Mahamarakkala Kurukulasooriya Patabendige Akila Dananjaya Perera, popularly as Akila Dananjaya, is a professional Sri Lankan cricketer, who played all forms of the game for the national team.
28 Facts About Akila Dananjaya
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Akila Dananjaya was cleared to bowl in international cricket again on 8 January 2021.
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The son of a carpenter from Moratuwa, Akila Dananjaya studied at Moratuwa Maha Vidyalaya Panadura Mahanama Navodya Vidyalaya, Panadura.
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Akila Dananjaya 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.
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Akila Dananjaya was selected to play for Wayamba United in the inaugural Sri Lanka Premier League.
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Akila Dananjaya made his debut international appearance at the age of 18 against New Zealand at Pallekele in a pool match of World Twenty20.
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Akila Dananjaya 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.
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Akila Dananjaya was recalled in to the ODI squad after five years for the Zimbabwe tour in 2017.
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Akila Dananjaya took his maiden ODI five-wicket haul on 24 August 2017 against India at Pallekele Cricket Stadium.
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Akila Dananjaya's fifer took in the space of 13 deliveries, which is the best for a Sri Lankan in ODIs as well.
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On 13 October 2017 against Pakistan, Akila Dananjaya scored his maiden ODI fifty.
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Akila Dananjaya made his Test debut on 8 February 2018 against Bangladesh in the second Test at Sher-e-Bangla Cricket Stadium.
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Akila Dananjaya played the second test against South Africa on 20 July 2018.
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Akila Dananjaya scored unbeaten 43 in that first innings and helped Sri Lanka swell their first-innings total to 338.
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In bowling, Akila Dananjaya picked up his second five-wicket haul in his third Test.
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Sri Lanka won the match by 178 runs and Akila Dananjaya was adjudged man of the match for his match winning bowling performance.
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Akila Dananjaya was selected for ODI bowling nominees in ICC Cricket Awards 2019 for his bowling in this match.
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On Match 3 2021, Akila Dananjaya became only player to take hat-trick and then be smashed for six sixes in the same match, in his third over against Kieron Pollard.
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In November 2018, during the first Test against England at Galle, Akila Dananjaya is reported with suspect bowling action.
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Akila Dananjaya was then requested to undergo testing on his action within 14 days.
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Akila Dananjaya played the second Test of the series and took a five wicket haul, despite Sri Lanka lost the match and the series.
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Akila Dananjaya missed the third Test due to biomechanical testing in Brisbane, Australia.
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Akila Dananjaya was included to the South African ODI series after clearance.
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Akila Dananjaya made his comeback return to national team during the tour of Caribbean in March 2021, after a gap of 2 years since reassessing his bowling action.
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Akila Dananjaya became the third Sri Lankan bowler to take a hat-trick in T20I after Thisara Perera and Lasith Malinga as well as the first Sri Lankan spinner to do so.
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Akila Dananjaya eventually conceded the joint-most expensive bowling figures in an over of a T20I match with Stuart Broad.
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In September 2021, Akila Dananjaya was named as one of four reserve players in Sri Lanka's squad for the 2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup.
28.
Akila Dananjaya was included in the ODI and T20I squads against Zimbabwe in 2024, but did not play in the series.