PALLEKELE: For a batsman who is playing his 100th One-Day International Chamara Kapugedera perhaps has a unique record of not having scored a century. Of the eight half-centuries that he has made his highest score is 95 against West Indies at Port of Spain in 2009.
That innings he scored batting at number seven after Sri Lanka had been reduced to 49-5. Although Sri Lanka recovered to post a total of 235-7 they lost a thrilling match that went down to the wire by one wicket off the last ball.
To many Kapugedera has been an enigma and one who is lucky to be in the current one-day side. If his stats are anything to go by no one would have given him a second look.
In ODIs he averages 20.97, in T20Is 22.97 and in Tests 34.83. He has not made a century in any of the three formats. And his first-class batting average is 32.95 and in List A he averages 28.29. So on what basis has been selected to play for his country?
Consistency which the current Sri Lanka team is struggling to find is not something that is common with Kapugedera because he has never fulfilled the early promise he showed when he was picked as an 18-year-old for the VB Series against Australia at Perth in 2006 against the likes of Brett Lee, Glenn McGrath, Stuart Clark and Brad Hogg. He has been in and out of the team a number of times and should consider himself luckier than most cricketers who have better batting records than him and outshone him in performance.
Kapugedera has batted in the one-day side from opener to number 9 and his recent form doesn’t suggest his inclusion in the team unless of course the selectors are in desperation for a batsman.
Let’s hope at least in his 100th ODI Kapugedera can come up with a match-winning performance and justify his place in the team.
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