Deshabandu Umagiliya Durage Upul Chandana (born 7 May 1972 in Galle), commonly known as Upul Chandana, is a former Sri Lankan cricketer who played both Tests and ODIs. He was more specially a leg spin bowler and was also an excellent fielder.

Upul Chandana is a cricketer who plays for the Sri Lanka national cricket team. He has been part of the team since 1994 and has enjoyed a successful period with the squad. Upul Chandana was born on May 7, 1972 in Galle, Sri Lanka. Upul Chandana made his debut with the Sri Lanka national cricket team in 1994 in the ODI format.

He was a key member of the winning team at the 1996 Cricket World Cup. Chandana is considered one of the best legspinners ever played for Sri Lanka. He was also a competent lower order batsman, having scored a total of seven half centuries at international level.

Chandana began his international career in April 1994 during an ODI against Australia. The following year he was duly dropped. In 1996, his broken-leg bowling skills came to the fore during a triangle series involving Sri Lanka, India and Australia. Going three to 38 and four to 35, both against Australia, he became the leading wicket-taker ahead of Muttiah Muralidharan and Glenn McGrath.

For the next five years he never repeated the effort that earned him multiple awards in his early cricket years. Disagreements at international level resulted in his being dropped from the squad. Nonetheless, he was a regular in the limited-overs format, even more so after the 2003 World Cup. In August 2004, he picked up his first and only five-wicket ODI draw against South Africa, leading Sri Lanka to a 49-run win over the Proteas .

Background

Upul started his cricket career at Mahinda College, Galle. Chandana played county cricket in England for Gloucestershire County Cricket Club and represented Nondescripts in Sri Lanka.

Family Members

Upul Chandana's father's name is currently unavailable and her mother's name is currently unknown. We will update the information of Upul Chandana's parents, brother/sister and other relatives here.

When Muttiah Muralitharan retired from the 2004 tour to Australia, Chandana came onto the Test side as the main spin bowler. Despite being expensive, he took a ten-wicket haul in the 2nd Test at Cazaly's Stadium in Cairns. To date (August 2016) he is the only Sri Lankan bowler to have won ten wickets in a Test match in Australia.

Chandana joined the Indian Cricket League, played for the Kolkata Tigers and ICL World XI and was banned along with four other Sri Lankan cricketers but the decision was overturned in 2009.

Domestic Career

Chandana has played county cricket in England for Gloucestershire County Cricket Club and represented Nondescripts in Sri Lanka. He made his Twenty20 debut on 17 August 2004 for Nondescripts Cricket Club in the 2004 SLC Twenty20 tournament.

Chandana joined the Indian Cricket League, played for the Kolkata Tigers and ICL World XI and was banned along with four other Sri Lankan cricketers but the decision was overturned in 2009.

International Career

Although Chandana made his ODI debut in 1994 at the age of 21, he had to wait five years to join the Test team. It arrived in March 1999 in the Asian Test Championship final against Pakistan. Chandana threw 47.5 overs in the first innings, finishing with 6 for 179.

He made sporadic appearances for Sri Lanka over the next few years and was named Sri Lanka A captain in 2002 when they played an unofficial Test series against Kenya and Chandana topped both batting and bowling averages.

This helped him work his way back into the team in 2003 and after a winning innings against the West Indies at Bridgetown in which he chased 313 for the win, he was promoted to 5 in the order and hit 89 of just 71 deliveries with 6 sixes. Since then he was a regular in the One-Day-Team for the next few years.

When Muttiah Muralitharan retired from the 2004 tour to Australia, Chandana came onto the Test side as the main spin bowler. Although expensive, he took a ten-wicket draw in the 2nd Test at Cazaly's Stadium in Cairns. He is the only Sri Lankan bowler to concede ten wickets in a friendly in Australia.

Upul Chandana has the record for highest test score in batting at No. 9 for Sri Lanka(92).

Chandana retired from international cricket on 15 October 2007 after the Bangladesh tour. In an emotional press conference, he said he was forced to make the retirement decision due to the politics that existed in team selection.

Rise to Glory

In an unofficial Test series against Kenya, Chandana topped both batting and bowling averages. This helped him work his way into the team again in 2003 and after winning the game against West Indies and chasing 313 for the win, he was increased in order to 5 and smashed 89 balls from just 71 with 6 sixes and became a play selected in the next few years regularly in the one-day team.

Club Career

Chandana joined the Indian Cricket League and played for the Kolkata Tigers and ICL World XI, along with four others they were suspended anyway, but his decision was reversed in 2009.

Records

At the point when Muttiah Muralitharan retired from his 2004 visit to Australia, Chandana joined the Test team as the main spin bowler. Despite being costly, he took a ten-wicket draw in the second Test at Cazaly's Stadium in Cairns. At the time he was the only Sri Lankan bowler to win ten wickets in a Test match in Australia. Upul also took 5 wickets in an ODI against South Africa at SSC, Sri Lanka in 2004.

Retirement

Chandana retired from international cricket on 15 October 2007 after visiting Bangladesh.