Akila Dananjaya

Akila Dananjaya
Personal information
Full name
Mahamarakkala Kurukulasooriya Patabendige Akila Dananjaya Perera
Born (1993-10-04) 4 October 1993
Panadura, Sri Lanka
Height5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)
BattingLeft-handed
BowlingRight-arm off break
Right-arm leg break
RoleBowling All-rounder
International information
National side
Test debut (cap 145)8 February 2018 v Bangladesh
Last Test14 August 2019 v New Zealand
ODI debut (cap 154)12 November 2012 v New Zealand
Last ODI4 August 2024 v Sri Lanka
T20I debut (cap 47)27 September 2012 v New Zealand
Last T20I4 March 2024 v Bangladesh
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
2012Wayamba United
2013/14-presentColts Cricket Club
2017/18Khulna Titans
2018Mumbai Indians
2020/21Galle Gladiators
Career statistics
Competition Test ODI T20I FC
Matches 6 42 33 83
Runs scored 135 323 65 1,459
Batting average 16.87 12.42 8.12 19.45
100s/50s 0/0 0/1 0/0 0/5
Top score 43* 50* 11* 92
Balls bowled 1,385 2,115 701 14,427
Wickets 33 59 30 343
Bowling average 24.81 30.66 32.16 28.22
5 wickets in innings 4 2 0 24
10 wickets in match 0 0 0 5
Best bowling 6/115 6/29 3/36 9/56
Catches/stumpings 1/– 14/- 7/- 30/–
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 21 March 2025

Mahamarakkala Kurukulasooriya Patabendige Akila Dananjaya Perera (Sinhala: අකිල ධනංජය; born 4 October 1993), popularly as Akila Dananjaya, is a professional Sri Lankan cricketer, who played all forms of the game for the national team. In March 2021, he became the first bowler to take hat-trick and be hit for the maximum of six sixes in an over in the same match, by Kieron Pollard against West Indies .

In December 2018, he was suspended from bowling in international matches after his bowling action was deemed to be illegal, which was later corrected to play in March 2019. However, in September 2019, the International Cricket Council (ICC) suspended Dananjaya from bowling in international matches for twelve months after his bowling action was once again deemed to be illegal, a penalty received for failing a biomechanics assessment twice within a two-year period. He was cleared to bowl in international cricket again on 8 January 2021.