Kumar Sangakkara

Kumar Sangakkara
Personal information
Full name
Kumar Chokshanada Sangakkara
Born (1977-10-27) 27 October 1977
Matale, Sri Lanka
NicknameSanga
Height5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
BattingLeft-handed
BowlingRight-arm off break
RoleWicket-keeper-batter
International information
National side
Test debut (cap 84)20 July 2000 v South Africa
Last Test20 August 2015 v India
ODI debut (cap 105)5 July 2000 v Pakistan
Last ODI18 March 2015 v South Africa
ODI shirt no.84 (2000–2007)
11 (2007–2015)
T20I debut (cap 10)15 June 2006 v England
Last T20I6 April 2014 v India
T20I shirt no.11
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1998–2014Nondescripts
2007–2014Kandurata
2007Warwickshire
2008–2010Kings XI Punjab
2011–2012Deccan Chargers
2013Sunrisers Hyderabad
2013–2017Jamaica Tallawahs
2014Durham
2014Udarata Rulers
2015–2017Surrey
2015–2017Dhaka Dynamites
2015/16-2016/17Hobart Hurricanes
2016Quetta Gladiators
2017Karachi Kings
2018Multan Sultans
Career statistics
Competition Test ODI T20I FC
Matches 134 404 56 260
Runs scored 12,400 14,234 1,382 20,911
Batting average 57.40 41.98 31.40 52.40
100s/50s 38/52 25/93 0/8 64/86
Top score 319 169 78 319
Balls bowled 84 246
Wickets 0 1
Bowling average 150.00
5 wickets in innings 0
10 wickets in match 0
Best bowling 1/13
Catches/stumpings 182/20 403/98 25/20 373/33
Medal record
Men's Cricket
Representing  Sri Lanka
ICC Cricket World Cup
Runner-up 2007 West Indies
Runner-up 2011 India–Sri Lanka–Bangladesh
Champions Trophy
Winner 2002 Sri Lanka
T20 World Cup
Winner 2014 Bangladesh
Runner-up 2009 England
Runner-up 2012 Sri Lanka
Asia Cup
Winner 2004 Sri Lanka
Winner 2008 Pakistan
Winner 2014 Bangladesh
Runner-up 2010 Sri Lanka
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 19 April 2024

Kumar Chokshanada Sangakkara (Sinhala: කුමාර් චොක්ශනාද සංගක්කාර; born 27 October 1977) is a Sri Lankan cricket commentator and former cricketer who represented Sri Lanka from 2000 to 2015. A former captain for Sri Lanka in all formats. Born in Matale, Central Province, Sangakkara played first-class cricket for Nondescripts Cricket Club from 1997–98 to 2013–14 and for Surrey County Cricket Club from 2015 to 2017. He was a key part of the Sri Lankan squads which won the 2001-02 Asian Test Championship, 2002 ICC Champions Trophy and 2014 T20 World Cup.

Sangakkara played mostly as a wicket-keeper-batter and is generally regarded as one of the greatest wicket-keeper-batters in cricket history. His 38 Test centuries and 25 in ODIs are both highest for a wicket-keeper. He batted left-handed and, although he rarely bowled, was a right-arm off spinner. Combining all three forms of international cricket, Sangakkara is the third-highest run-scorer in international cricket, having amassed a total of 28,016 including 63 centuries.

He has received four individual ICC awards. In 2012 he won Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy (ICC Cricketer of the Year) and ICC Test Cricketer of the Year. Also he won ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year twice in 2011 and 2013.

He was named Wisden Leading Men's Cricketer in the World for both 2011 and 2014.

As of July 2025, Sangakkara is one of only 15 players to have scored 10,000 or more runs in Test cricket, and has the highest average of those who have achieved this feat.

Since retirement, he has worked as a commentator for Sky Sports and served as President of the MCC from October 2019 to September 2021. In January 2021, Sangakkara also became the coach of Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League from 2021-2024.He was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in June 2021, the second Sri Lankan player to be inducted after Muttiah Muralitharan.