Former Test cricketer Malinda Pushpakumara reached a major milestone in domestic cricket by taking 1,000 wickets in First-class cricket. He is now the fourth Sri Lankan to achieve this record and the third active player to do so. Pushpakumara is 38 years old and last played for Sri Lanka in 2018.

He reached the milestone while playing for Badureliya Sports Club against Moors Sports Club in the Sri Lanka Major League three-day tournament. With this achievement, he joined an elite group of Sri Lankan bowlers that includes Muthiah Muralidharan (1,374 wickets), Rangana Herath (1,080 wickets), and Dinuka Hettiarachchi (1,001 wickets).

Pushpakumara also has one of the best strike rates among bowlers who have taken 1,000 wickets. When he reached the milestone, he was 11th on the all-time list. All bowlers with better strike rates than him played before the First World War.

Also read -SCO vs SIX Dream11 Prediction Playing XI: Qualifier 1, Big Bash League, 2026 Fantasy Cricket Tips, Team, and Pitch Report

Pushpakumara third active player to reach the milestone

Coming into the match, the 38-year-old Malinda Pushpakumara had 998 wickets. He finished the match with figures of 7/137 and took his total to 1,005 wickets. He became the 218th player to reach 1,000 wickets in first-class (red-ball) cricket, but he is only the third active player to achieve this milestone.

The other two active players to reach this mark are Simon Harmer of South Africa and James Anderson of England. Harmer achieved the feat last year, while Anderson reached it in 2021. Among active players, the next closest after Pushpakumara is Australia spinner Nathan Lyon, who has 860 wickets in first-class cricket.

Pushpakumara’s international career

Pushpakumara has played four Test matches and two ODIs for Sri Lanka. He made his Test debut against India in August 2017 and picked up five wickets across the two innings he bowled against them. He also played two Test matches against England and took nine wickets in four innings. His last Test appearance came in November 2018 against England.

In ODIs, Pushpakumara played two matches, both against India, in August and September 2017. Although his international career was short, he has been a consistent performer in domestic cricket.

1,000 first-class wickets at sub-40 strike rate

Below are the bowlers with 1,000 or more first-class wickets and a strike rate under 40. Numbers are updated until Pushpakumara reached the milestone.

Pushpakumara also holds one of the best first-class bowling records on Sri Lankan soil. In the 2018/19 season, he became only the second bowler, after Pramodya Wickramasinghe, to take all ten wickets in an innings in Sri Lanka.

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) legend Ravichandran Ashwin said that being ambitious and confident from an early age helped him succeed at all levels. The Tamil Nadu off-spinner recently announced his IPL retirement, months after leaving international cricket.

Ashwin started his IPL career in 2009 with CSK and helped the team win back-to-back titles in 2010 and 2011. He is also the fifth-highest wicket-taker in IPL history, with 187 wickets in 221 matches. Ashwin also has an impressive international record, taking 765 wickets in 287 matches across all formats.

Also Read -Shubman Gill to become India's future all-format captain? Former CSK bowler makes huge prediction

Ashwin Reflects on His Career

Days after announcing his IPL retirement on his YouTube channel, Ravichandran Ashwin said:

"Had anyone said I would achieve so much at the start of my career, I would have been surprised. When you first try to make it big, the world will often oppose you, saying 'He's an overthinker, over ambitious, and too big to fit in the glove.' I have heard many such things about myself. But if I am not ambitious about my own life, who will be?"

He continued: 

"Even when I played for CSK, Muttiah Muralitharan was the main off-spinner. Many said, 'There is no way two off-spinners will play.' But I wanted to prove people wrong and thought, 'I'll make them play two off-spinners.' I see that as my confidence. I even said I'll play ahead of Muralitharan. This is not me belittling him. I just wanted to reach his level."

Ashwin is the eighth-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket with 537 wickets, including 37 five-wicket hauls.

IPL 2025 and Career Stats

Ravichandran Ashwin had a poor IPL 2025 season with CSK. The team bought him for ₹9.75 crore, marking his return after his first stint ended in 2015. He picked up only seven wickets in nine matches, with an average of over 40 and an economy of 9.12. CSK finished at the bottom of the table with four wins in 14 games.

After CSK, Ashwin played for Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS), Punjab Kings (PBKS), Delhi Capitals (DC), and Rajasthan Royals (RR) from 2016 to 2024. He ended his international career with 765 wickets in 287 matches. In the IPL, he took 187 wickets in 220 matches. Apart from bowling, Ashwin also scored six centuries in Test cricket.

An important cricket match happened in 2011 that indian fans in India will never forget. It was the World Cup final and India played against Sri Lanka. India hadn't won the trophy for an entire 28 years, but in that game, with players such as MS Dhoni who was the Captain of the team and all the other good players, India won it again. There was this specific decision that got everyone speaking, though. Dhoni chose to go play before Yuvraj Singh, even though Yuvraj was doing great in all the other games before.

MS Dhoni Reveals Why He Promoted Himself Above Yuvraj Singh in the ICC World Cup 2011 Final

India had to bat after Sri Lanka, and they didn't start well because they lost wickets quickly. But then Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli worked hard and got partnership. Even though India lost some good players early, such as Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar, they still kept going. After getting a large amount of runs, Virat had to got out, and that was a major moment in the game.

