Charith Asalanka Profile: CPL Stats, Salary & Career (2026)
Charith Asalanka is a Sri Lankan left-handed batting all-rounder and former national white-ball captain, now playing under Kusal Mendis’s leadership. 2026 has been a year of major change: he lost both the T20I and ODI captaincies within five months, but earned his first-ever CPL contract with Saint Lucia Kings.
He has no PSL history and went unsold in the IPL 2026 auction after a short 2025 stint at the Mumbai Indians. His genuine international peak remains the 2021 T20 World Cup, where he was Sri Lanka’s leading run-scorer. Treat any “CPL career stats” claims about him with skepticism — 2026 is his debut season in the tournament.
Charith Asalanka Profile
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Kariyawasam Indipalage Charith Asalanka |
| Nickname | Chari |
| Date of Birth | June 29, 1997 |
| Age | 29 (as of July 2026) |
| Birthplace | Elpitiya, Sri Lanka |
| Nationality | Sri Lankan |
| Batting Style | Left-hand bat |
| Bowling Style | Right-arm off break |
| Playing Role | Batting all-rounder (middle order) |
| Jersey Number | 72 |
| Current International Team | Sri Lanka |
| Current LPL Team | Galle Gallants (2026) |
| Current CPL Team | Saint Lucia Kings (2026, debut season) |
| ILT20 Team | Abu Dhabi Knight Riders (2026) |
| IPL Status | Went unsold at the December 2025 auction; previously a mid-season replacement signing at the Mumbai Indians in 2025 |
| PSL Team | Has not featured in the PSL to date |
| International Debut | ODI: June 29, 2021 v England; T20I: July 25, 2021 v India; Test: November 29, 2021 v West Indies |
| Marital Status | Married to Kavindika Asalanka (since November 28, 2022) |
| Estimated Net Worth | Roughly $2–5 million (unverified third-party estimate — see Net Worth section) |
| Official Instagram | @chari__72 |
| Official X (Twitter) | @AsalankaCA72 |
Early Life
Charith Asalanka was born on June 29, 1997, in Elpitiya, a small town in Sri Lanka’s Southern Province, where organised cricket infrastructure was limited. His parents, Vijith Priyanth and Tanuja Asalanka, made the decision that would shape his career: the family relocated to Galle so he could enrol at Richmond College on a scholarship, giving him access to a proper school cricket programme.
At Richmond, Asalanka opened the batting and quickly built a reputation as a middle-order batter with an unusually calm head for his age. In 2013, on a tour of England with a Sri Lankan school’s side, he top-scored in both innings of a three-day match against an English under-17 team, hitting 92 and 31. By 2014–15, he had helped Richmond reach the final of the inter-school Twenty20 competition and was captaining Sri Lanka’s under-19 side against Australia and Bangladesh.
His under-19 numbers were genuinely elite: in a two-match series against Pakistan under-19s in October 2015, he scored 334 runs at an average of 167, including a double century. He went on to captain Sri Lanka at the 2016 Under-19 Cricket World Cup — leadership experience that would matter a decade later when he was handed the senior national captaincy.
Domestic Career
Asalanka’s first-class debut came in April 2015, playing for Galle in a match to decide the final spot in the following season’s Premier Trophy. It was a dramatic game: Galle were bowled out for 31 in the first innings, but Asalanka responded with 114 off 123 balls in the second innings, then took 4 for 34 with the ball as Galle won by four runs.
He built his List A career with Galle before moving through Sri Lankan club cricket — Sinhalese Sports Club, Kandy — picking up List A and T20 caps along the way. Two innings in the 2021 Major Clubs Limited Over Tournament announced him as a genuine talent: an unbeaten 178 off 145 balls against Police Sports Club, and a match-winning 101 not out while chasing 278 against Colts Cricket Club. Those performances, alongside a string of captaincy stints for Sri Lanka’s age-group and emerging teams through 2018 and 2019, pushed him firmly into national selectors’ plans.
