Angelo Mathews facts for kids
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name |
Angelo Davis Mathews
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| Born | 2 June 1987 Colombo, Sri Lanka |
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| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Right-handed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Right-arm medium | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Role | All-rounder | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National side |
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| Test debut (cap 112) | 4 July 2009 v Pakistan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Test | 17 June 2025 v Bangladesh | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ODI debut (cap 137) | 31 December 2008 v Zimbabwe | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last ODI | 9 November 2023 v New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ODI shirt no. | 69 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| T20I debut (cap 28) | 8 June 2009 v Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last T20I | 16 June 2024 v Netherlands | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| T20I shirt no. | 69 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2010 | Kolkata Knight Riders (squad no. 69) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2013 | Pune Warriors India (squad no. 69) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012 | Nagenahira Nagas (squad no. 69) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013 | Brothers Union cricket team (squad no. 69) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015; 2017 | Delhi Daredevils (squad no. 69) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018 | Lahore Qalandars (squad no. 69) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020–2022 | Colombo Stars | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023-2025 | B-Love Kandy | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Source: ESPNcricinfo, 21 June 2025
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Angelo Davis Mathews is a famous Sri Lankan cricket player. He used to be the captain of the national cricket team in all types of cricket games. Mathews stopped playing Test cricket in 2025. He now plays shorter versions of the game for Sri Lanka.
Angelo was part of the team that won the 2014 ICC World Twenty20. He also played in the finals of the 2011 Cricket World Cup, 2009 ICC World Twenty20, and 2012 ICC World Twenty20. He and Lasith Malinga hold a special record for the highest ninth-wicket partnership in ODI cricket.
In July 2022, Mathews played his 100th Test match for Sri Lanka. As captain, he led his team to win the 2014 Asia Cup. On November 7, 2023, Mathews became the first player in international cricket history to be given "timed out." This happened during a World Cup match against Bangladesh.
Contents
About Angelo Mathews
Angelo Mathews was born in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on June 2, 1987. His father is Tamil and his mother is Burgher. He is a Roman Catholic and went to St. Joseph's College in Colombo.
Mathews is married to Heshanie Silva. They got married on July 18, 2013. They have one son and one daughter.
Early Cricket Days
Mathews started playing List A cricket for Sri Lanka Under-23 in September 2005. He was the captain of the Sri Lankan team in the 2006 U-19 Cricket World Cup. Later, he played his first first-class match for Colombo Cricket Club in November 2006.
Playing for Clubs
Angelo Mathews has played for several teams in different cricket leagues around the world.
Indian Premier League
He played for Delhi Daredevils in the Indian Premier League. He was a very popular player and was bought by the Pune Warriors for a large sum of money.
Local Tournaments
In March 2018, he became the captain of Kandy's team for the 2017–18 Super Four Provincial Tournament. He also led Kandy in the 2018 Super Provincial One Day Tournament. In October 2020, he joined the Colombo Kings for the first Lanka Premier League. He later played for the Colombo Stars in 2022. In 2023, he joined B-Love Kandy.
International Cricket Journey
Angelo Mathews started his international career in late 2008. He wanted to be a great all-rounder, meaning he could both bat and bowl well. Over time, he focused more on his batting to avoid injuries. He still bowls in shorter games to help his team.
Starting Strong
He played his first One Day International (ODI) against Zimbabwe in November 2008. His Test debut was against Pakistan in July 2009.
Mathews scored his first half-century in his third Test match. His first century (scoring 100 runs or more) came against Australia in September 2011. He has done very well in Tests played in Sri Lanka and countries like England and UAE. Two of his centuries were scored in England against strong bowlers. He also performed very well when he was captain.
In February 2013, Mathews became Sri Lanka's youngest Test captain at 25 years old. He led Sri Lanka to a big Test series win in England in 2014. His highest Test score was 200 runs against Zimbabwe in 2020.
Leading the Team (2013–2017)
After Kumar Sangakkara stepped down, Mathews was chosen to lead the Sri Lankan team in ODIs and Tests. He became captain of the T20I team in 2012.
Mathews became a key player for Sri Lanka during their tour of Australia in 2010/11. In one match, he scored an amazing 77 not out with Lasith Malinga. They made a record 132-run partnership for the ninth wicket in ODI history.
Under his captaincy, Sri Lanka won their first-ever Test series in England. They also won the ODI series 3-2. After that, they beat Pakistan 2-0 at home.
In November 2014, Mathews scored his first ODI century against India. He hit ten sixes in that game. However, Sri Lanka lost all five matches in that series against India.
The year 2014 was a great year for Mathews as captain. Sri Lanka won many ODI series and the 2014 Asia Cup. He was the most successful ODI captain that year, winning 20 out of 32 matches. The ICC even named him captain of the World Test XI for his great performance in 2014.
In March 2015, during the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup, Mathews scored the fastest fifty by a Sri Lankan in World Cups. He reached 50 runs in just 20 balls. He led the team to the quarter-finals of the 2015 World Cup, where they lost to South Africa.
