Asela Gunaratne

Downdegedara Asela Sampath Gunaratne, commonly known as Asela Gunaratne (born 8 January 1986) is a professional Sri Lankan cricketer, who played all forms of the game for Sri Lanka.[1] Gunaratne is an aggressive right-handed batsman who occasionally bowls part-time medium pace. He is currently serving in the Sri Lanka Army as a Warrant officer attached to the 6th Field Regiment, Sri Lanka Artillery.[2][3] He is a past pupil of Sri Rahula College, Kandy.[4] In November 2017, he won four awards at Sri Lanka Cricket's annual awards ceremony, including two awards for best all-rounder.[5]

Asela Gunaratne
Personal information
Full name
Downdegedara Asela Sampath Gunaratne
Born (1986-01-08) 8 January 1986
Kandy, Sri Lanka
Height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
BattingRight-hand bat
BowlingRight-arm medium
RoleAll-rounder
International information
National side
Test debut (cap 138)29 October 2016 v Zimbabwe
Last Test26 July 2017 v India
ODI debut (cap 176)14 November 2016 v Zimbabwe
Last ODI5 January 2019 v New Zealand
ODI shirt no.14
T20I debut (cap 63)14 February 2016 v India
Last T20I24 December 2017 v India
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
2005–2008Mohammedan Sporting Club
2008–presentSL Army
2017Mumbai Indians
2017Dhaka Dynamites
2018–presentComilla Victorians
2019Lahore Qalandars
2019–20Chattogram Challengers
2020Kandy Tuskers
Career statistics
Competition Test ODI T20I LA
Matches 6 31 12 50
Runs scored 455 575 225 919
Batting average 56.87 27.38 25.00 24.18
100s/50s 1/3 1/1 0/2 -/4
Top score 116 114* 84* 75*
Balls bowled 156 834 149 960
Wickets 3 22 5 26
Bowling average 38.00 32.86 40.80 23.84
5 wickets in innings 0 0 0 1
10 wickets in match 0 0 0 0
Best bowling 2/28 3/10 1/11 5/12
Catches/stumpings 6/0 10/0 5/0 22/0
Source: Cricinfo, 5 January 2019
Medal record
Men's Cricket
Representing  Sri Lanka
Asian Games
Gold medal – first place2014 IncheonTeam
Asela Gunaratne
Born (1986-01-08) 8 January 1986
Kandy, Sri Lanka
AllegianceSri Lanka Sri Lanka
Service/branchSri Lanka Army
RankWarrant Officer II
UnitSri Lanka Artillery

Domestic and T20 franchise career

In February 2017, he was bought by the Mumbai Indians team for the 2017 Indian Premier League for 30 lakhs.[6]

In March 2018, he was named in Kandy's squad for the 2017–18 Super Four Provincial Tournament.[7][8] The following month, he was also named in Kandy's squad for the 2018 Super Provincial One Day Tournament.[9]

In August 2018, he was named in Galle's squad the 2018 SLC T20 League.[10] In October 2018, he was named in the squad for the Comilla Victorians team, following the draft for the 2018–19 Bangladesh Premier League.[11] In March 2019, he was named in Kandy's squad for the 2019 Super Provincial One Day Tournament.[12] In October 2020, he was drafted by the Kandy Tuskers for the inaugural edition of the Lanka Premier League.[13] In August 2021, he was named in the SLC Reds team for the 2021 SLC Invitational T20 League tournament.[14] In November 2021, he was selected to play for the Kandy Warriors following the players' draft for the 2021 Lanka Premier League.[15]

International career

He was selected in the Twenty20 International (T20I) squad for Sri Lanka's tour to India in February 2016.[16] He made his T20I debut on 14 February 2016, scoring four runs. Sri Lanka lost the match by 9 wickets.[17]

He made his Test debut for Sri Lanka against Zimbabwe on 29 October 2016.[18] He scored a fifty in the first innings of the first Test and scored his maiden Test century in the second match of the same tour.

He was selected in Sri Lanka's One Day International (ODI) team for Tri-Series in Zimbabwe, with West Indies being the third team.[19] He made his ODI debut in the first match of the tri-series, against Zimbabwe and took 3 wickets.[20]

In May 2018, he was one of 33 cricketers to be awarded a national contract by Sri Lanka Cricket ahead of the 2018–19 season.[21][22] In December 2018, he was named in Sri Lanka team for the 2018 ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup.[23]

South Africa 2017

Gunaratne scored his maiden ODI century on 11 February 2017 against South Africa at Centurion. His score stands as the highest ODI score at number six against South Africa.[24] However, Sri Lanka lost the match by 88 runs.[25]

Gunaratne was the first Sri Lankan to score an ODI hundred when batting at number six and also holds the record for the highest ODI score for Sri Lanka when batting at number 6 (114 not out).[26]

Australia 2017

On 17 February 2017, against Australia, Gunaratne scored his maiden T20I fifty off 37 balls, helping the team to win the match by 5 wickets.[27][28]

In the next T20I game he scored an unbeaten 84 runs off 46 balls to guide Sri Lanka to the series victory.[29] He was adjudged man of the match in both games for his match-winning performances. Gunaratne set the record for the highest T20I score batting at number five or lower for Sri Lanka, with 84 not out.[30] Gunaratne scored 37 runs off last 12 deliveries of the match to seal the game for Sri Lanka and they won their third consecutive T20I series win against Australia in Australia.[31] After the third T20I, Gunaratne won the award for the player of the series.[32][33]