International Career
Asalanka made his senior international bow in ODIs against England on June 29, 2021, under Dasun Shanaka’s captaincy — his 24th birthday. His T20I debut followed a month later, against India, where he smashed a 26-ball 44. His Test debut came on November 29, 2021, against the West Indies in Galle.
Early breakthroughs. His maiden ODI half-century came against India in July 2021. A few months later, in a home ODI series against South Africa, he built a match-winning stand with Avishka Fernando and later claimed his first international wicket by dismissing Andile Phehlukwayo — a series in which he was named Player of the Series as the highest run-scorer.
T20 World Cup 2021 breakout. This is arguably the tournament that made his name. Asalanka finished as Sri Lanka’s highest run-scorer and the fifth-highest overall at the event, with 231 runs in six innings at an average of 46.20, including an unbeaten 80 against Bangladesh and 68 against the West Indies.
Maiden ODI century. On June 21, 2022, against Australia, he scored 110 off 106 balls to help Sri Lanka defend a modest total and seal a series win — his first ODI hundred.
2023 Asia Cup and World Cup. Asalanka was a consistent middle-order presence through 2023, including an unbeaten 62 chasing down Bangladesh in the Asia Cup and a 65-ball 79 against South Africa at the 2023 ODI World Cup.
Across the 2024–2026 window, Asalanka became one of Sri Lanka’s most-used white-ball batters, eventually being handed the ODI and T20I captaincy — a story detailed in the next section, because it took a dramatic turn in 2026.
The Captaincy Rollercoaster of 2026
Most player profiles gloss over recent leadership changes. This one won’t, because it’s the single freshest and most search-relevant fact about Asalanka right now.
Asalanka took over the T20I captaincy full-time after the 2024 T20 World Cup, replacing Wanindu Hasaranga, who had stepped down six months into the role. The same month, he was also named Sri Lanka’s ODI captain. His tenure was mixed: under his full-time leadership, Sri Lanka won 10 matches, lost 11, and tied two in the shortest format, with series losses to India, New Zealand, and Bangladesh, and a failure to reach the 2025 Asia Cup final.
With the T20 World Cup 2026 approaching, Sri Lanka Cricket made a change. In January 2026, less than two months before the tournament, the board replaced Asalanka with the more experienced Dasun Shanaka as T20I captain, citing his modest recent form in the format (156 runs at a strike rate of 122 from 12 innings in the calendar year) and Shanaka’s far greater leadership experience — 53 matches as T20I captain compared to Asalanka’s 25. Asalanka retained his place in the squad as a batter.
He briefly held on to the ODI captaincy and even returned to lead the side for a home series against England in January 2026. But after Sri Lanka’s disappointing showing at the co-hosted 2026 T20 World Cup, the selectors — now under new chief selector Pramodya Wickramasinghe and head coach Gary Kirsten — made a broader clean-out of the white-ball leadership. In May 2026, ahead of Sri Lanka’s tour of the West Indies, both Asalanka and Shanaka were stripped of their captaincies, with Kusal Mendis installed as the new ODI and T20I captain and Kamindu Mendis as his deputy. Dhananjaya de Silva retained the Test captaincy throughout.
What this means for search intent right now: if you’re looking for “who is Sri Lanka’s captain,” the answer as of mid-2026 is Kusal Mendis (ODI/T20I) and Dhananjaya de Silva (Test) — not Charith Asalanka. Asalanka remains an important senior batter in the white-ball squads but is no longer the captain of any Sri Lankan format.
Franchise Cricket Career
Asalanka’s franchise résumé is broad but, notably, does not yet include the IPL or PSL as an active contracted player, and 2026 marks his first appearance in the CPL. Here’s the full picture, tournament by tournament.
Lanka Premier League (LPL)
Asalanka has been an LPL regular since the tournament’s inception. He was picked by the Jaffna Stallions (now Jaffna Kings) for the inaugural 2020 edition, managed modest returns (70 runs in four matches), then moved to Kandy Warriors for 2021–22 and Colombo Stars in 2022. For LPL 2026 (the sixth edition, running July 17–August 8), he was picked up by Galle Gallants as one of their Platinum-category selections, alongside Pakistan’s Mohammad Nawaz — a notable vote of confidence given his captaincy experience, even after losing the national leadership roles.
