Narangoda Liyanaarachchilage Thisara Chirantha Perera

A brilliant bowling all-rounder, Thisara Perera is a professional cricketer from Sri Lanka who plays in limited over formats for Sri Lanka national team. He plays domestic cricket for Colts Cricket Club. He has also played franchise Twenty20 cricket for Wayamba Wolves in Sri Lanka Premier League, Rising Pune Supergiants in Indian Premier League (IPL), Gloucestershire team in NatWest T20 Blast, Montreal Tigers in Global T20 Canada, Paktia Super Kings in Afghanistan Premier League, Comilla Victorians in Bangladesh Premier League and Jaffna Stallions in Lanka Premier League.

Perera started playing cricket in his teenage days and has represented his nation at several youth levels. He has also played ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup of 2008. Perera made his first-class and List A debut in November 2008 for Colts Cricket Club. He made his international debut in December 2009 in an ODI during Sri Lanka’s Tour of India, T20I debut in May 2010 against Zimbabwe and Test debut in May 2011 against England.

Perera was named in the Sri Lanka team for the Cricket World Cup of 2019 by the ICC and was coined as the key player of the team for the tournament.

Here are some of his major career achievements:

• In the 2020-21 Major Clubs Limited Over Tournament in March 2021, Perera smashed six sixes in an over of Dilhan Cooray in a match between Sri Lanka Army Sports Club and Bloomfield Cricket and Athletic Club. With this, he became the first Sri Lankan to achieve the feat in a domestic match.
• In January 2019, in an ODI against New Zealand, Perera scored his maiden ODI century (140 off 74 balls), which was the fastest against New Zealand. During his innings, he scored 13 sixes which were the most by a batsman at the losing team in ODIs. He was titled the Man of the Match for his performance.
• On 12^th February 2016, in a T20I series against India, Perera became the first Sri Lankan cricketer to take a hat-trick and fourth overall in T20Is.
• Perera holds the record of scoring the highest runs, batting at number 9 or lower position in an innings in ODIs for Sri Lanka as he scored 80 runs.
• Scored second-most runs off one over in an ODI against South Africa on 26^th July 2013 when he hit 35 runs in an over of Robin Peterson.
• Perera is the first cricketer to smash six wickets against Pakistan in an ODI that took place in June 2012. It was also his best bowling performance in ODIs (6 for 44). He was bestowed with Man of the Match for his performance.
• Perera became the first Sri Lankan cricketer to take a hat-trick against Pakistan that he took during the fourth ODI of Pakistan tour of Sri Lanka in June 2012.