One last time!

Sanath Jayasuriya made his debut in the World Cup in 1992 as a lower middle order batsman who could bowl a bit. In his first match against Zimbabwe, he was involved in the winning 313-run chase contributing 32 with the bat and 0/18 with the ball in 3 overs of left-arm spin. In fact, in his debut tournament, he played in only six of the eight matches Sri Lanka played.

Jayasuriya came to the fore in the World Cups in the 1996 tournament with partner Romesh Kaluwitharana and rewrote the rules of opening the batting in the first 15 overs. He was the senior of the two partners and was overshadowed only by the mercurial Aravinda de Silva.

After a lean patch a couple of years ago, Jayasuriya has come back into form of late and in ODIs since January 2006, has scored 1319 runs in 33 matches at an astounding average of 45.48. This includes five centuries and four fifties. Having played all but one of these matches away from home makes this record even more significant.

Jayasuriya is definitely in his last World Cup and will want to go out on a high. He has the game to make that happen and although his recent series against India wasn't the best (96 runs in 4 matches), he is a real danger to the opposition. Sri Lanka will surely make it to the Super Eight stage along with India and that is when the real tournament starts. His team-mate Kumara Sangakkara has said the he, along with Brian Lara and Sachin Tendulkar, is the player to watch out for.

Over the years, Jayasuriya has made the opening batting slot his own and with a new partner in Upul Tharanga, has provided many a flyer to the Sri Lanka team. Can he take Sri Lanka to another title? Is there enough petrol in the tank for one last charge? If his recent form and commitment to the team are anything to go by, he will certainly make a difference. And whether you support Sri Lanka or not, watch their games just for Jayasuriya he's worth it.

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