Fearless, audacious, and turbo-aggressive—Kusal Janith Perera brings explosive energy to Sri Lanka’s top order. Often compared to the legendary Sanath Jayasuriya for his short-arm jabs and boundary-hitting prowess, Kusal followed a similar path—transitioning from the middle order to become a dynamic opener capable of tearing bowling attacks apart.

Perera’s talent was evident early in his career. A regular in Sri Lanka’s U-19 setup since 2007, he made headlines with a record-breaking 336 off 275 balls in domestic cricket—still the only triple century in Sri Lanka’s first-class competition. A handy wicketkeeper, he debuted in ODIs in 2013, stepping in for the injured Sangakkara, and quickly made his mark.

Promoted to the top in T20Is, his attacking approach revived memories of the Jayasuriya-Kaluwitharana era. Despite being picked by Rajasthan Royals in the 2013 IPL, he spent most of the tournament on the bench. Nevertheless, his stock continued to rise, and a successful 2014-15 ODI season led to a Test debut in 2015, where he scored fifties in both innings—becoming only the second Sri Lankan to achieve the feat.

However, his career hit a major roadblock later that year when he tested positive for a banned substance. Though he was eventually cleared after undergoing polygraph tests and proving his innocence, he lost nearly seven months of cricket.

Despite bouts of inconsistency, Kusal remains a game-changer on his day. He holds the record for the highest strike rate (272) in a 50+ ODI innings, surpassing even his idol, Jayasuriya.

Though not part of the initial 2015 World Cup squad, he was called in as a late replacement and played a couple of matches. Now, coming off what many consider one of the greatest Test innings by a Sri Lankan earlier in the season, he enters the 2023 ODI World Cup as a senior player, expected to anchor the top order in a relatively inexperienced side.