Sanath Jayasuriya likes to keep himself busy at all times, and that reflects in his batting as well. The explosive Sri Lankan opener scored the first runs and the first boundary of the second IPL to get the Mumbai Indians off the blocks in the opener against the Chennai Super Kings on Saturday.

In an interview with The Sunday Express, Jayasuriya talked about playing cricket at 39, and about his special bond with Sachin Tendulkar. Excerpts:

You are regarded as the pioneer of big-hitting in modern-day cricket.

• It’s nice to be identified as one of the players who started the trend. It’s my natural game and I don’t know any other way to play. I’ve made some adjustments but this attacking brand has been my staple diet. It has worked for me for years.

Who amongst the young crop do you rate as the best attacking batsman?

• There are quite a few players who have come up, but Gautam Gambhir has been really good. He’s succeeded in all formats of the game. There are some others as well who are considered big hitters.

You have been around for more than a decade in international cricket. At 39, how long is it before you call it quits?

• (Laughs) Don’t ask me how long. I don’t know the answer myself. As long as my body says I’m fine, I’ll keep coming back to bat. I try and take it series by series without looking at any specific period of time. It’s been going well so far, and I hope to carry on. And I’m not even the oldest player here.

... contd.