Major teams Sri Lanka, Asia XI, Central Province, Colombo District Cricket Association, ICC World XI, Kandurata, Kings XI Punjab, Marylebone Cricket Club, Nondescripts Cricket Club, Warwickshire

Batting style Left-hand bat

Bowling style Right-arm offbreak

Fielding position Wicketkeeper

Batting and fielding averages

	Mat	Inns	NO	Runs	HS	Ave	BF	SR	100	50	4s	6s	Ct	St
Tests	81	134	9	6787	287	54.29	12145	55.88	18	30	890	19	153	20
ODIs	246	229	25	7408	138*	36.31	10024	73.90	10	48	733	30	227	64
T20Is	15	14	2	315	64*	26.25	293	107.50	0	2	33	3	8	7
First-class	166	263	19	11171	287	45.78			26	54			314	33
List A	318	297	33	10098	156*	38.25			14	65			300	83
Twenty20	48	45	4	1249	94	30.46	986	126.67	0	9	138	22	27	12

Bowling averages

	Mat	Inns	Balls	Runs	Wkts	BBI	BBM	Ave	Econ	SR	4w	5w	10
Tests	81	2	66	38	0	-	-	-	3.45	-	0	0	0
ODIs	246	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
T20Is	15	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
First-class	166		192	108	1	1/13		108.00	3.37	192.0		0	0
List A	318	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Twenty20	48	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Career statistics

Test debut	Sri Lanka v South Africa at Galle, Jul 20-23, 2000 scorecard
Last Test	Sri Lanka v Pakistan at Galle, Jul 4-7, 2009 scorecard
Test statistics
ODI debut	Sri Lanka v Pakistan at Galle, Jul 5, 2000 scorecard
Last ODI	Sri Lanka v India at Colombo (RPS), Feb 8, 2009 scorecard
ODI statistics
T20I debut	England v Sri Lanka at Southampton, Jun 15, 2006 scorecard
Last T20I	Pakistan v Sri Lanka at Lord's, Jun 21, 2009 scorecard
T20I statistics
First-class debut	1997/98
Last First-class	Sri Lanka v Pakistan at Galle, Jul 4-7, 2009 scorecard
List A debut	1997/98
Last List A	Sri Lanka v India at Colombo (RPS), Feb 8, 2009 scorecard
Twenty20 debut	Nondescripts Cricket Club v Tamil Union Cricket and Athletic Club at Colombo (Moors), Aug 17, 2004 scorecard
Last Twenty20	Pakistan v Sri Lanka at Lord's, Jun 21, 2009 scorecard

Profile

Within months of breaking into the side at 22, Kumar Sangakkara became one of Sri Lanka's most influential players: a highly talented left-handed strokemaker, a slick wicketkeeper, a sharp-eyed strategist and an even sharper-tongued sledger, capable of riling even the most unflappable characters.

His arrival was relatively unexpected, for his domestic performances were relatively modest, but the selectors' judgement was immediately justified as he starred in his first tournament, the Singer Series 2000 against South Africa and Pakistan, as a wicketkeeper-cum-batsman. During the early days his wicketkeeping could be ragged at times, but his effortless batting oozed class from the start. He possesses the grace of David Gower but the attitude of an Australian. His approach is naturally aggressive and his greatest weakness is a capacity to over-react when the adrenaline really starts to pump. At the outset he was happier on the back foot but a fierce work ethic and a deep interest in the theory of batsmanship helped him round off his game, and he is now as comfortable driving through the covers as cutting behind point.

His arrival was bad news for the popular Romesh Kaluwitharana, who soon lost his place in both forms of the game, although he made intermittent comebacks as the selectors worried about overburdening Sangakkara. His arrival also helped solve the long-term search for a No. 3 batsman to fill the void left since the retirement of Asanka Gurusinha. The exhausting dual responsibility of batting at No. 3 and keeping wicket is the source of widespread debate and the selectors relieved him of the gloves in one-day cricket after the 2003 World Cup. The change increased his productivity as a batsman but left the team unbalanced and he was handed back the wicketkeeping duties during Australia's tour in 2003-04. Unlike before, this time the extra burden had no effect on his batting. For a time the selectors indicated a desire for him to concentrate on his batting in Test cricket, but the rapid improvement of his keeping means that he was handed back the gloves to give the team balance.

A charismatic personality and an astute thinker - he is training to be a lawyer between tours - Sangakarra is tipped as a potential future captain. He was rewarded for his consistent performances with a spot in the ICC World XI for the Super Series one-day matches in October 2005, but was surprisingly overlooked for the Test squad. However, his form has remained superbly consistent for Sri Lanka and he reached new heights in July 2006 when he added a world record 624 for the third wicket, against South Africa at Colombo, and his share was 287. He followed that with back-to-back centuries on tour in New Zealand, twin unbeaten double-centuries against Bangladesh, and a glorious 192 in defeat against Australia, to confirm his standing among the best wicketkeeper-batsmen of all time. He then anchored Sri Lanka's victorious 2008 Asia Cup campaign with three centuries. Perhaps his most exemplary innings under pressure was the 59 off 133 balls in the tri-series final in Mirpur in 2009 to help Sri Lanka break out of jail at 6 for 5.
Charlie Austin January 2009

Timeline

May 20, 2000
Mauling in Moratuwa

Scores a blistering unbeaten 156 for Sri Lanka A, against Zimbabwe A. Is later rewarded with a place in the national side in the upcoming triangular involving South Africa and Pakistan.

July 6, 2000
Start as you mean to go

His first Man-of-the-Match award, in his second ODI. Scores 85 against South Africa, ends his debut series with 199 runs at 66.33. Is selected for the Tests against South Africa.

August 15-16, 2001
First Test century

He has missed the mark twice, getting out in the nineties, but fights the nerves and the shortage of batsmen this time in Galle against India, and finishes the century in Muttiah Muralitharan's company.

Read All »

Showing 1 of 5 Next

Best Performances

230 v Pakistan, Lahore, 2001-02

It's the final of the Asian Test Championship, and Sangakkara has just about started to get into his own. After lacklustre Pakistan batting, Sangakkara bats for three hours longer than the Pakistan innings, and scores only four less than their total. After Marvan Atapattu's golden duck, Sangakkara's eight-hour 230, taking only 327 balls and including 33 fours and three sixes, features partnerships of 203 with Jayasuriya and 173 with Jayawardene. This is his first double century - first of many to come.

232 and 64 v South Africa, Colombo, 2004

Sri Lanka have never won a series against South Africa, but are helped when Jacques Kallis drops Sangakkara on 57 in the second Test. He goes on to score a double century full of trademark flowing drives and also hooks and cuts on anything short. In all, he bats for 529 minutes, faces 357 balls and hits 31 fours and a six before edging to slip as South Africa belatedly fight back on day two. But Sangakkara seals the series win with 64 in the second innings to set a mammoth target of 493.

157* v West Indies, Kandy, 2005

Back to his school ground, Sangakkara sees Sri Lanka get out for their lowest total against West Indies. After the bowlers stage a comeback to secure a two-run first-innings lead, Sri Lanka again lose two early wickets. That's when Sangakkara takes charge and single-handedly sets up a winning total. His 157 contains 24 boundaries and involves partnerships with lower order too. Muttiah Muralitharan later obliges by running through the West Indies batting.

Read All »

Showing 1 of 2 Next