Biography

Danushka Gunathilaka is a left-handed batsman who is known for his explosive batting style. While he is yet to leave a big mark in his short career, the Panadura-born cricketer has got the opportunity to represent his country in all the three formats of the game.

Danushka opens the batting as well as plays in the middle order and is considered to have the game to be flexible. Gunathilaka made his ODI debut against West Indies while his debut for the shortest format came a year later, against New Zealand. However, he was dropped and then made a comeback after Kusal Perera was banned for his involvement in a drug scandal.

Gunathilaka got the opportunity to open the innings and he grabbed the opportunity immediately. A quickfire 65 against New Zealand in Nelson showed his true potential to the world and Danushka further proved his mettle with another incredible knock during the 2017 Champions Trophy when Sri Lanka trumped India by chasing 321.

With so much potential, Sri Lanka handed him his Test debut against India in 2017 but the southpaw failed to impress. He has been often criticized for his loose strokeplay and that has kept him in-and-out of the Test squad. However, Gunathilaka continues to be a regular for Sri Lanka in the shortest formats, time and again he has been charged by the Lankan board for disciplinary issues.