2008: A Versatile All-Rounder Makes His Debut Against Zimbabwe
In November 2008, Angelo Mathews, a very good all-rounder, made his debut for his country against Zimbabwe. He is a useful medium pace bowler who can bat anywhere in the middle order.
Angelo Mathews, an excellent all-round player, made his debut for his country in November 2008 against Zimbabwe. He can bat anywhere in the middle order and bowls at a good medium pace. Because of Mathews’ influence, he has established himself as a consistent player in all three game types and has calmly captained the Sri Lankan team.
Prodigy to Pro: Early Domestic Rise & Under-19 Captaincy of Angelo Mathews
Despite his inexperience, Mathews is incredibly knowledgeable and gifted and adept at adjusting to many situations. At the age of sixteen, he began playing for the Sri Lanka Under-19s, and he captained the squad at the 2006 Under-19 World Cup.
First Class Breakthrough: ‘A’ Team Call Up & Colts CC Heroics
He debuted in the First-Class in 2007–08, but it wasn’t until his second season that he made an impression, scoring 696 runs at 58 for Colts CC and earning a spot in the Sri Lanka ‘A’ team. With his team aiming for 250, Mathews scored an undefeated 99 during the South Africa trip. Chandika Hathurasingha, his coach, described it as a mature innings and said that every player can learn from it.
Mathews has performed admirably in his brief career thus far. In September 2008, Sri Lanka defeated the tenacious Kiwis thanks in part to the 51. In that match, he and Thilan Samaraweera combined for a game-winning 137-run stand. The star all-rounder dominated the Indian middle order in the very following game, recording a career-high 6/19.
The calm tactician takes the test helm as captaincy beckons (2013).
Mathews went from strength to strength with no turning back. In February 2013, he won the Sri Lankan Test leadership thanks to his calm manner and excellent tactical sense. Mathews, who had been the heir apparent for a long time, succeeded Mahela Jayawardene after the latter said he was reluctant to continue beyond the Australian tour.
Mathews has undoubtedly taken the lead. As a finisher in limited overs cricket, he has pulled off a number of heists. His outstanding 77 not out helped Sri Lanka surpass Australia’s 239 after a disastrous 107-8. His partnership with Lasith Malinga, which lasted 132 runs, would go down as one of the best rearguard moves in the history of the game. He is among the very few players who can provide an innings both fillip and ballast. Mathews is still bowling with energy and purpose in spite of a few severe leg injuries. Although he is accustomed to shouldering the new ball, he typically works in the middle overs, trying to squeeze the opposition with his quick cuts.
Immediate Global Impact: Six for vs. India & Match Winning Knocks
But after being proven ineffectual during his time with Kolkata and the now-defunct Pune in the Indian T20 League, he failed to attract any bidders at the 2014 auction. 2014 was a great year for Mathews. In March 2014, he guided Sri Lanka to their fifth Asia Cup victory. He then secured Sri Lanka’s first-ever Test series victory in England by hitting back-to-back hundreds against England at Lord’s and Headingley. Sri Lanka also won the ODI series 3-2 under his leadership. After the England visit, they defeated Pakistan 2-0 at home.
In November 2014, Mathews got his first ODI century against India, but Sri Lanka lost the match as Virat Kohli’s skill outshone them. They later suffered one of their worst losses in a bilateral series when they lost all five ODIs. After Sri Lanka’s crushing losses to New Zealand in the 2014–15 Test series and their inability to salvage the ODI series, Mathews faced a lot of criticism.
Difficult Times: 2015 World Cup Heartbreak, Form Slump, and Criticism
Mathews’ World Cup performance in 2015 was far from ideal. However, in their last Pool A match against Scotland, he scored the second-fastest fifty by a Sri Lankan in ODIs. He only needed 20 balls to reach his fifty. Following Sri Lanka’s lackluster defeat to South Africa in the quarterfinal, Mathew’s captaincy came under fire. After 2003, this was Sri Lanka’s first World Cup loss without making it to the semifinals.
Leading a Changing Sri Lanka: Achievements from the Post-Sanga and Mahela Era
Sangakkara and Jayawardene, two of Sri Lanka’s greatest players, retired in the years after 2015. This placed Mathews in charge of the extremely difficult transitional phase. It began with a defeat against India at home. During the journey to England, Sri Lanka’s situation deteriorated further as they lost all of their games in all forms and were on a terrible losing streak. However, in the home series against Australia, the world’s top team at the time, Mathews turned things around magnificently, blanking them 3-0 in the Tests and guiding Sri Lanka to their first-ever thumping by a major Test-playing country.
Franchise Footprints: Mixed T20 Fortunes & Expensive IPL Auctions
At the 2015 IPL auction, Mathews was purchased by the Delhi Daredevils for a total of Rs. 7.5 crores.
Despite his struggles with injuries and bowling stress, he is still regarded as one of the best all-rounders in the world today. The contract he won with the Delhi Daredevils in the 2017 IPL auction served as confirmation of it.
Less well-known information about Mathews: 1. In July 2013, Mathews wed his longtime lover Heshani Silva in a church in Colombo.
2. Living magazine in Sri Lanka selected Angelo Mathews the “Personality of the Year” in November 2010.
