Wanindu Hasaranga
Wanindu Hasaranga – Professional Sri Lankan All-rounder
Wanindu Hasaranga is a professional cricketer, a promising all-rounder who represents the Sri Lanka national team in the shorter formats. A former captain of the national side and one of Sri Lanka’s most productive bowlers.
Wanindu Hasaranga: Personal Life And Interesting Facts
Wanindu Hasaranga de Silva was born on July 29, 1997, in the coastal city of Galle in the south of Sri Lanka. Considering the fact that cricket is the most popular and widely loved sport on the island, it’s no surprise the boy got into the game very early on. Family support also played a major part in shaping the future athlete. In particular, Wanindu’s older brother, Chaturanga, a former international-level cricketer, constantly encouraged his passion for the sport.
Hasaranga took his first serious steps in top-level cricket while studying at Richmond College in Galle. This prestigious school is well known for its long history and a strong cricketing program. By the age of 16, he was already playing for the school team as an opening batsman. Wanindu’s performances and talent didn’t go unnoticed, and in 2015 he was selected for the Sri Lanka U19 squad for the Under-19 World Cup.
The following year, Wanindu Hasaranga was already wearing Sri Lanka’s colors at the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup held in Bangladesh. His showing was one of the tournament’s biggest highlights: across the competition he picked up seven wickets. Special mention goes to his impact in the quarterfinal win over England in Dhaka on February 7, when Wanindu grabbed 3 wickets for 34 runs.
That breakout spell accelerated his progression, and in July 2017 Wanindu Hasaranga earned his first call-up to the senior Sri Lanka side. His maiden ODI instantly became a highlight-reel moment: Wanindu struck a hat-trick on debut – one of the most electric openings to an international career Sri Lankan cricket has seen in years. From there, Hasaranga steadily evolved into a core match-winner, frequently tipping big games and tournament campaigns in his team’s favor, most notably in these title runs:
Asia Cup 2022: Sri Lanka lifted the trophy, and Hasaranga was voted Player of the Tournament, punctuating the final with 36 runs and 3 wickets.
ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2023: Sri Lanka finished as champions again, with Hasaranga as the competition’s leading wicket-taker (22) and a decisive presence throughout.
Beyond tournaments, he has also been part of multiple statement, making bilateral series victories, such as a T20I clean sweep against Pakistan in 2019 and a series win over India in 2021. Later, in 2024, he added leadership impact as captain, guiding Sri Lanka through attention-grabbing successes against Zimbabwe, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.
His personal milestones are equally striking. In February 2024, he became the second-quickest bowler, behind Rashid Khan, to reach 100 T20I wickets. By 2026, he had already pushed beyond 150 T20I wickets, making him the fifth player in the format to cross that threshold. Then, in July 2025, he set a new ODI benchmark by becoming the fastest to combine 1,000 runs with 100 wickets, achieving it in 65 matches and surpassing the previous record held by Shaun Pollock (68 matches).
At the club level, Wanindu Hasaranga has continued to juggle domestic commitments with a busy global franchise schedule, featuring leagues such as the Indian Premier League, The Hundred, and the Caribbean Premier League, among others.
As of February 2026, Hasaranga remains a Sri Lanka international, but a hamstring issue suffered in the opening match of the T20 World Cup 2026 versus Ireland on February 8 has ruled him out for the rest of the tournament.
Wanindu Hasaranga: Personal Life And Interesting Facts
Wanindu Hasaranga is married to his long-time girlfriend, Vindya Padmaperuma (Vindya Padmaperuma). The wedding took place on March 9, 2023, in traditional Sri Lankan style. The athlete is known as a modest, down-to-earth person who prefers not to put his private life on display, staying locked in on his cricket career.
To wrap up, here are a few interesting facts about the player, along with his playing statistics:
- Wanindu has the nicknames Waniya and Wownindu;
- His favorite hobby is fishing in his hometown of Galle;
- He owns a small car collection, including a Range Rover SUV and a BMW 5 Series.
| Format | Matches | Runs | Bat Avg | Top Score | Balls bowled | Wickets | Bowl Avg | Best Bowl | Catches |
| Test | 4 | 196 | 28.00 | 59 | 674 | 4 | 100.75 | 4/171 | 2 |
| ODI | 69 | 1 135 | 23.65 | 80 | 3 245 | 112 | 24.68 | 7/19 | 19 |
| T20I | 95 | 807 | 13.45 | 71 | 2 112 | 154 | 16.06 | 4/9 | 37 |
| T20s | 243 | 2 497 | 17.10 | 77 | 5 099 | 340 | 17.52 | 6/9 | 103 |
| List A | 117 | 2 524 | 33.65 | 87 | 5 107 | 189 | 21.57 | 7/19 | 40 |
| FC | 46 | 2 738 | 38.56 | 120 | 5 064 | 107 | 27.34 | 8/26 | 50 |
