A bustling right-arm seamer and sporadically effective left-handed hitter, Thisara Perera has been been in Sri Lanka’s short-format sides since 2010. Bowling is ostensibly Perera’s major skill but, often deployed in the lower-middle order, he is also capable of delivering furious finishes to an innings. Perera is particularly severe on spin, which has led to his being used as a pinch-hitter through the middle overs, but he has at times also been weak to quality pace bowling.

That quickly led to an IPL contract, as he was bought by Chennai Super Kings for $50,000, and he has been one of the few Sri Lanka players to consistently find employment in the competition.