Kumar Sangakkara

Infobox cricketer biography
playername = Kumar Sangakkara
country = Sri Lanka
fullname = Kumar Chokshanada Sangakkara


living = true
dayofbirth = 27
monthofbirth = 10
yearofbirth = 1977
placeofbirth = Matale
countryofbirth = Sri Lanka
batting = Left-handed
bowling = Right arm off spin
role = Wicket-keeper
international = true
testdebutdate = 20 July
testdebutyear = 2000
testdebutagainst = South Africa
testc

lasttestdate = 8 August
lasttestyear = 2008
lasttestagainst = India
odidebutdate = 5 July
odidebutyear = 2000
odidebutagainst = Pakistan
odic

lastodidate = 29 August
lastodiyear = 2008
lastodiagainst = India
odishirt = 11
club1 = Nondescripts
year1 = 1997 – present
club2 = Warwickshire
year2 = 2007
deliveries = balls
columns = 4
column1 = Tests
matches1 = 76
runs1 = 6,356
bat avg1 = 54.79
100s/50s1 = 17/26
top score1 = 287
deliveries1 = 6
wickets1 = 0
bowl avg1 = –
fivefor1 = 0
tenfor1 = 0
best bowling1 = 0/4
catches/stumpings1 = 153/20
column2 = ODI
matches2 = 230
runs2 = 6,777
bat avg2 = 35.66
100s/50s2 = 10/42
top score2 = 138*
deliveries2 = –
wickets2 = –
bowl avg2 = –
fivefor2 = –
tenfor2 = –
best bowling2 = –
catches/stumpings2 = 210/58
column3 = FC
matches3 = 160
runs3 = 10,566
bat avg3 = 45.15
100s/50s3 = 24/50
top score3 = 287
deliveries3 = 132
wickets3 = 1
bowl avg3 = 74.00
fivefor3 = 0
tenfor3 = 0
best bowling3 = 1/13
catches/stumpings3 = 309/33
column4 = LA
matches4 = 300
runs4 = 9,435
bat avg4 = 38.04
100s/50s4 = 14/59
top score4 = 156*
deliveries4 = –
wickets4 = –
bowl avg4 = –
fivefor4 = –
tenfor4 = –
best bowling4 = –
catches/stumpings4 = 279/77
date = 20 September
year = 2008
source = http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/9/9506/9506.html CricketArchive

Kumar Chokshanada Sangakkara (born 27 October 1977 at Matale) is a Sri Lankan cricketer. He is a left-handed batsman and a wicket-keeper. Sangakkara got his education at Trinity College, Kandy. Sangakkara started his career as a batsman but subsequently became a wicket-keeper also. His keeping has developed to such an extent that he was once considered, by the LG ICC Test ratings, the best wicket-keeping batsman in the world. In 2006 however he gave the gloves to Prasanna Jayawardene in Tests and has since played as a specialist batsman. He remains Sri Lanka's wicket-keeper in One-Day International cricket.

Sangakkara likes to hit the ball square of the wicket on the off-side and once making a century he more often than not passes 150 in Test cricket. On the 6 December 2007 he was named as the new Number 1 batsman in the LG ICC Test player rankings with a rating of 938, the highest rating ever achieved by a Sri Lankan player, and became the first batsman ever to score in excess of 150 in four consecutive tests. [ [http://www.lgiccrankings.com LG ICC Cricket Rankings] retrieved March 3 2008] His skill was recognized worldwide when he earned selection for the ICC World XI One Day team that competed against Australia in the Johnnie Walker Series in October 2005. Despite the World XI losing all of the one-day games considerably, Sangakkara succeeded in leaving the series some credit, averaging 46. He plays his domestic cricket for Nondescripts in Sri Lanka and played English county cricket with Warwickshire during 2007. He is billed as a future captain of Sri Lanka. [ [http://www.lmd.lk/2005/May/inside.htm LMD - "The Makings of a Captain"] retrieved July 14 2008] [ [http://content-www.cricinfo.com/ci/content/player/50710.html#Profile Cricinfo - Kumar Sangakkara profile] retrieved July 14 2008] On Sri Lanka's tour to England in May 2006, he was named the vice-captain of the side.

Sangakkara has won a certain degree of admiration for his clever use of sledging and is one of few cricketers who are willing to talk about it openly. [ [http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/srilanka/content/story/135846.html Cricinfo.com |"The individualist"] retrieved July 14 2008]

Career highlights

In July 2006, he scored his highest Test score of 287 against South Africa and shared a record-breaking partnership of 624 with Mahela Jayawardene. This is a world record in both Test and first class cricket, and was the first case of a partnership of 600 or more in a first-class or Test match innings. The previous Test record was also held by a Sri Lankan pair - Sanath Jayasuriya and Roshan Mahanama, who put on 576 against India at Colombo in August 1997. Sangakkara has scored four other double centuries in Test cricket, and only one of his nine completed centuries has been less than 138, indicating that Sangakkara has good concentration levels even after he reaches a century.

In 2007 he joined the elite club of Test Batsmen who have scored five or more double centuries. Smashing unbeaten consecutive scores of 200 and 222 in the second and third Tests against Bangladesh, Sangakkara became the sixth man in history to score back-to-back double centuries, putting him in the elite company of Sir Don Bradman and Wally Hammond.

On 4 December 2007, Sangakkara became the first batsman to ever to make single innings scores in excess of a 150 or more in four consecutive test matches.

Sangakkara also has 10 ODI centuries to his name, including one against Australia in Colombo in 2004. Coincidentally, it was also his 100th One-Day International match.

Personal life

Sangakkara was born to Kumari and Chokshanada Sangakkara at Matale in 1977. Sangakkara is a product of the Trinity College, Kandy and was the ryde medalist of his year. He showed talents in both cricket and tennis at school, and it was the Principal, Mr. Leonard De Alwis who advised his mother to encourage him to pursue cricket. [http://www.cricketworld.com/sri_lanka/article/?aid=12329 Cricketworld.com | "Principal Delighted With Former Student Sangakkara"] retrieved March 3 2008]

He is the youngest of four siblings and has a brother and two sisters one of whom is a sportswoman herself - a keen Tennis player. Sangakkara is married to his longtime sweetheart, Yehali [http://sundaytimes.lk/070506/Plus/009_pls.html] and is currently a law undergraduate, going in the footsteps of his father, who is also a leading lawyer in Kandy. He is multilingual, being able to speak in Sinhalese, Tamil and English and is often seen as the unofficial spokesman of the cricket team.Sangakkara is ambidextrous.

Player Statistics

Career performance

Centuries

The following table illustrates a summary of the Test centuries scored by Kumar Sangakkara.
*In the column Runs, * indicates being not out
*The column title Match refers to the Match Number of the player's career

One-Day International Cricket

Man of the Series Awards

:

Man of the Match Awards

:

ee also

* Sri Lanka Cricket

Notes

External links

*
* [http://sl.cricinfo.com/link_to_database/NATIONAL/SL/SLC/ Sri Lanka Cricket]
* [http://www.tntmirror.com/sunday/2005/dec25/column02.htm Wicket-keeper scores eight 100s!]
* [http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/6-10-2006-98841.asp Kumar Sangakkara Interview]
* [http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/ci/content/current/story/240334.html Murali will always be a beacon of hope - Kumar Sangakkara]