Sri Lanka got to bat first and they did very well, getting 274 runs before they had to stop after playing for a long time. Mahela Jayawardene was amazing and scored 103 runs all by himself which helped a lot for srilanka.

Dhoni revealed why he promoted himself up in the order in WC 2011 Final . pic.twitter.com/wjkoagIXGU

— MAHIYANK™ (@Mahiyank_78) February 2, 2025

Instead of sending in Yuvraj Singh, who had been India’s standout performer in the tournament, Dhoni walked in at No. 5. This move surprised fans and experts alike, but Dhoni recently shared the thought process behind it. Dhoni knew how to play against Randiv and Dilshan because he faced them before in the IPL, just like Muralitharan. This helped him make a sharp and informed choice when he decided to bat, not only because he wanted to.

ALSO READ: Not Abhishek Sharma these Players Smashed the fastest centuries in T20I

The Match-Winning Partnership

Dhoni teamed up with another player, Gambhir, and together they scored 109 runs. Even though Yuvraj Singh also got to play near the end and didn't get out, it was mostly because of Dhoni's sharp and informed thinking that India won. He hit 91 runs and only needed 79 balls to do it. Everyone will always remember what he did.

Muttiah Muralitharan to Invest ₹1600 Crore in Beverage Can Manufacturing Plant in Maharashtra

Muttiah Muralitharan, a very famous cricket player from Sri Lanka, is planning to spend a massive amount of ₹1,600 crore on a new facility for making beverage cans in Supa, close to Pune, Maharashtra. A new adventure means he's getting into the manufacturing skill and adding more variety to what he does besides cricket. Mister Muralitharan is noticeably excited about this plant being set up in the Supa Industrial Area because there's a major need for packaging that doesn't destroy the planet in India.

The plant is supposed to be of major importance in making quality aluminum cans that are good for the environment and can be recycled, which a lot of drink companies in India want. Not particularly striking is the fact that Muralitharan is getting into business ventures outside of cricket, but it's really good that his investment will help create jobs and make the local economy in that area of Maharashtra better.

🚨 Sri Lankan cricketer Murlidharan to invest ₹1600 crore in Beverage Can manufacturing plant at Supa near Pune, Maharashtra. pic.twitter.com/NsbeWquzOA

— Indian Tech & Infra (@IndianTechGuide) January 20, 2025

The plant is going to use some very modern technology to make sure they're making cans in a manner that doesn't hurt the environment, and they're planning to pump out millions of these cans every year for companies that sell drinks here and in other countries. Muralitharan himself is very glad about the entire thing. Mister Muralitharan said that India's market is booming and there's a major want for packaging that doesn't damage the earth. Mister Muralitharan's having the plan to meet that demand while making fully sure everything is top notch in terms of quality and being eco friendly. The government in Maharashtra is also very glad about Muralitharan's decision to invest his money here. They're ready to assist with whatever he needs to make this plant work because it's going to make the state's industrial scene even better.

ALSO READ: Indian cricketers who disappeared from the spotlight

To conclude this , there is, unsurprisingly, a lot of excitement about what this plant could mean for sustainable packaging in India. And again, to conclude this , it's very important to see someone such as Muralitharan leading the way in doing good for the planet while also growing the economy. Muralitharan's project is very good, owing to its focus on making packaging better for the environment, which goes hand in hand with what India wants: less plastic waste and more eco-friendly choices. By entering into this business, he's now part of several former sports stars who have turned into savvy business people, using their fame to do important things outside of just playing sports.sporting careers.

At the end of the two-match Test series against Bangladesh, Indian off-spinner and bowling all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin equalled legendary Sri Lankan off-spinner Muthiah Muralidaran’s world record in Test cricket. 

Ravichandran Ashwin was a key factor in India’s 2-0 home Test series win against Bangladesh. During the Chennai Test, Ashwin scored a crucial 113-run to rescue the Indian team in the first innings. Although he didn’t take any wickets during the first innings of Bangladesh, the off-spinner bagged six wickets (6/88) in the fourth innings of the match. India won that Chennai Test by 280 runs, and Ashwin won the Player of the Match award.

India won the Kanpur Test by seven wickets. Although the right-handed batter Ashwin scored only one run during India’s first innings, the off-spinner Ashwin took two and three wickets in the Test match (2/45 & 3/50).

SEE ALSO: Talented youngster Vaibhav Suryavanshi hits 58-ball hundred in youth Test

Most Test series awards

By scoring 114 runs and taking 11 wickets in the Test series, Ashwin won the Player of the Series award. It was his 11th Test series award, which equalled the world record for the most Test series awards.

Legendary Sri Lankan off-spinner Muthiah Muralidaran previously held the record for the most Test series awards alone, which he recorded 11 times. 

Players with the most Test series awards

Most Test series awards at home

While Ashwin equalled one of Muthiah Muralidaran’s Test world records, he also surpassed another Muralidaran’s Test world record.

The latest Test series award was Ashwin’s ninth Test series award at home. It surpassed the previous record of eight Test series awards at home by Muthiah Muralidaran. 

Players with the most Test series awards at home