Full Name

Mahamarakkala Kurukulasooriya Patabendige Akila Dananjaya Perera

Born

October 04, 1993, Panadura

Age

29y 170d

Batting Style

Left hand Bat

Bowling Style

Right arm Offbreak, Legbreak

Playing Role

Allrounder

Education

Mahanama Vidyalaya, Panadura

Another instalment from Sri Lanka's production line of unorthodox spinners, Akila Dananjaya sparked controversy when he was picked in the preliminary squad for the 2012 T20 World Cup despite never having played a professional match in his life. Able to deliver a legbreak, googly, carrom ball, doosra and a stock offspinner with astounding control, he had impressed Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene so much as a net bowler at a practice session that Jayawardene requested he be fast-tracked to the national squad.

Dananjaya played three matches of the World Cup, including the final, but went out of favour with the selectors once Jayawardene stepped down from the captaincy.

He made his comeback in 2017, and took a six-for against India in an ODI that year, and another against South Africa in 2018. In between he made a successful entry into Test cricket, taking four five-wicket hauls in his first six Tests.

In September 2019, Dananjaya was banned from bowling in international cricket for 12 months because of an illegal bowling action. His return was dramatic - in a T20I in Antigua in March 2021, he took a hat-trick in one over but was carted for six sixes by Kieron Pollard in his next.

Career Averages
Batting & Fielding
FormatMatInnsNORunsHSAveBFSR100s50s4s6sCtSt
Test610213543*16.8725453.140014010
ODI3930629150*12.1241769.7801253140
T20I311576111*7.627185.91006070
FC62802711599221.86226751.12051348220
List A122681659650*11.4682272.5001477300
T201124618196287.0023683.0500143280
Bowling
FormatMatInnsBallsRunsWktsBBIBBMAveEconSR4w5w10w
Test6121385819336/1158/4424.813.5441.9040
ODI393719351661566/296/2929.665.1534.5220
T20I3131665909283/363/3632.468.2023.7000
FC62103992858172118/538/4427.563.5147.0890
List A122115567144081846/296/2923.954.6630.8870
T20112106225827701284/174/1721.647.3617.6300
Mahamarakkala Kurukulasooriya Patabendige Akila Dananjaya Perera
Explore Statsguru Analysis
Test
ODI
T20I
Recent Matches - Player
MatchBatBowlDateGroundFormat
Galle vs Kandy4*3/4120-Mar-2023DambullaList A
Galle vs Jaffna32/24 & 3/13916-Feb-2023GalleFC
Super Giants vs Eastern Cape40/1922-Jan-2023GqeberhaT20
Super Giants vs Super Kings--1/3911-Jan-2023DurbanT20
Colts vs KTC--8/5304-Nov-2022MaggonaFC
Photos
Quinton de Kock, Kyle Mayers, Keshav Maharaj, and Akila Daananjaya walk back due to rain
Rashid Khan, Dewald Brevis and Akila Dananjaya celebrate the run-out of Rovman Powell
Akila Dananjaya struck a couple of crucial blows
Akila Dananjaya found purchase with his offbreaks and legbreaks
Akila Dananjaya bowls at training
Akila Dananjaya took a hat-trick to shake West Indies