Chamara Kapugedera

Sri Lanka|Middle order Batter
Chamara Kapugedera
INTL CAREER: 2006 - 2017
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Full Name

Chamara Kantha Kapugedera

Born

February 24, 1987, Kandy

Age

37y 24d

Nicknames

Kapu

Batting Style

Right hand Bat

Bowling Style

Right arm Medium

Fielding Position

Occasional Wicketkeeper

Playing Role

Middle order Batter

Among the more frustrating players to have represented Sri Lanka in recent years, Chamara Kapugedara had ample opportunities at the top level between 2006 and 2012, but did not manage to nail down a place. That he is a rare talent has never been in doubt, but in international cricket, that raw ability has not usually translated into runs. Perhaps his fans will argue that he was asked to bat too low in limited-overs cricket to have a major impact on the game. Nevertheless, his returns were modest, and his place in the side became untenable, for a few years at least.

Kapugedara has, however, enjoyed something of a renaissance in T20 cricket, after he was picked in the national side again in 2015. He impressed initially during his second coming, but another round of mixed results saw him in and out of the team. Despite having played top-level cricket for over a decade, he is still relatively young, and it is hoped he may yet come good as a consistent player.

Naturally aggressive, and capable of clearing the boundary, Kapugedara had been one of the few genuinely exciting batsmen the selectors unearthed from Sri Lanka's Under-19 set-up. From the age of 11, when he first turned out for Dharmaraja College in Kandy, Kapugedera had hardly wasted an opportunity to push himself up the ladder. He had captained all the junior school sides from the U-13 to the first XI. Following a prolific 2003-04 season, where he scored over 1000 runs, he was picked for the U-19 tour to Pakistan the following year and had excelled with a stunning knock of 131 in a one-dayer against the world champions.

It was an innings he had rated as one of his best although he batted equally well for 70 in his first game for Sri Lanka A against the strong New Zealand A team in 2005. The selectors, desperate to unearth new talent, eventually gambled on an early promotion and fast-tracked him into the national squad after several glowing reports from development coaches.

Kapugedera's father, also a former Dharmaraja cricketer, provided early coaching and all the encouragement he needed to develop. David Karunaratne (his first coach) and Sumithra Warnakulasuriya (his U-19 coach) also played important roles in shaping Kapugedera's career. He was first picked in the national squad against India in November but pulled out of the tour with an injury. However, he made his ODI debut, aged just 18, against Australia in Perth in 2006, immediately impressing with his composure.
ESPNcricinfo Staff

Chamara Kapugedera Career Stats

Batting & Fielding

FormatMatInnsNORunsHSAveBFSR100s50s4s6sCtSt
Tests81534189634.8378653.180448760
ODIs10284716249521.09225472.040811728310
T20Is433877035022.67591118.95015825170
FC8412814391915834.37644660.7982340645753
List A249211235365161*28.53648582.72531--954
T20s12411113202296*20.631562129.440714987541

Bowling

FormatMatInnsBallsRunsWktsBBIBBMAveEconSR4w5w10w
Tests811290---4.50-000
ODIs1021026422521/241/24112.505.11132.0000
T20Is43------------
FC844388457581/12/2071.873.90110.5000
List A249-801683144/414/4148.785.1157.2100
T20s1241112417373/143/1424.718.3717.7000
Chamara Kantha Kapugedera

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Photos of Chamara Kapugedera

Chamara Kapugedera collides with Axar Patel
Axar Patel knocks back Chamara Kapugedera's leg stump
Chamara Kapugedera put down a difficult catch running back
Meet Sri Lanka's new captain: Chamara Kapugedara takes part in a training session
Chamara Kapugedera looks to play a sweep
Chamara Kapugedera plays a cover drive