Kushal Janith Perera: Sri Lanka's Hidden Talent

[Vanarp22]

One or two months ago, I posted a poll concerning the best wicketkeeper batsman in current international cricket. Of the ten or so names that I listed, one was unknown to almost everyone: Kushal Janith Perera. I soon started wondering whether he should even be on the poll. But soon I found that my choice had been worth it. Once a distant third to Kumar Sangakkara and Prasanna Jayawardene in by Sri Lankan wicketkeeping standards, Perera is a reliable wicketkeeping option in both ODIs and T20s, and in first-class cricket as well. His admirable batting has impressed many fans. With batting strokes reminiscent of the legendary Sanath Jayasuriya, he has played several crucial knocks in Australia, including an attacking 33 in the second T20. He then brought his success to the Bangladesh series, where he scored 42, 18* and 56 in three ODIs, the latter despite a losing effort. With scores of 203, 97, and 336 in his last three first-class matches, as well as a first-class average of 45.52 from 32 first-class matches at a strike rate of 81.98, Perera may also have a bright future ahead of him in Test matches. With Sangakkara having given up keeping in Tests as well, Perera, a proven success in both batting and wicketkeeping, may soon take over the job. With a reliable batting and wicketkeeping record in Limited Overs Internationals (LOIs) as well as his enviable first-class form this season, Perera looks like a reliable cricketer for Sri Lanka in the future. Former Sri Lankan cricketer Russel Arnold's praise of Perera as "an exciting prospect" and "a thinking cricketer" is praise he certainly deserves.