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Full name Kumar Chokshanada Sangakkara
Born October 27, 1977, Matale
Current age 30 years 254 days
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
Sri Lanka v South Africa at Galle, Jul 20-23, 2000 scorecard
Last Test
West Indies v Sri Lanka at Port of Spain, Apr 3-6, 2008 scorecard
Test statistics
ODI debut
Sri Lanka v Pakistan at Galle, Jul 5, 2000 scorecard
Last ODI
India v Sri Lanka at Karachi, Jul 6, 2008 scorecard
ODI statistics
T20I debut
England v Sri Lanka at Southampton, Jun 15, 2006 scorecard
Last T20I
Australia v Sri Lanka at Cape Town, Sep 20, 2007 scorecard
T20I statistics
First-class debut
1997/98
Last First-class
West Indies v Sri Lanka at Port of Spain, Apr 3-6, 2008 scorecard
List A debut
1997/98
Last List A
India v Sri Lanka at Karachi, Jul 6, 2008 scorecard
Twenty20 debut
Nondescripts Cricket Club v Tamil Union Cricket and Athletic Club at Colombo (Moors), Aug 17, 2004 scorecard
Last Twenty20
Chennai Super Kings v Kings XI Punjab at Mumbai, May 31, 2008 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. Charlie Austin November 2007
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.
Scores his first double century - four less than Pakistan's first-innings 234, in the Asian Test Championship final. The innings comes off 327 balls, and sets the championship up nicely for Sri Lanka.
April 4, 2003 Long time coming
Scores his first ODI century, in his 86th match - in a losing effort against Pakistan.
May 16-17, 2004 All the runs in the world
Misses out on a triple century by 30 runs after he and Marvan Atapattu have Zimbabwe bowlers submit completely in the Bulawayo Test. They add 438 for the second wicket.
Makes it to the ICC World XI ODIs side for the Super Series, but misses out on the Tests, the form of the game ha has done exceedingly well at. Later in the month, comes up with a classy second-innings century against West Indies on a difficult Kandy track.
July 27-29, 2006 Monstrosity against South Africa
In partnership with Mahela Jayawrdene, grinds South Africa down to their knees. Scores 287, his fourth double-century. Their 624-run partnership is the highest in the history of first-class cricket.
Makes it this time to the World Test Team of the year announced by the ICC.
February 2, 2007 Signs for Warwickshire.
July, 2007 Power of two
Becomes the fifth man in Test history to have scored back-to-back double centuries, with 200 not out and 222 not out against Bangladesh in home Tests. His six double centuries are easily the highest for a wicket-keeper.
With Sri Lanka chasing 507 against Australia in Hobart, sets about to do the impossible. There is unadulterated brilliance to his 192, but Australia manage to keep them 96 short. Replaces Ricky Ponting at the top of ICC's rankings for Test batsmen.
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.
This is just monstrous, unforgiving, and efficient. Responding to South Africa's 169 and two early wickets, he finds a perfect partner in Jayawardene. It takes some separating as the two put on 624, sweeping all the first-class partnership records aside. Sangakkara makes the most of a dropped chance as he moves from the consolidating to the elegant to the clinical. For two days the bowlers struggle to find anything but the middle of the bat, but he falls just short of the elusive triple century.
156* v New Zealand, Wellington, 2006-07
Sri Lanka are nudged in the wrong places in the first Test in Christchurch, Sangakkara not the least, whose 100th run involves a controversial run-out. Turns out, he is the most determined this time around, counterattacking spectacularly as other batsmen find the going tough on a green wicket in Wellington. The 156 come off 192 deliveries, with 21 boundaries and a six, and constitute 58.2 per cent of the team total. He reaches his fifty in 54 balls, and the hundred in 113. Lasith Malinga with the ball, and Chamara Silva with the bat in the second innings, respond well to set up a target of 504, which is when Murali comes in to play with another five-for.
192 v Australia, Hobart, 2007-08
That Sri Lanka even harbour thoughts of a miraculous 507-run chase in Hobart is due to Sangakkara, who plays one of the best innings by a visiting batsman in Australia. Sri Lanka have been outclassed in the first Test and in this, the second, they are just waiting for the referee to count them out when Sangakkara gets into his act. He treats all the Australian bowlers, bar Brett Lee, with scant respect, scoring at will. He adds 145 with Marvan Atapattu and 107 with Sanath Jayasuriya, but Brett Lee robs him of partners both times. Running out of batsmen, Sangakkara turns from the brilliant to the audacious, as if playing in the last 10 overs of a one-day game. Rudi Koertzen ends the dream when he gives Sangakkara out caught off the shoulder; such was Sangakkara's brilliance Koertzen publicly apologises later.
