Kumar Sangakkara
Who was Kumar Sangakkara?
Former wicket-keeper batsman widely regarded as one of cricket's greatest players, who captained Sri Lanka and scored over 12,000 Test runs.
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Kumar Sangakkara (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Kumar Chokshanada Sangakkara, born on October 27, 1977, in Matale, Central Province, Sri Lanka, studied at the University of Colombo and became one of the most celebrated cricketers ever. Sangakkara played for Sri Lanka in international cricket from 2000 to 2015, participating in all formats and captaining the national team in each. He played domestic first-class cricket for Nondescripts Cricket Club from 1997 to 2014 and later played for Surrey County Cricket Club from 2015 to 2017.
Before Fame
Sangakkara grew up in Matale and started his cricket journey through Sri Lanka's domestic system, beginning his first-class career with the Nondescripts Cricket Club in the 1997-98 season. He attended the University of Colombo, where he managed both his studies and cricket development. Sri Lanka had only recently become a major cricketing nation after winning the 1996 World Cup, and a generation of talented players was coming up through an improving domestic structure.
Key Achievements
- Third-highest run-scorer in international cricket history across all formats with 28,016 runs
- Won the ICC Cricketer of the Year (Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy) in 2012
- Holds the highest batting average among players who have scored 10,000 or more Test runs
- Inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in June 2021
- Served as President of the MCC from 2019 to 2021, the first non-British or Irish holder of the office
Did You Know?
- 01.Sangakkara holds the record for the most Test centuries by a wicket-keeper, with 38 hundreds in the format.
- 02.He was the first person born outside the British Isles or Ireland to serve as President of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC).
- 03.In the 2015 Cricket World Cup, Sangakkara scored four consecutive ODI centuries, a feat no batter had previously achieved.
- 04.He delivered the annual MCC Spirit of Cricket Cowdrey Lecture in 2011, one of cricket's most prestigious speaking engagements.
- 05.Sangakkara was part of the Sri Lanka team bus that was attacked by gunmen during the 2009 Lahore attack on the Sri Lanka cricket team.
Awards & Honors
| Award | Year | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Wisden Cricketer of the Year | 2012 | — |