Indian Premier League (IPL)
Asalanka is not a permanent IPL fixture. He joined the Mumbai Indians mid-way through the 2025 season as a temporary replacement signing (alongside Jonny Bairstow and Richard Gleeson) after the tournament was suspended and rescheduled that year. Mumbai released him ahead of the 2026 retention deadline, and he went unsold at the IPL 2026 mini-auction in Abu Dhabi in December 2025, alongside several other prominent Sri Lankan names, including Maheesh Theekshana, Dasun Shanaka, Kusal Mendis, and Kusal Perera.
ILT20
Asalanka signed with the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders for the ILT20 2026 season, joining a squad built around Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, and Phil Salt.
Pakistan Super League (PSL)
There is no public record of Asalanka holding a PSL contract. If that changes, this section will need updating — but as of writing, PSL is not part of his franchise résumé.
Other Leagues
No verified record exists of Asalanka featuring in the Big Bash League, SA20, Major League Cricket, The Hundred, or Global T20 Canada as of July 2026.
Caribbean Premier League:
Current CPL Team
Saint Lucia Kings — the reigning-ish CPL powerhouse who won the title in 2024 and remains one of the league’s most competitive franchises.
How the Signing Came Together
Saint Lucia Kings announced their five-man overseas contingent for the 2026 Republic Bank CPL season in early July 2026, joining a core of 13 West Indian players drafted earlier in the year. The overseas quintet: Afghanistan’s Noor Ahmad, New Zealand’s Tim Seifert, and a Sri Lankan trio-turned-duo of Maheesh Theekshana and Charith Asalanka, plus USA quick Shadley van Schalkwyk. Unlike Seifert and Ahmad — both returning Kings players — Asalanka and Theekshana are described in team announcements as new additions, confirming this is a fresh franchise relationship rather than a retained one.
Expected Role at Saint Lucia Kings
Franchise and local media commentary frames Asalanka as adding “batting depth and captaincy experience” to the squad — language suggesting he’s expected to slot into the middle order as a finisher/anchor hybrid rather than open, consistent with the role he plays for Sri Lanka. His experience captaining an international side, even briefly, gives the Kings a senior voice in the dressing room, even though Roston Chase remains the presumptive on-field leader.
What to Expect This Season
Because there’s no CPL track record to draw on, the realistic expectation is that Asalanka’s value will be judged on how his known international strengths — composure against spin, ability to accelerate in the 15th-to-19th over bracket, and off-spin as a fifth-bowling option on Caribbean surfaces that often assist spin — translate to a new set of conditions and opposition attacks he hasn’t faced before. His part-time off-breaks could be a sleeper asset on slower CPL wickets in Guyana and St Lucia.
Fantasy Cricket Value
Treat him as a speculative middle-order pick rather than a locked-in fantasy captain choice for the opening rounds — there’s no CPL sample size to project from, and his 2026 white-ball form for Sri Lanka has been inconsistent (part of why he lost the captaincy). Once a handful of Kings matches are played, his role and batting position will become clearer, and his fantasy value will be easier to price accurately.
Injury Status
No injury concerns have been reported for Asalanka heading into CPL 2026.
Playing Style
Batting. Asalanka is a left-handed middle-order batter, typically at No. 4, 5 or 6, known for elegant, largely orthodox strokeplay rather than raw power-hitting. His game is built on placement and timing through the offside, strong wrists through the leg side, and — his signature skill — the ability to absorb pressure in the middle overs before accelerating late. That profile made him Sri Lanka’s most reliable ODI finisher-anchor hybrid through 2022–2024.
Bowling. His right-arm off-breaks are a genuine part-time option rather than a frontline skill, but he has taken wickets at the international level, particularly on surfaces offering turn, and offers captains a fifth-bowler variation without weakening the batting lineup.
Fielding. A capable outfielder with safe hands, though not regarded as an elite fielder in the way some of his more athletic teammates are.
Strengths. Composure under pressure; strong record against spin; proven big-tournament performer (2021 T20 World Cup, multiple Player of the Series awards); leadership experience.
