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With the likes of Tillakaratne Dilshan, Sanath Jayasuriya, Kumar Sangakkara, and Mahela Jayawardena bolstering the top order for Sri Lanka for several years, the Lions were in search of a genuine all-rounder, who can bat lower down the order and chip in with a few overs with the ball. In 2008, the Lankans introduced an effervescent youngster named Angelo Mathews in the ODI series against Zimbabwe at Harare. Earlier, the name of Mathews started doing rounds in the U19 World Cup of 2006. Looking at his talent, the Lankan management made sure that the teenager was drafted in the side at the highest level early in career. Mathews soon made rapid strides at the international level and booked his berth in the national side in all three formats of the game. He made a mark for himself during his career-best performance of 6/19 against India. However, Mathews became a household name during the 2009 T20 World Cup in England where he plucked an incredible catch on the ropes. During the tournament, where Sri Lanka reached the final but faced defeat against their Asian rivals Pakistan, the all-rounder played an integral part in the Sri Lankan campaign. He was part of the 4M’s for the Lions in the coveted multilateral competition featuring Muttiah Muralitharan, Angelo Mendis and Lasith Malinga. From there on, Angelo grew leaps and bounds in stature as an all-rounder in all formats of the game. He was bagged by the Delhi Daredevils, Kolkata Knight Riders and the now-defunct Pune Warriors India in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Due to his tactical acumen and composure, Mathews was handed the captaincy of the Sri Lankan team in 2013, taking over from Jayawardena. With the Sri Lankan heavyweights retiring one by one, the onus was on Angelo Matthews to lead the pack during a tumultuous transition phase. Angelo did justice to his duty by leading from the front. During one of the games against Australia, chasing 240,