Mathews became the fourth Sri Lankan all-rounder to take 100 ODI wickets and score over 3000 ODI runs. He reached his 100th ODI wicket in July 2015.
In August 2016, under Mathews' captaincy, Sri Lanka beat Australia 3-0 in a Test series. This was a big achievement as Australia was the number one Test team at the time.
In July 2017, Sri Lanka lost an ODI series at home to Zimbabwe. Mathews called this defeat "one of the lowest points" in his career. He then stepped down as captain of the team in all three types of cricket.
After Captaincy (2017)
In December 2017, Mathews scored his eighth Test century against India. He helped Sri Lanka draw the match. He also scored his second ODI century against India in December 2017.
Second Time as Captain (2018)
In January 2018, Mathews was asked to be captain again for ODIs and T20Is. However, he got injured during a match in Bangladesh and missed the rest of the series. He also missed other tours due to injuries.
In September 2018, Mathews was removed from captaincy again after Sri Lanka performed poorly in the 2018 Asia Cup.
As a Key Batter
In late 2018, Mathews scored his ninth Test century against New Zealand. He and Kusal Mendis batted for a very long time, helping Sri Lanka draw the match. Their partnership of 246 runs was Sri Lanka's highest against New Zealand.
In April 2019, he was chosen for Sri Lanka's team for the 2019 Cricket World Cup. After a slow start, he scored 85 runs not out against England, helping Sri Lanka win. During this match, he reached 12,000 international runs for Sri Lanka. In another match, he surprisingly bowled and took a key wicket. He scored his third ODI century against India in July 2019.
In January 2020, Mathews played his first T20I in 16 months against India. He also bowled in that match.
In January 2020, during a Test match against Zimbabwe, Mathews scored his first double century (200 runs not out). Sri Lanka won the match, and Mathews was named Man of the Match. He was also the Player of the Series.
In March 2020, Mathews bowled a match-winning spell against West Indies in an ODI. He took 4 wickets and helped Sri Lanka win by 6 runs.
In January 2021, during a Test against England, Mathews scored his 6000th Test run. He also scored his 11th Test century in the second Test against England.
Challenges and Retirement Hint (2019-2021)
After many senior players retired, the Sri Lankan team faced tough times. Mathews' captaincy was sometimes criticized, especially for his running between the wickets. In 2018, he was removed from captaincy and the team due to fitness concerns.
In July 2021, Mathews said he was thinking about retiring from international cricket. This was due to disagreements over player contracts and the team's plan to focus on younger players.
Timed Out Dismissal (2023)
On November 6, 2023, during a World Cup match against Bangladesh, Mathews was given "timed out." This means he was not ready to face the ball within the required time (two minutes) after a wicket fell. He tried to explain that his helmet strap broke, but the Bangladesh captain, Shakib Al Hasan, did not withdraw his appeal. This was the first time a player was dismissed this way in international cricket.
After Captaincy (2021-Present)
In February 2021, Mathews was a stand-in captain for a T20I series in the West Indies. He later left the tour for personal reasons.
In May 2022, Mathews scored his 12th Test century against Bangladesh, getting 199 runs. He won the Player of the Match award. He continued his good form, scoring his 13th Test century in the next match. He was named the ICC Men's Player of the Month for May 2022.
In July 2022, Mathews played his 100th Test match against Pakistan. In March 2023, he became the third Sri Lankan to complete 7000 Test runs. He also reached 14,000 international runs across all formats. He scored his 14th Test century against New Zealand.
In May 2023, Mathews scored his 15th Test century against Ireland. In October 2023, he joined Sri Lanka's World Cup squad.
In January 2024, Mathews had great all-round performances in a T20I series against Zimbabwe, winning the Player of the Series award. In February 2024, he scored his 16th Test century against Afghanistan. He made a 232-run partnership with Dinesh Chandimal.
In May 2024, he was named in Sri Lanka’s team for the 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup. In late 2024, he helped Sri Lanka win a Test match against New Zealand by scoring a fifty. In the next Test, he scored 88 runs and made important partnerships, helping Sri Lanka win by an innings.
Retirement from Test Cricket
Angelo Mathews announced that he will retire from Test cricket after the first Test against Bangladesh in Galle, which started on June 17, 2025.
Beyond Cricket
In July 2021, Angelo Mathews showed interest in helping a project called "Little Hearts." This project raises money to build a special heart and critical care center for children at the Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children in Colombo. He was inspired to help after his own daughter received great care at the hospital.
Other Interests
Mathews is also very interested in fitness and inspiring others. He often shares fitness videos and motivational messages on his social media.
Records and Achievements
- Highest ninth wicket partnership – 132 runs by Angelo Mathews (77 runs) and Lasith Malinga (56 runs) against Australia in November 2010.
- Most wins as a captain in ODI in 2014 (won 20 and lost 12 out of 32 matches).
Awards
- 2015 Wisden Cricketer of the Year
- Sri Lanka Cricket Cricketer of the Year 2015
- ICC Men's Player of the Month for May 2022.