Weaknesses. Strike rate in T20Is has been a persistent point of scrutiny — it was the stated reason for his T20I captaincy removal in January 2026 — and his Test career (three matches, average 14.66) suggests the longest format hasn’t suited his game so far.
Comparison with similar players. Within Sri Lanka’s current batting group, Asalanka is often compared to Kamindu Mendis and Dhananjaya de Silva as a versatile middle-order all-rounder, though Kamindu has established himself more firmly in the Test side while Asalanka remains a white-ball specialist.
Career Statistics
Note on accuracy: International stats update after every match, and third-party aggregator sites frequently disagree by several matches/runs depending on when they last refreshed. The Test figures below are pulled directly from ESPNcricinfo’s Statsguru and are precise as of July 2026. The ODI and T20I figures are approximate, compiled from multiple current sources — for the exact live numbers, check ESPNcricinfo’s Asalanka profile directly.
Test
| Matches | Innings | NO | Runs | HS | Average | SR | 100s | 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 8 | 0 | 88 | 29 | 14.66 | 51.46 | 0 | 0 |
ODI (approximate, as of mid-2026)
| Matches | Runs | HS | Average | 100s | 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ~75–85 | ~2,450–2,780 | 127 | ~41–42 | 3–4 | 16+ |
T20I (approximate, as of mid-2026)
| Matches | Runs | Average | 100s | 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ~75–80 | ~1,450+ | ~22 | 0 | Multiple |
Records & Achievements
- Highest run-scorer for Sri Lanka at the 2021 T20 World Cup (231 runs, average 46.20)
- Maiden ODI century against Australia, June 2022 (110 off 106)
- Multiple Player of the Series and Player of the Match awards in bilateral ODI cricket
- Captained Sri Lanka Under-19s at the 2016 U19 Cricket World Cup
- Led Sri Lanka to a silver medal at the 2019 South Asian Games
- Appointed full-time Sri Lanka T20I and ODI captain in 2024
- First CPL contract secured for the 2026 season with Saint Lucia Kings
Personal Life
Asalanka grew up in a middle-class family in Elpitiya; his parents, Vijith Priyanth and Tanuja Asalanka, relocated with him to Galle so he could pursue cricket at Richmond College. He is Buddhist and of Sinhalese ethnicity.
He married Kavindika Asalanka on November 28, 2022, in Colombo — notably in the middle of an ongoing ODI series against Afghanistan, alongside teammates Kasun Rajitha and Pathum Nissanka, who were married on the same day at separate ceremonies. Kavindika largely stays out of the public eye and does not maintain an active public social media presence, a choice widely reported as a deliberate effort by the couple to keep their personal life private.
Beyond cricket, detailed, verified information about his hobbies, business interests, or charity work is not widely available in public reporting — a gap this profile won’t fill with invented detail.
Net Worth
Third-party estimates of Asalanka’s net worth range from roughly $2 million to $5 million, but these figures come from unofficial sports-finance sites rather than any disclosed financial statement, so treat them as rough, unverified approximations rather than facts. His likely income sources are:
- Sri Lanka Cricket central contract and match fees
- Domestic and franchise league contracts (LPL, ILT20, and now CPL)
- Occasional IPL stints (2025 Mumbai Indians replacement deal)
- Personal endorsements, though no major brand partnerships, are widely publicised
Official Social Media
| Platform | Handle |
|---|---|
| @chari__72 | |
| X (Twitter) | @AsalankaCA72 |
Interesting Facts
- He was born on the same day (June 29) he later made his ODI debut in 2021, his 24th birthday.
- He captained Sri Lanka’s under-19 side before he’d even made his first-class debut for a senior team.
- His maiden first-class match doubled as a virtual knockout tie to decide Galle’s promotion — and he starred with both bat and ball in the same game.
- He was Sri Lanka’s leading run-scorer at the 2021 T20 World Cup, a tournament Sri Lanka didn’t progress deep into — a rare case of individual brilliance in a team disappointment.