Zimbabwe 2017

In one-off Test against Zimbabwe in July 2017, Gunaratne scored a match-winning unbeaten 80 to seal the match in a record chase. He along with Niroshan Dickwella made a 121-run stand partnership for the sixth wicket.[34] Sri Lanka won the match by 4 wickets by successfully chasing a total of 388, which was the highest successful chase by Sri Lanka in Tests and also as the highest successful run-chase in Asia.[35] Gunaratne played the whole five-days with an injury, however his match winning innings gave him his maiden Test man of the match award.[36]

India 2017

During the first match against India at Galle, Gunaratne was injured with a fracture in his left thumb. The injury occurred when he dived to take a catch of Shikhar Dhawan, while fielding at second slip. With that, he was taken to the hospital, where doctors advised him to quit playing for six to eight weeks following reconstructive surgery in Colombo. Therefore, Sri Lanka played the match with 10 players and finally lost the match by 304 runs. Finally, Gunaratne was dropped from the whole India tour.[37]

References
  1. "Asela Gunaratne". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 28 January 2016.
  2. "Army Cricketers Selected for T-20 Tour in India". Archived from the original on 11 September 2016. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
  3. "Army Promotions For Seekkuge Prasanna and Asela Gunaratne". News First. Retrieved 1 March 2017.
  4. "Coach Kuruppu lauds 'reluctant' schoolboy cricketer Gunaratne's growth". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 24 February 2017.
  5. "Gunaratne wins big at SLC's annual awards". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
  6. "List of players sold and unsold at IPL auction 2017". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
  7. "Cricket: Mixed opinions on Provincial tournament". Sunday Times (Sri Lanka). 26 March 2018. Archived from the original on 27 March 2018. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
  8. "All you need to know about the SL Super Provincial Tournament". Daily Sports. 26 March 2018. Archived from the original on 27 March 2018. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
  9. "SLC Super Provincial 50 over tournament squads and fixtures". The Papare. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  10. "SLC T20 League 2018 squads finalized". The Papare. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
  11. "Full players list of the teams following Players Draft of BPL T20 2018-19". Bangladesh Cricket Board. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  12. "Squads, Fixtures announced for SLC Provincial 50 Overs Tournament". The Papare. Retrieved 19 March 2019.
  13. "Chris Gayle, Andre Russell and Shahid Afridi among big names taken at LPL draft". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  14. "Sri Lanka Cricket announce Invitational T20 squads and schedule". The Papare. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
  15. "Kusal Perera, Angelo Mathews miss out on LPL drafts". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
  16. "Dilhara Fernando back in Sri Lanka T20 squad". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 28 January 2016.
  17. "Sri Lanka tour of India and Bangladesh, 3rd T20I: India v Sri Lanka at Visakhapatnam, Feb 14, 2016". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 14 February 2016.
  18. "Sri Lanka tour of Zimbabwe, 1st Test: Zimbabwe v Sri Lanka at Harare, Oct 29 – Nov 2, 2016". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
  19. "Tharanga named SL captain for tri-series". ESPNcricinfo. ESPN Sports Media. 5 November 2016. Retrieved 5 November 2016.
  20. "Zimbabwe Tri-Nation Series, 1st Match: Zimbabwe v Sri Lanka at Harare, Nov 14, 2016". ESPNcricinfo. ESPN Sports Media. 14 November 2016. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
  21. "Sri Lanka assign 33 national contracts with pay hike". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
  22. "Sri Lankan players to receive pay hike". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
  23. "Sri Lanka Squad for the ACC Emerging Teams Cup 2018". Sri Lanka Cricket. Archived from the original on 3 December 2018. Retrieved 3 December 2018.
  24. "11 consecutive wins & Most 350-plus totals in ODIs". ESPNcricinfo. ESPN Sports Media. 10 February 2017. Retrieved 10 February 2017.
  25. "Amla, de Kock tons lead SA to 5–0 and No. 1". ESPNcricinfo. ESPN Sports Media. 10 February 2017. Retrieved 10 February 2017.
  26. "Highest Score by Batting Position". CricketArchive. Retrieved 16 February 2017.
  27. "Sri Lanka sneak through after Gunaratne fifty". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 17 February 2017.
  28. "Gunaratne's send-off, Tharanga's bittersweet day". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 17 February 2017.
  29. "Gunaratne 84* caps stunning series win for Sri Lanka". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
  30. "Highest Score by Batting position". CricketArchive. Retrieved 22 February 2017.
  31. "Sri Lanka's perfect record in Australia". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
  32. "Sri Lanka tour of Australia, 3rd T20I: Australia v Sri Lanka at Adelaide, Feb 22, 2017". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 22 February 2017.
  33. Caffoor, Inshaf (19 February 2017). "Asela Gunaratne did the impossible – Social Media Reacts". ThePapare.com. Retrieved 28 March 2017.
  34. "Dickwella asked me to keep talking to him – Gunaratne". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 18 July 2017.
  35. "Sri Lanka pull off highest successful chase in Asia". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 18 July 2017.
  36. "Dickwella, Gunaratne star in record chase". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 18 July 2017.
  37. "Gunaratne out of India series, to undergo surgery on thumb". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 26 July 2017.
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