5 cricketers who went down the political path

#4 Arjuna Ranatunga

The original Captain Cool, Ranatunga was responsible for Sri Lanka's first mark of authority as a major cricket nation on the global landscape, as he led them to an emphatic win over the favorites Australia in the 1996 World Cup final. In a career spanning close to two decades, he was with Sri Lanka from their inaugural Test to the time they became a serious force to reckon with.

Ranatunga's impeccable captaincy skills meant that he was a popular figure among all strata of people back home and with a father for a politician, it was always meant to be for him.

He entered into politics by joining the Sri Lanka Freedom Party led by Chandrika Kumaratunga and had a shot at a greater leadership role he had held all his life by contesting the 2001 parliamentary elections with PA from Colombo District. After the UPFA victory in 2004, he was appointed Deputy Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment Promotion.

Like Sidhu, Ranatunga has also had his loyalties constantly shifting, leaving the UPFA and joining the Democratic Party of the DNA in 2010. Two years later came an exit from the Democratic Party and the association with DNA remained intact.