Crishan Kalugamage
Sri Lankan-born Italian cricketer
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Crishan Jorge Priyantha Fernando Kalugamage (born 16 June 1991) is a Sri Lankan-born Italian cricketer who plays as a right arm leg spin bowler for the Italy national cricket team.[1] Based in Lucca, he works as a chef in a restaurant and plays domestically for Roma Cricket Club.[2] He is part of Italy squad for the 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup.[3][4]
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Crishan Jorge Priyantha Fernando Kalugamage | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 16 June 1991 Marawila, Sri Lanka | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Right-handed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Right-arm legbreak googly | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Role | Bowler | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National side | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| T20I debut (cap 27) | 12 July 2022 v Greece | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last T20I | 9 February 2026 v Scotland | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| T20I shirt no. | 99 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021–present | Roma Cricket Club | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2026–present | Colombo Kaps | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: Cricinfo, 12 February 2026 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Early life and education
Kalugamage grew up in Marawila near Negombo on Sri Lanka's west coast, where he played school and street cricket.[5] In 2007, he moved with his family to Tuscany at the age of 15 and settled near Lucca, where formal cricket opportunities were limited.[6]
During his schooling in Italy, he competed in athletics, including long jump, before returning to cricket after being spotted by coach of Roma Cricket Club, he started playing informally and then entered club level cricket.[5] He lives in Lucca and works full time in a local pizzeria while traveling regularly to Rome for training and matches.[3]
Career
Domestic career
Kalugamage began his career by joining Roma Cricket Club.[6] Early in his senior career, he bowled pace and represented A teams, and briefly played Sri Lankan domestic cricket with Kandy Customs in 2019. After injuries, he returned full time to leg spin in 2021 under the guidance of Roma CC founder Prabath Ekneligoda.[6] He bowls right arm legbreak and googly.[1]
International career
Kalugamage made his Twenty20 International debut for Italy against Greece at Vantaa on 12 July 2022.[7] He played in Italy's T20 World Cup qualification pathway tournaments in 2024 and 2025 as the team advanced from sub-regional events to the Europe Qualifier, finishing behind the Netherlands to secure a place at the expanded 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup.[5] In January 2026, he took wickets in a warm-up tri-series in Dubai that included Italy's first victory over Ireland in T20Is. He entered the World Cup as one of five home-based players in the squad.[6]