Looks can be mighty deceptive. A fleeting glance at this overweight player would/could never tell you his achievements. Aggressive, arrogant, innovative and confrontational on the field while under his skipper's hat. Deft and cheeky when he had a bat in his hand to wield. Arjuna Ranatunga's leadership was solely responsible for lifting a tiny sleepy island nation to dizzying heights of world domination on the cricket field with the pinnacle culminating in the form of Sri Lanka lifting the 1996 World Cup under his leadership. Against all odds. Against all punditry.

A controversial mass leader, he epitomized what standing up for one's own mates meant. When umpire Ross Emerson called his bowler, Muttiah Muralitharan, for chucking during a Carlton and United One Dayer against England in Adelaide. he threatened to take his team off the field. He was also the pioneer when it came to reversing the psychology of opening the batting. His promotion of the hard hitting wicket-keeper, Romesh Kaluwitharana to the opening slot to take on the bowlers during the field restrictions at the start is well known folklore in the cricketing circles.

Despite his career being remembered for the skipper that he was, he was an iconic batsman for his side. An average of around 35 in 93 Tests doesn't quite do justice to his talent. His strokeplay through the off-side was particularly exquisite, much like most left-handers. Despite the inability to rake up the quick singles, thanks to his 'large' frame, he made it up with dazzling boundaries and deft placements all around the field. When not batting, he was in the mould of a military medium pacer.

He made his debut is Sri Lanka's inaugural Test match and was the rock that held the entire side together till 1999, post which he was sacked as the skipper following a dismal outing in the World Cup that year. Ironically, he was chosen as one of the five Wisden cricketers of that year. He bid goodbye to the game in 2001, leaving behind a massive legacy yet to be matched.

Like most iconic captains from the sub-continent, Ranatunga too got into politics soon after his retirement. He served as the chairman of the Sri Lankan Cricket board in 2008, but this time he ended up ruffling the feathers of his own officials. It doesn't come as a surprise that he survived the chair for less than a year. Nevertheless, it can never take away the fact that he was one of the finest individuals the game has ever seen.

Vineet Anantharaman