Kumar Sangakkara: 12,400 Test Runs, Four Consecutive ODI Centuries — Sri Lanka's Greatest Batsman
Kumar Chokshanada Sangakkara was born on 27 October 1977 in Matale, Sri Lanka. He is widely regarded as Sri Lanka's greatest cricketer and one of the finest batsmen in the history of the game. He played 134 Tests (12,400 runs at 57.40, 38 centuries), 404 ODIs (14,234 runs at 41.98, 25 centuries), and 56 T20Is. He is the second-highest run-scorer in Test cricket history behind Sachin Tendulkar at the time of his retirement in 2015. At the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup, he scored four consecutive centuries in successive innings — the only batsman ever to achieve this feat in World Cup cricket. He was a wicketkeeper-batsman for much of his career (182 Test dismissals, 482 ODI dismissals) but transitioned to a specialist batsman in the later stages of his Test career. Alongside Mahela Jayawardene (12,400 Test runs), they formed the greatest batting partnership in Sri Lanka's history.
Kumar Chokshanada Sangakkara was born on 27 October 1977 in Matale, Sri Lanka. He made his Test debut against South Africa in July 2000 and retired from international cricket after the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup, having played 134 Tests, 404 ODIs, and 56 T20 Internationals. A left-handed batsman known for elegance and precision, he is considered one of the finest batsmen in the history of the game. He scored 12,400 Test runs at 57.40 with 38 centuries — the second-highest aggregate in Test history (behind Tendulkar's 15,921 at the time of his retirement) and 14,234 ODI runs at 41.98 with 25 centuries.
Four Consecutive World Cup Centuries: A Historic Feat
At the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup, held in Australia and New Zealand, Sangakkara scored four consecutive centuries in successive innings — a feat never achieved by any batsman in World Cup history and unique in international cricket. His centuries came against: Bangladesh (105 in Dhaka/Melbourne, Feb 26), England (117 in Wellington, Mar 1), Australia (104 in Sydney, Mar 8), and Scotland (124 in Hobart, Mar 11). Sri Lanka won all four matches. Sangakkara was 37 years old during the tournament. Sri Lanka reached the quarter-final and were eliminated by South Africa. Sangakkara retired from ODI cricket immediately after the tournament.
The Sangakkara-Jayawardene Partnership
Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene (who also scored 12,400 Test runs, their career tallies remarkably equal) formed the greatest batting partnership in Sri Lanka's history. They batted together at number three and four for over a decade, building partnerships on pitches globally and producing numerous match-winning stands. Their most famous unbroken stand was 624* for the 3rd wicket against South Africa at the SSC in Colombo in July 2006 — the highest partnership in Test cricket history, a record that still stands. Sangakkara scored 287 and Jayawardene 374* in that innings.
Wicketkeeper to Specialist Batsman
Sangakkara was Sri Lanka's wicketkeeper for most of his career: he made 182 dismissals in Tests (152 catches, 20 stumpings) and 482 ODI dismissals. He gave up the wicketkeeping gloves in Test cricket in 2006 to focus entirely on batting, allowing him to play for longer and concentrate on his technical approach to Test batsmanship. His decision to specialise was a conscious choice about extending the value he could provide: as a dedicated batsman rather than a keeper-batter hybrid, he would make more runs at a higher average. His career statistics bear that out.
Frequently asked questions
What made Kumar Sangakkara's four consecutive centuries at the 2015 World Cup unique in cricket history?
Kumar Sangakkara's four consecutive centuries at the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup are unique in World Cup history because no batsman before or since has scored a century in four successive innings in the same World Cup tournament. Sangakkara scored 105 vs Bangladesh, 117 vs England, 104 vs Australia, and 124 vs Scotland — all in a three-week period between 26 February and 11 March 2015. He was 37 years old during these innings, making the achievement doubly remarkable. In the broader context of international cricket, very few batsmen have scored four consecutive centuries in any format or competition (the others have done so in bilateral series, not a multi-team tournament). The achievement confirmed Sangakkara as the form batsman of the tournament despite Sri Lanka being eliminated in the quarter-finals.
What is the world-record batting partnership that Sangakkara and Jayawardene set in 2006?
Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene set the world record for the highest partnership in Test cricket in July 2006 against South Africa at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground, Colombo. They put on 624 runs for the unbroken 3rd wicket — Jayawardene scored 374 not out (the highest individual score in Test cricket at the time, since surpassed by Lara's 400* in 2004 — actually Lara already held the record with 400*, so Jayawardene's 374 was the second-highest in Tests) and Sangakkara scored 287. The partnership total of 624 remains the highest partnership in Test cricket history. Sri Lanka declared on 756/5. The partnership was not broken; both batsmen were still at the crease when the declaration was made.