Dasun Shanaka
About
Although he'd made his T20I debut before that against Pakistan, these knocks sprung him into the limelight - something he grabbed with a three-fer against India on green Pune wicket in 2016. A Test debut followed soon on the tour to England, but it was his ODI debut against Ireland that really stood out, where he became only the third Sri Lankan to pick a fifer on debut. He was further named the Man of the Series.
However, inconsistencies because of how low he bats and the limited opportunities at that position, he couldn't cement his spot in either format and remained in and out over the next three years.
| Format | Debut | Last Played |
|---|---|---|
| T20 | vs Pakistan, 2015-08-01, R.Premadasa Stadium | vs Pakistan, 2026-02-28, Pallekele International Cricket Stadium |
| TEST | vs England, 2016-05-19, Headingley | vs England, 2021-01-14, Galle International Stadium |
| ODI | vs Ireland, 2016-06-16, The Village | vs Zimbabwe, 2024-01-08, R.Premadasa Stadium |
| IPL | vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, 2023-05-15, Narendra Modi Stadium | vs Chennai Super Kings, 2023-05-23, MA Chidambaram Stadium |
| Stat | Test | ODI | T20 | IPL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matches | 6 | 71 | 131 | 3 |
| Innings | 12 | 63 | 118 | 3 |
| Runs | 140 | 1299 | 1912 | 26 |
| Balls | 276 | 1420 | 1489 | 26 |
| Highest | 66 | 108 | 76 | 17 |
| Average | 14 | 22.4 | 20.56 | 13 |
| SR | 50.73 | 91.48 | 128.41 | 100.00 |
| Not Out | 2 | 5 | 25 | 1 |
| Fours | 9 | 103 | 129 | 2 |
| Sixes | 7 | 42 | 106 | 1 |
| Ducks | 2 | 6 | 16 | 1 |
| 50s | 1 | 4 | 8 | 0 |
| 100s | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 200s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 300s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 400s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Stat | Test | ODI | T20 | IPL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matches | 6 | 71 | 131 | 3 |
| Innings | 8 | 46 | 75 | 0 |
| Balls | 762 | 1056 | 841 | 0 |
| Runs | 431 | 999 | 1155 | 0 |
| Maidens | 19 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Wickets | 13 | 27 | 46 | 0 |
| Avg | 33.15 | 37.0 | 25.11 | 0.0 |
| Eco | 3.39 | 5.68 | 8.24 | 0 |
| SR | 58.62 | 39.11 | 18.28 | 0.0 |
| BBI | 3/46 | 5/43 | 3/16 | -/- |
| BBM | 5/112 | 5/43 | 3/16 | -/- |
| 4w | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 5w | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 10w | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
RR set to sign Dasun Shanaka as Sam Curran replacement
The Sri Lanka allrounder, after going unsold at the IPL mini-auction, had secured a PSL deal with Lahore Qalandars before making a late switch
IPL 2026· 22 Mar 2026When Shanaka's late blitz revived hope in a lost cause
Coming in at 101/5, in a chase of 213, the Sri Lankan skipper slammed an unbeaten 31-ball 76 to nearly pull off a miracle
T20 World Cup, 2026· 1 Mar 2026Pakistan survive Shanaka blitz but crash out of T20 World Cup; NZ qualify
Pakistan had to restrict Sri Lanka to 147 or fewer, but almost lost a thriller instead. New Zealand are now set to play in the Kolkata semi-final
T20 World Cup, 2026· 28 Feb 2026Shanaka calls for long-term reset after World Cup exit
The Sri Lankan skipper stressed that fitness standards and long-term planning must improve if the team is to compete consistently at global events
T20 World Cup, 2026· 26 Feb 2026Shanaka replaces Asalanka as Sri Lanka captain for T20 World Cup
Asalanka had led the side during the recently concluded tri-series in Pakistan before returning home due to illness, prompting Shanaka to step in as stand-in captain
Squad announcement · 19 Dec 2025Confident of reaching the final: Saif Hassan
Sri Lankan all-rounder Dasun Shanaka spoke about how his team came out on the wrong side of the result after being 10-15 runs short
Asia Cup 2025· 21 Sept 2025