Mathurage Don Kusal Janith Perera (commonly known as Kusal Perera or Kusal Janith Perera; ) (born 17 August 1990), also referred to by his common initials KJP, is a professional Sri Lankan cricketer who currently plays limited overs cricket and is a former ODI cricket captain. He was a key member of the 2014 ICC World Twenty20 winning team.
He scored 153 not out against South Africa in the first Test at Durban in 2019 to snatch the victory from the hands of South Africa by adding 78 runs for the last wicket with Vishwa Fernando in the match in the 4th innings of the Test match. That innings was named as the second-best Test innings of the decade by Wisden in 2019 and he also won the best test performance from ESPNcricinfo for 2019.
In May 2021, he was named as the captain of the Sri Lankan team, ahead of their One Day International (ODI) series against Bangladesh.
Personal life Perera married his longtime partner Kelani on 3 March 2020 at the Water's Edge hotel, Battaramulla. Having represented the Sri Lanka Police cricket team that won joint champion status in the 2023 Sri Lanka Cricket first-class competition, Perera was appointed to the police service in the rank of chief inspector of police (CIP).
Early cricket Educated at Kottawa Dharmapala Maha Vidyalaya, and Royal College Colombo, he has represented the latter in the prestigious Royal–Thomian annual cricket encounter. Even though Kusal was a right-handed batsman at the younger age of 11 to 13 years, he later switched his stance to become a left-handed batsman. This switch has been influenced by the batting stance of the Sri Lankan legend, Sanath Jayasuriya - his childhood idol and hero.
Domestic and T20 career He made his Indian Premier League (IPL) debut playing for Rajasthan Royals in the 2013 IPL season.
Prior to the start of the 2018 IPL season, he was approached by the Sunrisers Hyderabad team to replace their former captain David Warner who was banned for ball-tampering scandal against South Africa. However, he turned down the offer as he was devoted to play in the domestic league matches in Sri Lanka during the period and wanted to make a Test return into the Sri Lankan cricket team for the then upcoming series against West Indies in June 2018. Later, Alex Hales was called up to replace Warner for the 2018 IPL season following the refusal of Kusal Perera.
He is known as a quick scorer, and can hit the ball very hard which has a same batting style of former Sri Lanka legend Sanath Jayasuriya. In a first class match he scored 330 off 270 balls, which is a domestic record.
In March 2018, he was named as the vice-captain of Dambulla's squad for the 2017–18 Super Four Provincial Tournament. The following month, he was also named as the captain of Dambulla's squad for the 2018 Super Provincial One Day Tournament.
In August 2018, he was named as the vice-captain of Kandy's squad the 2018 SLC T20 League. In November 2019, he was selected to play for the Cumilla Warriors in the 2019–20 Bangladesh Premier League. In October 2020, he was drafted by the Kandy Tuskers for the inaugural edition of the Lanka Premier League.
On May 23, 2025, Qualifier 2 at PSL Kusal Perera scored 61 runs in 35 balls hitting seven boundaries and two sixe
During finals of Pakistan Super League Kusal Perera scored match winning half century. He scored unbeaten 62 runs from 31 balls hitting five boundaries and four sixes. Finally due to his knock, Lahore Qalandars won the match by 6 wickets and Pakistan Super League title. Due to his performance, Kusal Perera won player of the match award.
International career
Debut years Perera was a part of a 15-man squad that toured Australia in January 2013. He made his One day international debut against Australia in the 2nd ODI on January 13, 2013, replacing the injured Dinesh Chandimal, where he came to bat on number 4 and scored an unbeaten 14 from 16 balls before Sri Lanka won by 8 wickets.
Perera made his T20I debut in the first T20I against Australia in January 2013 and scored 33 from 22 balls before getting caught behind off Australian all rounder, Glenn Maxwell. In this match he hit some aggressive shots and many compared him with Sanath Jayasuriya.
After the retirement of Kumar Sangakkara, his position remained vacant for a new player and Kusal was brought into the team. He made his Test debut for Sri Lanka against India on 28 August 2015. His arrival to the test team was not good at all, when he dropped Indian skipper Virat Kohli, but he went on to take 2 catches and 1 stumping in that innings. He showed his batting talents right on the first innings of the match, where he was the top scorer for Sri Lanka with 56 runs in first innings. In second innings as well, he scored 70 runs to be the 2nd Sri Lankan batsman to score 2 successive half centuries on Test debut after Dinesh Chandimal. But eventually Sri Lanka lost the match and also the series against India.
Aggressive opening success On 31 March 2013, T20I match during Bangladesh tour of Sri Lanka, Kusal Perera scored his maiden T20I half century. He scored 64 from 44 balls hitting five boundaries and four sixes. Sri Lanka won the match by 17 runs and Kusal Perera won man of the match award for his performance. On 21 November 2013, New Zealand tour of Sri Lanka, Kusal Perera scored his second T20I half century. While chasing the target of 142 runs, Perera scored 57 runs from 37 balls hitting six boundaries and two sixes. Finally Sri Lanka won the match by 8 wickets and Perera won the man of the match award for his performance.
On 13 December 2013 he scored 84 runs from 59 balls against Pakistan and Sri Lanka and went on to score a massive total of 211. Sri Lanka won the match by 24 runs and Perera earned the Man of the Match for the performance. Perera hit his maiden ODI ton against Bangladesh on 22 February 2014. He scored 106 from 124 balls before getting bowled By Rubel Hossain. He won the Man of the Match award.