- He married on the same day as two Sri Lankan teammates, in the middle of an international series.
- He held both the ODI and T20I captaincy simultaneously for roughly 18 months before losing both within five months in 2026.
- Despite being a senior international captain for two years, he had never played a single CPL match until 2026.
- He wears the same jersey number, 72, across international and domestic cricket.
- His off-spin, while only a part-time skill, has produced international wickets, including a South African batter early in his ODI career.
- He was part of a 2025 Mumbai Indians squad reshuffle triggered by a mid-tournament schedule disruption, joining as a replacement rather than an auction pick.
Career Timeline
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1997 | Born June 29 in Elpitiya, Sri Lanka |
| 2015 | First-class debut for Galle |
| 2016 | Captains Sri Lanka U19 at the U19 World Cup |
| 2020 | LPL debut with Jaffna Stallions |
| 2021 | ODI, T20I and Test debuts for Sri Lanka; leading run-scorer at the T20 World Cup |
| 2022 | Maiden ODI century vs Australia; marries Kavindika Asalanka in November |
| 2023 | Key knocks at the Asia Cup and ODI World Cup |
| 2024 | Appointed full-time Sri Lanka T20I and ODI captain |
| 2025 | Joins Mumbai Indians as a mid-season replacement signing in the IPL |
| Jan 2026 | Loses the Sri Lanka T20I captaincy to Dasun Shanaka ahead of the T20 World Cup |
| Feb 2026 | Plays the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 as co-host, in the squad but not as captain |
| May 2026 | Loses the ODI captaincy to Kusal Mendis |
| Jul 2026 | Joins Galle Gallants for LPL 2026 and Saint Lucia Kings for his CPL debut |
FAQS
How old is Charith Asalanka?
He was born on June 29, 1997, making him 29 years old as of July 2026.
How tall is Charith Asalanka?
He is commonly listed at around 6 feet 1 inch (185 cm), though this figure comes from unofficial profile sites rather than an official measurement.
Who is Charith Asalanka’s wife?
He is married to Kavindika Asalanka. The couple wed on November 28, 2022, in Colombo. She keeps a low public profile.
What is Charith Asalanka’s religion? He is Buddhist, reflecting his Sinhalese background — this is publicly reported, not speculative.
What is Charith Asalanka’s net worth? Estimates from unofficial sources put it between roughly $2 million and $5 million, though no official figure has been disclosed.
What is Charith Asalanka’s current team?
He plays for Sri Lanka internationally, Galle Gallants in the LPL, Saint Lucia Kings in the CPL, and Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in the ILT20 — but he is not currently under IPL or PSL contract.
Is Charith Asalanka playing in the CPL?
Yes — 2026 is his debut CPL season, with Saint Lucia Kings.
Has Charith Asalanka played in the CPL before 2026?
No. He has no prior CPL caps; 2026 is his first season in the tournament.
What is Charith Asalanka’s IPL team?
He went unsold at the IPL 2026 auction. He previously played for the Mumbai Indians in 2025 as a temporary replacement signing but was released ahead of the 2026 season.
Does Charith Asalanka play in the PSL?
No, there is no record of him holding a Pakistan Super League contract.
What jersey number does Charith Asalanka wear?
72.
Is Charith Asalanka still Sri Lanka’s captain?
No. He was removed as T20I captain in January 2026 (replaced by Dasun Shanaka) and as ODI captain in May 2026 (replaced by Kusal Mendis). He remains a squad member in both formats.
What is Charith Asalanka’s batting average in Tests?
14.66 from 3 matches and 8 innings, with a highest score of 29.
Why was Charith Asalanka removed as captain?
Sri Lanka Cricket cited his modest T20I form ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup for the T20I change, and made a broader leadership reset for both white-ball formats in May 2026 following disappointing results, installing Kusal Mendis as the new captain.
Is Charith Asalanka injured?
No injury concerns have been reported as of July 2026.
How can I track Charith Asalanka’s CPL 2026 performances?
Follow live scores and squad updates through official CPL channels and ESPNcricinfo, since this is his first CPL season and there’s no historical CPL stats page to reference yet.
