International career
Vijayakanth Viyaskanth was born on 5 December 2001. He is a Sri Lankan cricketer who bats right-handed and bowls right-arm leg spin. He plays for the Jaffna Kings in the Lanka Premier League. He has also played for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League.
Viyaskanth is the first cricketer born and raised in Jaffna to appear in an internationally televised game for Sri Lanka. Jaffna is the main city in the Tamil north of Sri Lanka. The area has a difficult history, including a long war between Tamil separatists and the Sri Lankan government. Even during the conflict, people in Jaffna loved cricket. But no player from the northern region had played for the national team since Sri Lanka started Test cricket.
Viyaskanth knows this history well. He grew up in a city affected by war and hardship. Still, cricket stayed important to many people there. In the 1990s, teenage players like M Kandeepan from Jaffna’s St. John’s College drew big crowds with their skill. Kandeepan was a great player, but he never got a chance to play for Sri Lanka because of the war. Many in Jaffna believe he could have been one of the best in the country.
About twenty years later, Viyaskanth made his debut for Sri Lanka’s Under-19 team in July 2018. On his Lanka Premier League debut, he played for the Jaffna Stallions and bowled well. He gave away only three boundaries and bowled eight dot balls in four overs. He faced strong batsmen, including Andre Russell, and gave away just one run in four balls to him.
Viyaskanth was almost 19 years old at the time and the youngest player in the tournament. He received his cap from Thisara Perera, who was the best player in the tournament so far. His teammate Wanindu Hasaranga stayed close while he bowled, helping and encouraging him. After the game, Angelo Mathews congratulated Viyaskanth on Twitter. Mathews was the first player he got out in senior cricket.
These moments show how sport can bring people together. Viyaskanth bowled well and stopped one of the world’s best hitters. He cannot fix deep problems or bring victory every time, but his presence carries meaning. His playing means hope and pride for Jaffna and its people.
- 2023: In September, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth joined Sri Lanka’s squad for the Asian Games. He played his first T20 International match on 4 October against Afghanistan in Hangzhou.
- 2024: He played in the Indian Premier League for the first time. He was a bowler for Sunrisers Hyderabad. In May, he was named as a reserve player in Sri Lanka’s squad for the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
Leagues Participation
Vijayakanth Viyaskanth has played in multiple T20 leagues since 2020. He has been with Jaffna Kings in the Lanka Premier League from the start. In 2023, he joined Chattogram Challengers in the Bangladesh Premier League. In 2024, he played in the Indian Premier League for Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Indian Premier League
In April 2024, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth joined Sunrisers Hyderabad. He came in as a replacement after Wanindu Hasaranga got injured. His contract was signed at a base price of Rs 50 lakh. In November 2024, he was not picked in the auction for the 2025 season and stayed unsold.
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Year
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Team
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Notes
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2024
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Sunrisers Hyderabad
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Replaced injured Wanindu Hasaranga
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2025
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—
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Not selected in the 2025 IPL auction
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Lanka Premier League
Vijayakanth Viyaskanth played his first match in the Lanka Premier League on 4 December 2020 for Jaffna Stallions. In 2021, he joined Jaffna Kings after the draft. He stayed with the team in 2022 and took 13 wickets in the tournament. In July 2023, he took two wickets in the first game of the season, along with Dilshan Madushaka.
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Year
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Team
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Notes
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2020
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Jaffna Stallions
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T20 debut on 4 December
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2021
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Jaffna Kings
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Picked in the LPL draft
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2022
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Jaffna Kings
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Took 13 wickets in the tournament
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2023
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Jaffna Kings
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Took 2 wickets in season opener with Dilshan Madushaka
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Bangladesh Premier League
In December 2022, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth was picked by Chattogram Challengers. He played for the team in the 2023 Bangladesh Premier League season.
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Year
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Team
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Notes
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2023
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Chattogram Challengers
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Joined the team in December 2022
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Domestic career
Vijayakanth Viyaskanth started playing Twenty20 cricket in December 2020 for Jaffna Stallions in the Lanka Premier League. He joined Jaffna Kings in 2021 and continued to play for them. His List A debut happened in January 2022 for Team Jaffna in the SLC National Super League. In September 2023, he played his first first-class match for Tamil Union Cricket and Athletic Club.
He took many wickets in the 2022 Lanka Premier League. He also played in the Bangladesh Premier League with Chattogram Challengers and in the International League T20 for MI Emirates. His bowling was very economical in these tournaments. In 2024, Sunrisers Hyderabad signed him to replace an injured player in the Indian Premier League.
Other Leagues
In August 2023, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth joined MI Emirates for the 2024 International League T20. He took 8 wickets and had the best economy rate in his team with 5.43 runs per over. On 22 September 2023, he played his first first-class match for Tamil Union Cricket and Athletic Club against Nondescripts in the Major League Tournament. He is also part of the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders squad.
Records and achievements
Vijayakanth Viyaskanth has done well in several cricket tournaments. His records show his skill as a bowler and player.
- In the 2022 Lanka Premier League, he took 13 wickets in 8 innings. His bowling average was 16.5 and his economy rate was 6.7. He ranked third in the tournament for most wickets.
- In the 2023 International League T20, he played 4 matches for MI Emirates. He took 8 wickets and had an economy rate of 5.43.
- In the 2024 Indian Premier League, he played 3 matches. He took 1 wicket and scored 7 runs. He did not score 50 or 100 runs in any match.
- In his only Twenty20 International match against Afghanistan, he took 1 wicket and gave 28 runs.
He won the Player of the Match award in the Lanka Premier League for his best bowling of 3 wickets for 22 runs in 4 overs. This helped MI Emirates win a qualifier match against Gulf Giants.
Personal life
Vijayakanth Viyaskanth keeps his personal life private. Some facts are known about his family, money, and fans.
Family
By July 2023, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth had no wife or children.
Finances
In 2023, his net worth was about INR 5 crore.
Fans
He has around 14,000 followers on Instagram.
