Muttiah Muralitharan

Muttiah Muralitharan was born on April 17, 1972, in Kandy, Sri Lanka, into a Tamil family. He was educated at St. Anthony's College, Kandy, where he developed his unique bowling style. Muralitharan was born with a congenital condition that prevented him from fully straightening his right arm, which gave his off-breaks an unusual trajectory and ferocious spin that batsmen found exceptionally difficult to read. He made his Test debut against Australia at Colombo in August 1992, and though his early career was overshadowed by controversy surrounding his bowling action, he persevered with remarkable mental strength to become the most successful bowler in cricket history.

The action controversy reached its peak in December 1995 when Australian umpire Darrell Hair no-balled Muralitharan seven times for throwing during a Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The incident deeply affected him and sparked an international debate. However, extensive biomechanical testing at the University of Western Australia and by the University of Hong Kong demonstrated that his unusual action was due to his inability to straighten his arm, not illegal bowling. The ICC eventually cleared him and, in 2005, revised its rules to allow up to 15 degrees of elbow extension for all bowlers. Undeterred by the controversy, Muralitharan developed the doosra -- a delivery that turns from leg to off for a right-handed batsman -- adding a devastating weapon to his already potent off-break and top-spinner. The combination made him virtually unplayable on turning surfaces.

Over an 18-year Test career, Muralitharan rewrote bowling records. He finished with 800 Test wickets in 133 matches at an average of 22.72, with 67 five-wicket hauls and 22 ten-wicket match hauls -- all of which are all-time records. He took his 800th and final Test wicket in his last match against India at Galle in July 2010, dismissing Pragyan Ojha to reach the landmark. In ODI cricket, he took 534 wickets in 350 matches, also an all-time record. Together with batting partner Kumar Sangakkara and pace bowler Chaminda Vaas, Muralitharan was the cornerstone of Sri Lankan cricket's golden era. He played county cricket for Lancashire and Kent, and featured in the IPL for the Chennai Super Kings. He was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in 2017, solidifying his legacy as arguably the greatest match-winner in the history of the sport.