As former World Champions in white-ball formats, Sri Lanka has also enjoyed considerable success in Test cricket since their debut four decades ago. They have been a formidable force, particularly in home conditions where the pitches aid both their batters and spinners.
Over the years, numerous Sri Lankan players have stood out and made the world take notice of this small island nation in Test cricket. In this article, we will celebrate the tremendous batters who have contributed with the most runs to the team’s legacy in a significant way.
| Player | Matches | Innings | Runs | Avg | 100/50 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kumar Sangakkara | 134 | 233 | 12400 | 57.40 | 38/52 |
| Mahela Jayawardene | 149 | 252 | 11814 | 49.84 | 34/50 |
| Angelo Mathews | 119 | 212 | 8214 | 44.40 | 16/45 |
| Dimuth Karunaratne | 100 | 191 | 7222 | 39.25 | 16/39 |
| Sanath Jayasuriya | 110 | 188 | 6973 | 40.07 | 14/31 |
| Dinesh Chandimal | 90 | 161 | 6361 | 43.56 | 16/34 |
| Aravinda de Silva | 93 | 159 | 6361 | 42.97 | 20/22 |
| Marvan Atapattu | 90 | 156 | 5502 | 39.02 | 16/17 |
| Tillakaratne Dilshan | 87 | 145 | 5492 | 40.98 | 16/23 |
| Thilan Samaraweera | 81 | 132 | 5462 | 48.76 | 14/30 |
Key Insights – Leading Run-Scorers for Sri Lanka in Test Cricket
The 10,000-Run Club
The legendary duo of Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene are the only Sri Lankan batters to have crossed the 10,000-run mark in Test cricket.
Kumar Sangakkara, a former Test captain, is Sri Lanka’s leading run-scorer in the format and the seventh most prolific batter overall. The left-hander scored a whopping 12,400 runs in just 233 Test innings during his 15-year storied career.
Mahela Jayawardene, Sangakkara’s long-time teammate and also a former Test skipper, ranks second with a tally of 11,814 runs from 149 Test matches. He is 10th on the list of all-time Test batters, boasts a stunning average of 49.84, and is one of just 11 players to cross the 11,000-run mark in the format.
Among current Sri Lankan players, Dinesh Chandimal has the most Test runs, followed by Kusal Mendis and Dhananjaya de Silva.
Highest Individual Scores and Century Milestones
Jayawardene holds the record for the highest Test score by a Sri Lankan batter, with his 374 against South Africa in Colombo in 2006. This is the fourth-highest individual score in Test history. The next best score for Sri Lanka was by the mercurial opener Sanath Jayasuriya, who struck a splendid 340 versus India in 1997. Sri Lanka’s only other batter to score a triple century is Sangakkara.
A total of 14 different Sri Lankan batters have scored at least a double century in the format. Brendon Kuruppu was the first from the island nation to score a double ton, and interestingly, he made just 320 total runs in his Test career.
Only three batters have made 20 or more Test centuries. While Sangakkara leads with 38 Test tons, Jayawardene has 34 centuries, and Aravinda de Silva has 20 of them.
Batting Averages and Ducks
A total of 11 Sri Lankan batters have amassed 5,000 or more Test runs in their careers, and 21 have crossed the 2,500-run landmark. Among those, Sangakkara’s batting average of 57.40 is the best, followed by Mahela Jayawardene. The only other batter to average more than 45 is Thilan Samaraweera (48.76), and there are 10 batters who average 40 or more, satisfying the minimum criteria of 2,500 Test runs.
On the flip side, Marvan Atapattu has the unwanted record of registering the most ducks for a Sri Lankan batter with more than 5,000 Test runs. He has 22 ducks, followed by Sanath Jayasuriya and Mahela Jayawardene, who each have 15 ducks.
Fifty-Plus Scores
Five batters have scored 50 or more fifty-plus scores in Test cricket, with Sangakkara leading the way with 90 such scores. Jayawardene has 84, followed by Angelo Mathews (61), Dimuth Karunaratne (55), and Dinesh Chandimal (50).
Also Read: Most Times – 50+ Scores in Both Innings of Test Cricket
