Cricinfo - Players and Officials

Full name Chamara Kantha Kapugedera
Born February 24, 1987, Kandy
Current age 21 years 225 days
Major teams Sri Lanka, Chennai Super Kings, Colombo Cricket Club, Kandurata, Sri Lanka A
Nickname Kapu
Playing role Opening batsman
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm medium

Batting and fielding averages

Mat

Inns

Runs

Ave

100

Tests

221

22.10

500

44.20

ODIs

816

24.00

1111

73.44

T20Is

17.00

121.42

First-class

1370

134*

31.86

2340

58.54

151

List A

1553

24.26

2045

75.94

Twenty20

288

96*

20.57

211

136.49

Bowling averages

Mat

Inns

Balls

Runs

Wkts

BBI

BBM

Ave

Econ

Tests

ODIs

228

192

1/24

96.00

5.05

114.0

T20Is

First-class

287

164

1/1

2/39

54.66

3.42

95.6

List A

253

231

1/24

115.50

5.47

126.5

Twenty20

15.31

Career statistics

Test debut

England v Sri Lanka at Lord's, May 11-15, 2006 scorecard

Last Test

New Zealand v Sri Lanka at Wellington, Dec 15-18, 2006 scorecard

Test statistics

ODI debut

Australia v Sri Lanka at Perth, Jan 29, 2006 scorecard

Last ODI

Sri Lanka v India at Colombo (RPS), Aug 29, 2008 scorecard

ODI statistics

T20I debut

England v Sri Lanka at Southampton, Jun 15, 2006 scorecard

Last T20I

New Zealand v Sri Lanka at Auckland, Dec 26, 2006 scorecard

T20I statistics

First-class debut

Sri Lanka A v New Zealand A at Colombo (PSS), Oct 19-22, 2005 scorecard

Last First-class

Colombo Cricket Club v Sinhalese Sports Club at Colombo (CCC), Mar 27-30, 2008 scorecard

List A debut

2005

Last List A

Sri Lanka v India at Colombo (RPS), Aug 29, 2008 scorecard

Twenty20 debut

Colombo Cricket Club v Badureliya Sports Club at Colombo (NCC), Oct 9, 2005 scorecard

Last Twenty20

Chennai Super Kings v Rajasthan Royals at Mumbai, Jun 1, 2008 scorecard

Chamara Kapugedera, a naturally aggressive right-hander, was 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 has hardly wasted an opportunity to push himself up the ladder. He has 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 excelled with a stunning knock of 131 in a one-dayer against the world champions. It was an innings which he 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. Considered a possible opener in one-day cricket, he scored a maiden fifty against Pakistan in March 2006 and followed that with his first Test fifty against England, at Trent Bridge, as Sri Lanka squared the series having started with a golden duck at Lord's. He's in the process of cementing his place in the one-day squad, scoring a handful of half-centuries since the CB Series in Australia in 2007-08.
Cricinfo Staff July 2008

Aug 29, 2008

Pragyan Ojha lies sprawled on the ground while Chamara Kapugedera and Jehan Mubarak take a run © AFP

Aug 29, 2008

Pragyan Ojha brings about the downfall of Chamara Kapugedera © AFP

Aug 29, 2008

Chamara Kapugedera lofts the ball over the infield © AFP

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