The history books of Sri Lankan cricket have a new entry in their most exclusive wing. At 38 years old, left-arm spinner Malinda Pushpakumara has officially become the fourth Sri Lankan bowler to surpass the monumental milestone of 1,000 first-class wickets.
Pushpakumara achieved this feat while representing Badureliya Sports Club in a dominant performance against Moors Sports Club during the Sri Lanka Major League three-day tournament. Entering the match with 998 wickets to his name, the veteran spinner didn’t keep fans waiting long. The historic moment arrived on the final morning when he clean-bowled Pasindu Sooriyabandara, marking his 1,000th victim in a career defined by longevity and precision.
Joining the Pantheon of Sri Lankan Greats
By reaching the quadruple-digit mark, Pushpakumara joins a legendary list of Sri Lankan icons. He now sits alongside the greatest of all time, Muthiah Muralidaran (1,374 wickets), the relentless Rangana Herath (1,080), and the domestic giant Dinuka Hettiarachchi (1,001).
Pushpakumara’s achievement is not just a local triumph but a global one. He is the 218th player in the history of cricket to reach this milestone and is one of only three active players to hold the honor, alongside South Africa’s Simon Harmer and England’s James Anderson. To put his dominance into perspective, the next closest active player is Australia’s Nathan Lyon, who currently trails with 860 wickets.
A Domestic Powerhouse and Record Breaker
While his international career was brief—consisting of four Test matches between 2017 and 2018 where he took 14 wickets—Pushpakumara has been the undisputed king of Sri Lankan domestic cricket for nearly two decades. Making his debut in 2006, his statistics are nothing short of staggering: 173 matches, 86 five-wicket hauls, and 28 ten-wicket match hauls.
Perhaps his most famous individual achievement came in 2019, when he recorded the best-ever first-class figures in Sri Lanka, taking 10 for 37 for Colombo Cricket Club. He is one of only two Sri Lankans to ever take all ten wickets in an innings, joining Pramodya Wickramasinghe in that elite bracket.
Despite frequently topping the domestic wicket charts, Pushpakumara found himself in the difficult position of playing during the eras of Muralidaran and Herath. However, this 1,000-wicket milestone serves as a definitive testament to a bowler who remained world-class, even when the international spotlight was elsewhere.
