Sangeeth Cooray

Sangeeth Cooray is, quite possibly, Sri Lanka’s next Test opening bat. A gritty, and accomplished left-hander, he is one of domestic cricket’s most consistent run-churners.

His exploits for Colts and Galle, in both first-class (5,000 plus runs averaging early 40s) and List A (1,900 plus runs averaging mid 30s), have culminated with Sri Lankan Board, Emerging Players, and ‘A’ inclusion in recent years.

In June 2019, he struck scores of 88 and 61 for the latter against their Indian counterparts. He was then involved with the Emerging Players Tri-Series the following month. In March 2020, he also showed his all-round prowess, bagging the wicket of Keaton Jennings during England’s tour of Sri Lanka.

In domestic cricket, he has been a stand-out performer since his barnstorming 2016/17 summer, where he averaged 68.33 and 71.12 in first-class and List A, respectively.

He has followed up with 612 runs at 32.21 (2017/18), 931 runs at 66.50 (2018/19), 292 runs at 26.54 (2019/20), 382 runs at 54.57 (2021/22), 745 runs at 46.56 (2022/23), 382 runs at 54.57 (2023), and 648 runs at 34.10 (2023/24).

Cooray has a penchant for banging out big scores. In Sri Lanka’s Premier Tournament (Tier A), he has 13 hundreds, including notable scores of 160, 189, 193, and 200.

The run machine is clearly destined for international cricket and his selection only seems a matter of time.

Cooray has also been a stand-out performer abroad. Following his two-season stint with Bradford League club Morley (2017-18), where he scored 632 runs at 42.18 during his second outing alongside 60 wickets at 17.53 over his two seasons, he enjoyed a remarkable season in Essex last summer. Playing for Woodford Wells he belted 960 runs at 64 and took 40 wickets at 10.15.

Seeking pastures new, the talented Sri Lankan is not only eager to return to Essex (or nearby) next summer (ideally near Stratford, in East London, where his wife lives), but also global opportunities that come his way.