Akila Dananjaya Wife, Age, Height, Teams, Career, Jersey Number

Published on: Jun 26, 2023 1:23 pm IST|Updated on: Jun 26, 2023 1:23 pm IST

Akila Dananjaya

Akila Dananjaya, a mere 18 years old at the time, received a surprise inclusion in the Sri Lankan T20I squad for the 2012 World Twenty20, despite not having any prior experience in professional matches.

Age 29
Height  5’7” feet
Wife Nethalie Tekshini
Jersey Number 10

Akila Dananjaya Career

In 2012, the Sri Lankan T20I squad for the World Twenty20 received a surprising addition in the form of 18-year-old Akila Dananjaya. What made his selection even more remarkable was the fact that he had never played a single professional match in his career up until that point. Dananjaya, a talented right-arm off-break bowler, caught the attention of Wayamba captain Mahela Jayawardena during the Sri Lanka Premier League. Impressed by Dananjaya’s skills, which included a variety of deliveries like leg breaks, googlies, carrom balls, doosras, and off-spinners, Jayawardena quickly recommended him for inclusion in the national side. Consequently, Dananjaya found himself in the final squad of 15 for the World Twenty20 tournament.

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The young bowler made his international debut in a T20I match against New Zealand, where he showcased his talent by picking up two wickets in his spell. Following this promising performance, he made his ODI debut against the same opposition. In 2013, Dananjaya’s skills earned him a spot in the IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings for the sixth season of the tournament, further solidifying his growing reputation.

However, Dananjaya’s journey faced a setback when he was forced to take a break from the national team due to issues with his bowling action. It was not until March 2021, after a two-year hiatus, that he made his comeback during the tour of the Caribbean. In the first T20I match of the series held at Antigua, Dananjaya achieved a momentous feat by taking a hat-trick in his second over. This was not only his first international hat-trick but also the first time a bowler had accomplished this against the West Indies in a T20I. In a remarkable display of skill and precision, he dismissed Evin Lewis, Chris Gayle, and Nicholas Pooran in consecutive deliveries.

Despite this exceptional achievement, Dananjaya’s performance in the match had its ups and downs. Following his hat-trick, he unfortunately conceded 36 runs in the very next over, which somewhat tarnished the impact of his feat. Nevertheless, his hat-trick and overall contribution showcased his talent and potential as a match-winning bowler.

Dananjaya’s skills and consistency did not go unnoticed, as he was named one of four reserve players in Sri Lanka’s squad for the 2021 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in September 2021. This recognition reflected his growing stature in the cricketing world and highlighted the faith placed in his abilities by the national selectors.

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Format Mat Inns Balls Runs Wkts BBI BBM Ave Econ SR 4w 5w 10w
Test 6 12 1385 819 33 6/115 8/44 24.81 3.54 41.9 0 4 0
ODI 39 37 1935 1661 56 6/29 6/29 29.66 5.15 34.5 2 2 0
T20I 31 31 665 909 28 3/36 3/36 32.46 8.20 23.7 0 0 0
FC 63 105 10194 5952 226 8/53 15/135 26.33 3.50 45.1 8 11 1
List A 126 119 5881 4524 192 6/29 6/29 23.56 4.61 30.6 8 7 0
T20 118 111 2366 2896 135 4/17 4/17 21.45 7.34 17.5 4 0 0

Who is Akila Dananjaya Wife?

Akila Dananjaya tied the knot with his long-time partner Nethalie Tekshini on August 22, 2017, a mere two days before his recall to the ODI team for the second ODI against India.

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