Kumar Sangakkara Profile by CricketArchive

---

Player:

KC Sangakkara

---

DateLine: 20th February 2007

 

A young player symbolic of the times Kumar Sangakkara combines talent and skill and in just a few years has become one of SriLanka’s leading players. As a wicket keeper batsman and as a shrewd strategist who never misses a trick on the field Sangakkara is always in the thick of action. He has a combative streak based on cockiness and is capable of upsetting even the most unflappable opponent. But he is also a keen observer of various aspects of the game, tactically very sound and can use his sharp tongue to counter sledging – something that has seen him called to the match referees room quite often. As an aggressive left-handed batsman Sangakkara can be quite a handful at the top of the order or in the middle and is one of the few cricketers to have an equally successful career in both Tests and ODIs. His work behind the stumps has varied from the indifferent to the brilliant but he has improved over the years and has brought off many acrobatic catches or lightning quick stumpings. But it is his batting that has attracted considerably more attention for he plays every shot in the book with a touch of aggression. He was selected for the ICC World XI one-day squad in 2005 and indeed Sangakkara is a brilliant innovator in ODIs underlined by his career strike rate of almost 75. This has not stopped him from playing long innings or compiling tall scores four double hundreds testifying to this. In the course of his highest score of 287 against South Africa at Colombo in 2006 Sangakkara figured in the Test and first class record partnership for any wicket – 624 for the third wicket with Mahela Jayawardene. He was a part of the World Cup campaign that saw Sri Lanka reach the finals. He was the deputy to Jayawardene . His brilliance with the bat can be seen with the way he came up with back to back hundreds against New Zealand on tour and a brilliant 192 against Australia in Nov 2007.He was also a part of the King's XI Punjab team which reached the semifinals of the first IPL season and his contribution was immense. He also followed it up with three hundreds to help Sri Lanka win the Asia cup in July 2008.