Kusal Perera is a cricketer who plays internationally for Sri Lanka and domestically for Sinhalese Sports Club in Sri Lanka. He is a right-handed batter and right-arm leg-break bowler who can play in various formats of the game. He holds the record for the highest individual score by a Sri Lankan in Test cricket, with 245 runs against Zimbabwe in 2017. He is known for his aggressive batting, bowling variations, and fielding prowess.
Kusal Perera was born on August 17, 1990, in Colombo, Sri Lanka. He grew up in a cricket-loving family and started playing the game at the age of nine. His father, Kithsiri Perera, is a businessman and his mother, PV Swarnalatha, is a housewife. He has an older brother, Dilshan Perera, who is also a cricketer and plays for Negombo Cricket Club.
Kusal Perera is married to Dilani Surangika, who is a former Sri Lankan women's cricketer. They tied the knot on March 19, 2016, in a grand ceremony attended by many cricketers and celebrities. They live in Colombo, Sri Lanka. He is fluent in Sinhala, English, and Tamil. He holds a bachelor's degree in sports management from Inholland University of Applied Sciences in Amsterdam. He is also a qualified cricket coach and has worked as a player-coach at Sinhalese Sports Club. He enjoys travelling, reading, and listening to music in his spare time.
Kusal Perera started playing cricket at Prince of Wales College, where he received guidance from former Sri Lankan cricketer Roy Dias. He represented Sri Lanka at various age-group levels and was part of the squad that played in the 2010 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup in New Zealand. He made his first-class debut for Colts Cricket Club against Tamil Union Cricket and Athletic Club in the 2009–10 Premier League Tournament and scored 23 runs on debut. He also made his List A debut for Colts Cricket Club against Badureliya Sports Club in the same season and scored 64 runs.
Kusal Perera made his One Day International (ODI) debut for Sri Lanka against Australia at Adelaide on January 13, 2013. He scored 14 runs and took one catch as Sri Lanka won by eight wickets. He made his Twenty20 International (T20I) debut for Sri Lanka against Bangladesh at Pallekele on March 31, 2013. He scored 64 runs and took one catch as Sri Lanka won by 17 runs.
He was part of the Sri Lankan squad that played in the 2014 ICC World Twenty20 in Bangladesh. He scored 84 runs and took three catches in five matches. He also scored his maiden T20I fifty against England at Chittagong on March 27, 2014.
Kusal Perera has played 107 ODIs for Sri Lanka until October 2023, scoring 3,012 runs at an average of 30.12 and a strike rate of 93.52. He has hit six centuries and 15 half-centuries with a highest score of 135. He has also bowled - balls and taken - wickets. His best bowling figures are -/-. He has also taken 40 catches.
Kusal Perera has played 50 T20Is for Sri Lanka until November 2022, scoring 1,210 runs at an average of 24.69 and a strike rate of 136.36. He has hit no centuries and nine half-centuries with a highest score of 84. He has also bowled - balls and taken - wickets. His best bowling figures are -/-. He has also taken ten catches.
Kusal Perera has played 23 Test matches for Sri Lanka until April 2023, scoring 1,787 runs at an average of 39.71. He has hit four centuries and nine half-centuries with a highest score of 245. He has also bowled - balls and taken - wickets. His best bowling figures are -/-. He has also taken 30 catches.
Kusal Perera has not captained Sri Lanka in any international matches.
Kusal Perera was involved in a controversy in December 2015, when he was provisionally suspended from international cricket by the ICC, after having failed a dope test. He was recalled from Sri Lanka's tour of New Zealand and subsequently missed a bilateral T20 series in India, Asia Cup, and World T20. His plight appeared bleak when his initial sample tested positive for the performance-enhancing drug, 19-Norandrostenedione, but it grew bleaker when his B sample returned identical results. Perera had strong support from SLC, though, and also spent a substantial amount of his own money in fighting the WADA-approved lab's findings. His campaign to be cleared included a trip to England for a polygraph test, a hair analysis and a separate urine test, as well as substantial coordination with his main legal team, which was based in the UK. He was eventually cleared of all charges by the ICC in May 2016.
Kusal Perera is a cricketer who plays internationally for Sri Lanka and domestically for Sinhalese Sports Club in Sri Lanka. He is a right-handed batter and right-arm leg-break bowler who can play in various formats of the game. He holds the record for the highest individual score by a Sri Lankan in Test cricket, with 245 runs against Zimbabwe in 2017. He is known for his aggressive batting, bowling variations, and fielding prowess. He has achieved several records and accolades for his performances and is one of the most valuable players for Sri Lanka.