Ruchira Palliyaguruge
Sri Lankan cricket player and umpire
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Ruchira Palliyaguruge (born 22 January 1968) is a Sri Lankan umpire and former first-class cricketer. He played for Bloomfield Cricket and Athletic Club, Chilaw Marians Cricket Club, Saracens Sports Club, Nondescripts Cricket Club, and Old Cambrians Sports Club.[1] Palliyaguruge bowled right-arm medium pace and batted right-handed. Playing mostly club cricket, he has over 200 first-class wickets to his name and also over 4000 runs in a career that lasted from 1989/90 to 2007.
Matara, Sri Lanka
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Ruchira Shaman Akmeemana Palliyaguruge | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 22 January 1968 Matara, Sri Lanka | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Right-handed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Right-arm medium | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Role | Umpire | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Umpiring information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tests umpired | 9 (2018–2021) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ODIs umpired | 100 (2011–2025) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| T20Is umpired | 56 (2011–2025) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| WODIs umpired | 14 (2013–2022) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| WT20Is umpired | 5 (2016–2023) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: Cricinfo, 6 July 2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Palliyaguruge's One Day International (ODI) umpiring debut was in a match between Sri Lanka and Australia at Hambantota in 2011.[2] Ruchira's umpiring career has been marked with controversy. According to an article in The Sunday Times: Senior cricket umpires have petitioned Sri Lanka Cricket that umpires such as Ruchira Palliyaguruge named for the ICC Panel have not been done according to merit.[3] He made his Twenty20 debut on 17 August 2004, for Panadura Sports Club in the 2004 SLC Twenty20 Tournament.[4]
He was selected as one of the twenty umpires to stand in matches during the 2015 Cricket World Cup.[5] He stood in the final of the 2016 Asia Cup.[6] In November 2016 he won Sri Lanka Cricket's award for International Umpire of the Year.[7][8] In 2018, in the 2nd Test between Bangladesh and West Indies in Dhaka Palliyaguruge officiated in his first Test match.[9]
In April 2019, he was named as one of the sixteen umpires to stand in matches during the 2019 Cricket World Cup.[10][11] In February 2022, he was named as one of the on-field umpires for the 2022 Women's Cricket World Cup in New Zealand.[12][13]