Kumar Chokshanada Sangakkara (Sinhala: කුමාර් චොක්ශනාද සංගක්කාර; born 27 October 1977) is a Sri Lankan cricket commentator and former cricketer who represented Sri Lanka from 2000 to 2015. A former captain of Sri Lanka in all three formats of the game, he played mostly as a wicket-keeper-batter and is widely regarded as one of the greatest wicket-keeper-batters in the history of cricket.
| Full name | Kumar Chokshanada Sangakkara |
|---|---|
| Born | 27 October 1977, Matale, Central Province, Sri Lanka |
| Batting | Left-handed |
| Bowling | Right-arm off spin (rarely bowled) |
| Role | Wicket-keeper-batter |
| International career | 2000–2015 |
| Domestic teams | Nondescripts Cricket Club (1997–98 to 2013–14); Surrey (2015–2017) |
| Test centuries | 38 (highest by a wicket-keeper) |
| ODI centuries | 25 (highest by a wicket-keeper) |
| Total international runs | 28,016, including 63 centuries |
Sangakkara was born in Matale in the Central Province of Sri Lanka. He began his first-class career with Nondescripts Cricket Club in Colombo in the 1997–98 season, going on to represent the club until 2013–14. After his retirement from international cricket, he played county cricket for Surrey County Cricket Club from 2015 to 2017.
Sangakkara made his debut for Sri Lanka in 2000 and went on to feature in major Sri Lankan triumphs over the next decade and a half. He was part of the squads that won the 2001–02 Asian Test Championship, the 2002 ICC Champions Trophy, and the 2014 ICC World Twenty20.
Combining all three forms of international cricket, he is the third-highest run-scorer in international cricket, having amassed a total of 28,016 runs with 63 centuries. His 38 Test centuries and 25 ODI centuries are both the highest by a wicket-keeper. As of July 2025, he is one of only 15 players to have scored 10,000 or more runs in Test cricket, and has the highest batting average among those who have achieved that feat.
Since retiring as a player, Sangakkara has worked as a cricket commentator for Sky Sports. He served as President of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) from October 2019 to September 2021. In January 2021, he was appointed coach of the Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League, a role he held from 2021 to 2024.
Sangakkara's career is defined by sustained excellence with both bat and gloves. His record-setting tally of centuries as a wicket-keeper, his consistent ICC honours between 2011 and 2014, and his contribution to Sri Lanka's major international titles place him among the most accomplished cricketers of his era. His subsequent administrative role as MCC President and his coaching tenure in the IPL extended his influence on the sport beyond playing.