International career
Waliarawe Gedara Achini Kalhari Kaushalya Kulasuriya was born on June 7, 1990, in Matale, Sri Lanka. She is a left-handed batter and right-arm medium bowler who has been part of the Sri Lanka women’s national cricket team since 2015. Her WODI debut took place on November 10, 2015, against New Zealand in Lincoln, and her WT20I debut followed on November 22, 2015, in Nelson, also against New Zealand.
2015
- Made her ODI and T20I debuts against New Zealand in November.
- Entered the squad as a right-arm medium bowler with a focus on maintaining tight lines in the middle overs.
2016–2019
- Regular member of the ODI and T20I squads.
- Recorded a best bowling figure of 3/50 during the tour of Australia in October 2019.
2020
- Selected for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in Australia.
- During a warm-up match against South Africa in Adelaide, she suffered a head injury while attempting a catch but recovered after medical evaluation.
2021
- Played in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe as part of Sri Lanka’s bowling attack.
2022
- Represented Sri Lanka in the Commonwealth Games Cricket Qualifier in Kuala Lumpur.
- Participated in the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
- Took eight wickets for 12 runs for Army SC in the Sri Lanka Women’s Division 1 Tournament — one of the best bowling figures in local women’s cricket.
2023
- Featured in international bilateral and qualification matches.
- Continued to serve as a key pace option in the national setup.
2024
- Helped Sri Lanka qualify for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup by defeating the UAE in the semifinal of the Qualifier in Abu Dhabi.
- Took 1/20 against Thailand during the Women’s T20 Asia Cup in Dambulla, which Sri Lanka won — their first-ever Asia Cup title.
- Named in the squad for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.
2025
- Played in the Sri Lanka Women’s ODI Tri-Nation Series (Sri Lanka, India, South Africa) from April 27 to May 11 as preparation for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025.
- Took the wicket of Deepti Sharma in the World Cup opening match against India on September 30, 2025.
- Featured in the group match against England on October 11, 2025, in Colombo.
Leagues Participation
Achini Kulasuriya has not participated in any international or domestic franchise leagues.
Domestic career
Achini Kulasuriya has played most of her domestic cricket for Sri Lanka Army Sports Club Women, with verified records showing her participation since 2013. In a match on September 4, 2013, at Panagoda, she took three wickets for 20 runs, one of her earliest noted performances. She continued to appear in Army SC scorecards through 2014 and in reports from the 2016 women’s league. Her most notable domestic performance came during the 2021–22 Women’s Division One season, when she delivered a remarkable spell of 8 wickets for 12 runs (8/12), one of the best bowling figures in Sri Lankan women’s domestic cricket.
Apart from Army SC, she has represented North Central Province Women, Ruhuna Province Women, and Sri Lanka A Women in provincial and representative tournaments. These teams appear in official player databases and align with her participation in SLC’s regional rotation system during the 2010s and early 2020s.
Her role at Army SC mirrored her national duties — a steady right-arm medium bowler trusted in the middle overs to contain runs and break partnerships. The 8/12 spell in 2021–22 stands out as her domestic career highlight and played a key part in reinforcing her place in Sri Lanka’s national squad.
Records and achievements
Achini Kulasuriya has built a steady career as one of Sri Lanka’s main right-arm medium bowlers, representing the national team in major international events and delivering strong performances in domestic competitions. Her achievements highlight both international milestones and standout domestic records.
- Represented the Sri Lanka Women’s National Team in ODIs and T20Is since 2015.
- ODI debut: November 10, 2015, vs New Zealand at Lincoln.
- T20I debut: November 22, 2015, vs New Zealand at Nelson.
- Took 3/50 against Australia during the 2019 tour, one of her best ODI bowling figures.
- Achieved a career-best domestic spell of 8/12 for Sri Lanka Army Sports Club Women in the 2021–22 Women’s Division One Tournament.
- Member of Sri Lanka squads for:
- ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020 (Australia)
- ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2021 (Zimbabwe)
- Commonwealth Games 2022 (Qualifier in Malaysia and main event in Birmingham)
- ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 (Bangladesh)
- ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 (Sri Lanka & India)
- Contributed to Sri Lanka’s Women’s T20 Asia Cup 2024 title, the country’s first-ever championship in the event.
- Played in the Women’s ODI Tri-Nation Series 2025 (Sri Lanka, India, South Africa) before the World Cup.
- By 2025, recorded around 32 ODIs (21 wickets, avg. 44.52) and 40 T20Is (19 wickets, avg. 35.79).
Personal life
Achini Kulasuriya has kept her private life entirely away from the media.
Family
There is no confirmed data about her parents, siblings, marital status, or children.
Finance
No verified information exists regarding her income, sponsorships, or assets. According to the general Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) structure, women’s national team players receive central contracts with monthly retainers and match fees based on categories (A–D). Players also earn about USD 750 per match and a USD 250 win bonus, but there are no published figures specific to Kulasuriya.
Scandals
Achini Kulasuriya has no record of controversies or disciplinary issues. The only widely reported incident was the head injury on February 16, 2020, during a warm-up match against South Africa in Adelaide, where she was struck while attempting a catch. She was cleared of serious harm and returned soon after. Another well-known moment was during the 2022 Women’s Asia Cup, when she refused to perform a “mankad” dismissal against Pakistan’s Aliya Riaz.
Fans
Her presence on social media is minimal. She appears to have an Instagram account under @achini_kulasooriya22 with around 500 followers, mostly sharing cricket-related posts. A Facebook account in her name exists but remains private. She does not maintain a verified X (Twitter) account. Highlights of her performances often appear on Sri Lanka Cricket, Female Cricket, and Women’s CricZone pages, especially after major matches such as her two wickets vs Ireland on August 20, 2024.
