Akila Dananjaya

With 8 wickets for 44 runs in the match, Dananjaya's bowling figures recorded as the best bowling figures by a Sri Lankan in debut match and only the 2nd Sri Lankan to grab 8 wickets on debut, beating Ajantha Mendis' figures of 8/144.

Dananjaya's record breaking figures of 8/44 on his Test debut is regarded as one of the most economical cheapest bowling figures by a bowler on test debut and also recorded the best bowling average by a bowler on his test debut (for a bowler with minimum of 8 wickets) with an average of 5.50 breaking the previous record held by Albert Trott.

Mahamarakkala Kurukulasooriya Patabendige Akila Dananjaya Perera (අකිල ධනංජය; born 4 October 1993), popularly as Akila Dananjaya, is a professional Sri Lankan cricketer, who played all forms of the game for the national team.

In March 2021, he became the first bowler to take hat-trick and be hit for the maximum of six sixes in an over in the same match, by Kieron Pollard against West Indies.

In the second innings, Dananjaya took his maiden Test five-wicket haul by taking 5 for 24 runs, becoming only the 3rd Sri Lankan to take a fifer on his test debut and the first instance for Sri Lanka since 1999.

This in turn led to a place in the final squad for the 2012 ICC World Twenty20.

He made his debut international appearance at the age of 18 against New Zealand at Pallekele in a pool match of World Twenty20.

He was hit on the face by a full-blooded drive from New Zealand opener Rob Nicol, with the ball going through his hands to strike the left side of his face.

X-rays and MRI scans revealed that he had suffered a fracture on his left cheek bone as a result of the blow and did not play in the pool match against West Indies.

In the 2013 IPL auctions, Dananjaya was sold to the Chennai Super Kings for his base price of $20,000.

He married his longtime partner Nethalie Tekshini on 22 August 2017 just two days before his recall to the ODI team for second ODI against India.

The wedding was celebrated at Ramadia Ran Mal Holiday Resort, Moratuwa and two spinners Rangana Herath and Ajantha Mendis signed as witnesses.

He was selected to play for Wayamba United in the inaugural Sri Lanka Premier League.

In only his second match for the franchise, he took 3–18 against Nagenahira Nagas, consistently disturbing the batsmen with his flight, googly and other variations.

Dananjaya was recalled in to the ODI squad after five years for the Zimbabwe tour in 2017.

In the first match of the series, he took his maiden ODI wicket by dismissing Craig Ervine.

He took his maiden ODI five-wicket haul on 24 August 2017 against India at Pallekele Cricket Stadium.

His fifer took in the space of 13 deliveries, which is the best for a Sri Lankan in ODIs as well.

He bewildered the Indian batsmen.

However, India won the match by 3 wickets at the end and Dananjaya's bowling figures of 6 for 54 stands as the best bowling figures by a Sri Lankan in a losing cause.

Despite the loss, he awarded man of the match for impressive bowling performance.

On 13 October 2017 against Pakistan, Dananjaya scored his maiden ODI fifty.

His score of an unbeaten 50 off 72 balls did not help Sri Lanka to win the match, but helped to reach 200 mark in total.

In December 2018, he was suspended from bowling in international matches after his bowling action was deemed to be illegal, which was later corrected to play in March 2019.

In January 2018, he was bought by the Mumbai Indians in the 2018 IPL auction.

In March 2018, he was named in Galle's squad for the 2017–18 Super Four Provincial Tournament.

In August 2018, he was named in Colombo's squad the 2018 SLC T20 League.

In 2018, Dhananjaya was named to Sri Lanka's Test squad for the tour of Bangladesh.

He made his Test debut on 8 February 2018 against Bangladesh in the second Test at Sher-e-Bangla Cricket Stadium.

He took his first test wicket of Mahmudullah in the Bangladesh's first innings and claimed two more wickets to restrict Bangladesh to 110 by finishing with decent figures of 3/20.

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.

However, in September 2019, the International Cricket Council (ICC) suspended Dananjaya from bowling in international matches for twelve months after his bowling action was once again deemed to be illegal, a penalty received for failing a biomechanics assessment twice within a two-year period.

He was cleared to bowl in international cricket again on 8 January 2021.

The son of a carpenter from Moratuwa, Dananjaya studied at Moratuwa Maha Vidyalaya Panadura Mahanama Navodya Vidyalaya, Panadura.

In March 2019, he was named in Colombo's squad for the 2019 Super Provincial One Day Tournament.

In October 2020, he was drafted by the Galle Gladiators for the inaugural edition of the Lanka Premier League.

In August 2021, he was named in the SLC Reds team for the 2021 SLC Invitational T20 League tournament.

Officially a left-hand batsman and an off-break bowler, he is said to have seven variations, including the leg-break, googly, carrom ball, doosra and his stock off-spinner that had impressed national team captain Mahela Jayawardene so much in the nets as to make Jayawardene request him to be fast-tracked into the national squad.

Dhananjaya had at that point played no first-class, List A, T20 or even U-19 cricket.

This in turn led to controversy as his selection was questioned by the media on the basis of a net performance.