Kusal Perera is a professional Sri Lankan cricketer who currently plays limited-overs cricket and is a former ODI captain. He was an important member of Sri Lanka’s 2014 ICC World Twenty20 winning team. He studied at Kottawa Dharmapala Maha Vidyalaya and Royal College Colombo, and he represented Royal College in the famous Royal–Thomian cricket match. He was a right-handed batsman, but later he changed to left-handed batting, inspired by Sri Lankan legend Sanath Jayasuriya, who was his childhood hero.
In 2019, Perera played one of his greatest innings by scoring 153 not out against South Africa in the first Test at Durban, leading Sri Lanka to victory by adding 78 runs for the last wicket with Vishwa Fernando in the fourth innings. Wisden named this the second-best Test innings of the decade in 2019, and ESPNcricinfo also awarded it the best Test performance of 2019. In May 2021, he was named captain of Sri Lanka for their ODI series against Bangladesh.
Kusal Perera Records and Achievement
Kusal Perera played for the Sri Lanka Under-19 teams and later joined the Colts Cricket Club at the senior level. In January 2012, he was selected for Sri Lanka’s limited-overs squad for the Australia tour after Kumar Sangakkara got injured. He played an important unbeaten innings of 22* at the Gabba in an ODI, helping Sri Lanka win a low-scoring match.
After returning to Sri Lanka, he scored a first-class double century and later scored 336 runs off 275 balls in another first-class innings. In 2014, he scored his maiden ODI century in Mirpur and helped Sri Lanka whitewash Bangladesh 3-0. In July 2015, he hit a 17-ball half-century against Pakistan at Pallekele, which became Sri Lanka’s joint-fastest half-century and equaled Sanath Jayasuriya’s record.
In August 2015, Perera made his Test debut against India in Colombo and scored twin fifties, becoming only the second Sri Lankan batter to score two half-centuries on Test debut. In December 2015, he was provisionally suspended by the ICC after failing a dope test and missed the Asia Cup and World T20. In May 2016, he was cleared, and his suspension ended after five months.
Kusal Perera Career Stats
Kusal Perera has played 22 matches and scored 1177 runs in Tests. In ODIs, he has played 116 matches and scored 3237 runs, with 6 hundreds and 17 fifties. In T20Is, he has played 94 matches and scored 2313 runs, with 1 hundred and 16 fifties.
In First-Class (FC) cricket, he has played 85 matches and scored 5244 runs. He has scored 13 hundreds and 23 fifties. In List A, he has played 210 matches and scored 6084 runs, with 11 hundreds and 34 fifties. In T20s, he has played 215 matches and scored 5059 runs, with 2 hundreds and 35 fifties.
| Batting | ||||||
| Format | Mat | Runs | 100s | 50s | 4s | 6s |
| Tests | 22 | 1177 | 2 | 7 | 151 | 12 |
| ODIs | 116 | 3237 | 6 | 17 | 362 | 52 |
| T20Is | 94 | 2313 | 1 | 16 | 223 | 72 |
| FC | 85 | 5244 | 13 | 23 | 577 | 120 |
| List A | 210 | 6084 | 11 | 34 | 661 | 118 |
| T20s | 215 | 5059 | 2 | 35 | 485 | 191 |
Kusal Perera’s Personal Life
Kusal Perera married his longtime partner Kelani (Kalani) on 3 March 2020 at the Water’s Edge hotel in Battaramulla. It was a traditional wedding ceremony held at the Water’s Edge Grand Ballroom. The ceremony was attended by Arjuna Ranatunga, Dimuth Karunaratne, his manager Ravi De Silva, along with close friends and family members.
Apart from cricket, Kusal Perera has also been linked with the Sri Lanka Police cricket team. After representing the team, which became joint champions in the 2023 Sri Lanka Cricket first-class competition, he was appointed to the police service with the rank of Chief Inspector of Police (CIP).
Kusal Perera Contract
Kusal Perera was signed by Hyderabad Kingsmen for Rs. 3.10 crore in the 2026 Pakistan Super League (PSL 11) player auction held at Lahore Expo Center. His signing was seen as adding firepower and experience to a lineup that already includes Saim Ayub, Maaz Sadaqat, and Marnus Labuschagne.
FAQs
Q. When was Kusal Perera born?
A. Kusal Perera was born on 17 August 1990.
Q. Which team does Kusal Perera play for?
A. Kusal Perera plays for the Sri Lankan national cricket team in limited-overs formats.
Q. When did Kusal Perera become the captain of Sri Lanka’s ODI team?
A. Kusal Perera was named captain ahead of the ODI series against Bangladesh in May 2021.
Get the Latest Cricket Updates at IceCric.News. Also, Follow Our Social Media for live updates on Facebook and Instagram.
