Cricket Archive

Upul Tharanga

Full name: Warushavithana Upul Tharanga

Born: 2nd February 1985, Balapitiya, Sri Lanka

Batting: Left-hand batsman
Occasional wicket-keeper

Teams: Sri Lanka (Test: 2005/06-2007/08); Sri Lanka (ODI: 2005-2007/08); Asian Cricket Council XI (ODI: 2007); Sri Lanka (Int Twenty20: 2006-2007/08); Singha Sports Club (Main FC: 2000/01-2001); Nondescripts Cricket Club (Main FC: 2003/04-2007/08); Nondescripts Cricket Club (Main ListA: 2003/04-2007/08); Ruhuna (Main ListA: 2007/08); Ruhuna (Main Twenty20: 2007/08); All teams

Lists of matches and more detailed statistics
Articles: Jayawardene guides Sri Lanka into World Cup final

Sri Lanka fetes record-breaking cricketers

Under-pressure South Africa pray for better track

List of all articles

Pictures: Upul Tharanga raises his bat to celebrate his century

Upul Tharanga plays a shot

Upul Tharanga is bowled by Daniel Vettori

Upul Tharanga avoids a bouncer

List of all pictures

copyright © CricketArchive

He is one of the brightest young stars on the Sri Lankan cricket firmament. An aggressive left handed opening batsman Upul Tharanga is an exciting prospect as his ODI figures will prove. At the end of the Champions Trophy in India in 2006 he had six hundreds in 35 matches at a strike rate of over 76. A free and natural striker of the ball Tharanga in the Jayasuriya mould goes for the bowling from the very start. His hand-eye co-ordination and prodigious gifts has helped him to combat the moving delivery, the ball cut off the seam and even the fastest of bowlers with more than a degree of success. Astonishingly he has followed this approach even in Tests and his touch has not deserted him as the statistics will confirm. Coming up through the ranks Tharanga played for the Under-15, Under-17 and Under-19 teams and first attracted attention during the Under-19 World Cup in 2004 when he hit 117 against South Africa and followed it up with 61 off 42 balls against India. A successful tour to Pakistan with the Under-19 team followed after which he played for the Sri Lanka A team. His career really took off on the tour of England in 2006 with a splendid century at Lord’s in the first match of Sri Lanka’s 5-0 whitewash. He has never looked back since and has gone from strength to strength confirming of this being successive centuries in the Champions Trophy in India.
Profile DateLine: 20th February 2007 by CricketArchive

Test Career Batting and Fielding (2005/06-2007/08)
	M	I	NO	Runs	HS	Ave	100	50	SRate	Ct
Sri Lanka	15	26	1	713	165	28.52	1	3	49.51	11

First-Class Career Batting and Fielding (2000/01-2008/09)
	M	I	NO	Runs	HS	Ave	100	50	SRate	Ct	St
Overall	58	100	3	3008	169	31.01	5	15	58.68	53	1

First-Class Career Bowling (2007/08)
	Balls	Mdns	Runs	Wkts	BB	Ave	5wI	10wM	SRate	Econ
Overall	18	1	4	0	0-4					1.33

One-Day International Career Batting and Fielding (2005-2007/08)
	M	I	NO	Runs	HS	Ave	100	50	SRate	Ct
Sri Lanka	68	64	0	2045	120	31.95	6	9	71.77	11
Asian Cricket Council XI	1	1	0	10	10	10.00	0	0	45.45	0
Overall	69	65	0	2055	120	31.61	6	9	71.57	11

One-Day Career Batting and Fielding (2003/04-2008)
	M	I	NO	Runs	HS	Ave	100	50	Ct	St
Overall	103	97	1	2892	120	30.12	6	15	21	1

International Twenty20 Career Batting and Fielding (2006-2007/08)
	M	I	NO	Runs	HS	Ave	100	50	SRate	Ct
Sri Lanka	8	8	0	114	37	14.25	0	0	116.32	1

Twenty20 Career Batting and Fielding (2006-2007/08)
	M	I	NO	Runs	HS	Ave	100	50	SRate	Ct
Overall	12	12	1	227	68*	20.63	0	1	137.57	2

Youth Test Career Batting and Fielding (2003-2004/05)
	M	I	NO	Runs	HS	Ave	100	50	SRate	Ct
Sri Lanka Under-19s	4	7	1	240	69	40.00	0	2	68.18	2

Youth One-Day International Career Batting and Fielding (2001/02-2004/05)
	M	I	NO	Runs	HS	Ave	100	50	SRate	Ct
Sri Lanka Under-19s	31	31	1	828	117	27.60	2	5	78.03	7