ILT20

Biography

From the outside, when you see this bloke bat, you would feel he is a Sanath Jayasuriya-incarnate. The short-arm jabs, the murderous cuts and the delightful lofted flicks are reminiscent of one of world cricket's most destructive batter but there is more to Mathurage Don Kusal Janith Perera than meets the eye.

A left-handed batter and wicketkeeper, Kusal Perera represented the Sri Lankan U19 squad regularly since 2007. He was then called up to the side for the U19 World Cup in Malaysia the following year. An aggressive batter, Perera made his first-class debut for the Colts Cricket Club in 2009 and scored his maiden fifty.

Also a part of the Sri Lankan A side, Perera was included in Ruhunu's Champions League T20 squad in 2011. Two years later, Kusal was called up to Sri Lanka's ODI side for their series against Australia, where he made his international debut. His reputation as a smasher early on in the innings inevitably drew comparisons with Sanath Jayasuriya's style of play and that brought Perera some rich dividends none more so than being roped in by the cash rich Indian Premier League for it's sixth season in 2013. He represented the Rajasthan franchise but managed to play only a couple of games. Sri Lanka stuck with him and he rewarded their faith late in the year 2013 with a Man of the Match performance in the second T20I against Pakistan that secured Sri Lanka's no.1 ranking in the format.