In the history of cricket, there are players whose skill and outstanding play remain forever in the hearts of fans. Kumar Sangakkara, a former captain and distinguished wicketkeeper-batsman from Sri Lanka, is one such figure. Born on October 27, 1977, Sangakkara is known for his classic style of play, impeccable technique, and calm demeanor. At the time of writing, he was 49 years old.
Sangakkara strengthened the Sri Lankan batting lineup during a period when many stars of the team that won the 1996 World Cup were gradually moving away from international cricket. During this time, his partnership with Mahela Jayawardene became the main attacking force for Sri Lanka.
In July 2006, Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene created a historic partnership in a Test match against South Africa in Colombo. They scored 624 runs for the third wicket, setting a world record for the largest partnership in the history of Test cricket. In this landmark match, Sangakkara scored 287 runs, and Jayawardene scored 374 runs.
Throughout his nearly 15-year international career, Sangakkara amassed over 12,000 runs in Tests. He scored 38 centuries and 11 double centuries in this format. Among his achievements is an impressive innings of 192 runs, which he played against Australia in Hobart in 2007. Sangakkara is also among the greatest players in terms of double centuries; his 11 double centuries are just one short of Don Bradman's record of 12 double centuries.
After Mahela Jayawardene stepped down as captain, the Sri Lankan management entrusted the leadership to Sangakkara in 2009. Under his guidance, the team won its first Test series victory against Pakistan on home soil. Furthermore, Sri Lanka reached the T20 World Cup final in 2009 and the ODI World Cup final in 2011. Although the team lost to India in the 2011 World Cup final, Sangakkara demonstrated brilliant play in several important matches under his captaincy.
The most memorable moment in Kumar Sangakkara's career was in 2014, when Sri Lanka defeated India in the T20 World Cup. Following this victory, Sangakkara announced his retirement from T20 international matches. However, his farewell to ODIs and Tests was less triumphant: Sri Lanka was eliminated in the quarter-finals of the 2015 World Cup, and in the last home Test series, Sangakkara could not cross the mark of 32 runs in four matches.
Kumar Sangakkara is revered not only as an outstanding batsman but also as a perceptive cricketer who deeply understands the game. Starting his career as a wicketkeeper, Sangakkara later relinquished wicketkeeping duties in Tests, focusing all his efforts on batting, while continuing to play as a wicketkeeper in limited-overs formats.
His international career statistics are as follows: in Tests, he played 134 matches, batted 233 innings, scoring 12400 runs at an average of 57.40, with a best score of 319, scoring 38 centuries and 52 half-centuries, and making 182 catches and 20 stumpings. In ODIs, he played 380 innings, scoring 14234 runs at an average of 41.98, with a best score of 169, scoring 25 centuries and 93 half-centuries, and making 402 catches and 99 stumpings. In T20Is, he participated in 53 matches, scoring 1382 runs at an average of 31.40 and a strike rate of 119.55, with a best score of 78, without scoring a century, but making 25 catches and 20 stumpings.
