. Players from here get selected to play IPL as well. Indian cricket is in good shape because of IPL,” said Muralitharan.

Talking about the fitness standards of the Sri Lankan side, Muralitharan said that the players did not get a proper physio till the mid-1990s.

“When we were an unbeatable side, the fitness levels were really good. But before this, we did not have trainers. Cricketers played an amateur game back then. On a tour, we had to buy almost everything by ourselves and had just our manager and physio. We could not afford it (trainers),” said the spinner.

“I had not even heard of a gym when I started playing. We used to run five rounds in the ground after eating all sorts of things in the morning. It was only in 1995 that we got a proper physio. We got our first sponsor in 1995 as well. Even the match fee for my first-ever Test was Rs 2,000. Even the Indian team faced such issues back then, but they were relatively okay because they had sponsors.”

“Money came into cricket in 1996 because of Dalmiya (Jagmohan Dalmiya, former BCCI president and ICC president). He brought in Wills as a sponsor and there was a TV rights deal too. He made everything possible and whatever we are enjoying is because of his professionalism,” he said.

A master of realpolitik and a genius with money, Jagmohan Dalmiya is the man most responsible for turning the gentleman’s game into a global sport of big money and a reach well beyond its traditional bastions. His commercial skills and flair for striking deals turned round the cash-strapped ICC’s fortunes.

Muralitharan pointed out that it was only in the mid to late 1990s that Asian teams like Sri Lanka, and India started building various facilities, stadiums and gyms.

“After 1996, India and Sri Lanka started building stadiums, gyms etc. Australia, New Zealand, England, and South Africa had facilities earlier, which is why they were so dominating. Now, we are dominating because we have the right facilities. We have the IPL, the richest board is India and India is the powerhouse,” he added.

Talking about the organisation of the Asia Cup in Sri Lanka, during a season of heavy rains and criticism from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) about hosting the tournament in SL, Muralitharan said, “One thing that they could done was play in Bangladesh. The weather over there is good I think. Or else, they could have played in Dubai.”

Notably, Sri Lanka will play Pakistan in Colombo on Thursday. The winner will join India in the final on September 17 in Colombo.

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“Sachin Tendulkar Was A Genius From Day One,” Says Muttiah Muralitharan

admin — Thu, 14 Sep 2023 11:16:51 +0000

New Delhi :

Sri Lankan spin legend Muttiah Muralitharan has said that Sachin Tendulkar was a “genius from day one” and no cricketer can be like the Indian batting maestro. Muralitharan, who has the highest number of wickets in international cricket, told ANI in an interview that the upcoming biopic ‘800′ is not only about his cricket but also about what happened beyond the game. The bowling legend talked about his cricketing duels with Sachin on the pitch and how he wished that the Indian batter got out quickly.

“No cricketer can ever be like Sachin. Because at 14 years of age, he got a first-class hundred, at 16 years of age he represented the country, and at the age of 17, he got a century for them. That is impossible.”

Muralitharan, who retired from international Test cricket in 2010, said he played under seven captains.

“See, I know my skill. I also know what he (Sachin) will try to do. It is a guess game, like a chess game. You pray that he gets out as quickly as possible. I have played under seven captains in 20 years. I will recall an incident from 2007. We (Sri Lanka), Bermuda, Bangladesh and India were in the same group (in 2007 50-over World Cup). Only two teams could go further. We were playing India. We thought Sachin was going to open in the tournament, but thank god, he batted at number four. When Dilhara Fernando got his wicket, India lost while chasing 255,” he said.

“In the 1996 World Cup, the wicket used to turn a lot. When Sachin was batting (in the semis chasing 252), India was 70/1. It looked like a batting wicket. But (after) he got out, India (team was reduced to) 120/7. He makes things easier than others, he plays like that. For us, getting him out was more important. When he got out, the hopes of the entire India went down, but our hopes would go up,” he added.

Talking about his relationship with Sachin, Muralitharan said the Indian legend is a “down-to-earth” person.

“As a good friend, I would say he is very down to earth. I have never seen such a larger-than-life character, with a billion people expecting so much from him. More than a colleague, I am also a fan. I was mesmerised by what he could do as a youngster. It was unbelievable. I struggled for my first six to seven years when I started, only in the latter part I cruised through. But Sachin was a genius from day one,” he said.

Muralitharan, who retired from Tests in 2010, said that when he asked Sachin about releasing the trailer of the movie, the former cricketer readily agreed.

“I also thought of calling Jayasuriya (Sanath Jayasuriya, former Sri Lanka all-rounder who was present at the launch of the trailer) for the launch. He started out a bit earlier than me, but we finished together. He was tremendous as a player and captain. He changed the way ODI cricket is played,” he added.

Muralitharan said the biopic ‘800′ talks about his achievement of wickets and the success of the Sri Lankan team against the odds.

“It is also about what happened beyond cricket. It talks about how I achieved that 800-wicket mark…how my country went through a civil war, the success of the Sri Lankan team. I have seen glimpses of the movie. It comes out really nice, hope people will enjoy it,” he said.

Sachin and former Sri Lanka skipper Sanath Jayasuriya unveiled the trailer in Mumbai on September 5. The biopic is set to be released on October 6.

Member of the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame, Muralitharan is widely regarded as one of the greatest bowlers in the history of the sport and is the only bowler to take 800 Test wickets and 530 ODI wickets. He is also the highest wicket-taker in both Test and ODI formats and averages over six wickets per Test match.

Muralitharan dismissed Tendulkar 13 times in his career.

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