On 12 February 2014, against Bangladesh, Perera scored his fourth T20I half century. He scored 64 runs from 44 balls hitting seven boundaries and one six. Finally Sri Lanka won the match by 2 runs and Perera won man of the match award for his performance. On 22 March 2014 against South Africa in 2014 ICC World Twenty20 pool match, Perera scored 61 runs from just 40 balls. Sri Lanka won the match by 5 runs and Perera won the Man of The Match award. He scored 125 runs in the tournament at an average of 20.83 and an impressive strike rate of 145.48. He had some quick runs in the next matches, but failed to effect larger to the team. However, Sri Lanka won their first T20I title by defeating India in the final.
Perera was not qualified for the squad for 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup tournament due to poor performance against India and England. After the tournament starts, Dimuth Karunaratne was injured and Perera was called to the World Cup squad. He played his first World Cup match against Scotland on 11 March 2015, where he scored quick 24 runs. He was replaced to this match due to injury for Dinesh Chandimal against Australia. He opened the batting for Sri Lanka on quarter finals of the World Cup, where he failed again to score runs, only scored 3 runs. Sri Lanka eventually lost the match and quit from the World Cup as well.
After the retirement of two cricket legends Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardena from ODIs, Kusal was brought to the squad as the permanent opening batsman with Tillakaratne Dilshan during ODI series against Pakistan. He just lost the first match for quick 26 runs in Dambulla. In the second match at Pallekele, Kusal smashed Pakistani pace bowlers to all the parts of the ground and scored the joint second fastest ODI fifty by 17 balls with his legendary master Sanath Jayasuriya 17-ball fifty in 1997. The shots of Kusal was described by the international commentators as the dawn of a new Little Sana, with just the same aggressive batting by Sanath in the past. The strike rate of Kusal's innings was 272 and it is now the highest strike rate in an innings of 50 or more runs by a Sri Lanka batsman in ODIs, which he also surpassed his master Jayasuriya's strike rate of 271.42 in 1996 against same opposition.
Sri Lanka scored 92 in 9 overs in the match until Kusal departs to 25-ball 68 runs, where Sri Lanka chased down 287 runs and won the match by 2 wickets at the end. This win gave the highest ever ODI run chase in Pallekele and second highest run chase in Sri Lankan soil. During the 2nd ODI match against West Indies, Kusal got out to 99 runs, just one short to his third century. He is the fourth Sri Lankan player to get out in 99 in ODIs, the other three are Kaluwitharana single time, Jayasuriya in two times, and Dilshan single time. He is the 29th of all cricketers to dismissed in 99.
Injury concerns Kusal was included to the original squad for 2017 ICC Champions Trophy and played first two pool games as well. However, during the match against India, Kusal suffered by a hamstring injury and he retired hurt after scoring 47 runs. He was immediately ruled out of the Champions Trophy and Dhananjaya de Silva was replaced Kusal in the tournament.
His injuries continuously rose when he entered to the playing eleven. Perera was ruled out of the Bangladesh Tri-series after a side strain occurred during his 49 runs against Zimbabwe on 21 January 2018. Before that, he also scored 80 runs against Zimbabwe, where Sri Lanka lost the match after his wicket. Kusal was injured several times in his career, where he missed many bilateral tournaments in 2016–17 seasons.
False doping charge Perera initially tested positive for a banned substance and was recalled from the New Zealand tour in December 2015. His urine sample was provided for a random test by the International Cricket Council during the home series against Pakistan in May 2015. He said that he took some medicine for a leech bite. After the A sample became positive, Kusal himself with the help of the Sri Lanka Cricket Board asked for the testing of the B sample, which was tested at Qatar. On 25 December 2015, the results of the B sample came back and it revealed that Kusal was positive for the banned substance. Meanwhile, Sports Minister Dayasiri Jayasekara informed that there is a conspiracy behind this scandal is to withdraw Kusal from 2016 ICC World Twenty20 tournament due to his effectiveness in the format. If the B sample was positive, he was likely to face a four-year ban.
On 11 May 2016, he was cleared of the charges. The integrity of the laboratory that tested the sample was brought into question, with the ICC hiring an independent expert to find that the lab's outcome was not sustainable. Perera had spent some of his own money on fighting the charges, including travelling to the UK to undergo further tests to clear his name. After being cleared, Perera said "I don't think there has been much damage done to my reputation", after the media, fans and Sri Lankan Cricket Board stood by him. On July 6, ICC has agreed to support Sri Lanka Cricket and Kusal Perera's claim for costs and damages from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
Ups and downs (2015−2019) After being cleared from suspicion of doping, Kusal replaced injured seamer Dhammika Prasad in Sri Lanka Test squad for the rest of the England tour. He played for the third test at Lord's and scored 42 runs in the first innings. Sri Lanka finally was able to draw the match. Perera scored his maiden Test century on 29 October 2016, against Zimbabwe in the first Test against the, at Harare. The score consisted wide range of thrashing shot, which was compared to Jayasuriya by Zimbabweans who witnessed this for the first time in their soil. Perera devastated the Zimbabwean bowling attack for 15 fours and two sixes, including taking debutant Carl Mumba for five fours in an over after the teabreak.