Brendon Kuruppu

Don Sardha Brendon Priyantha Kuruppu (born 5 January 1962) is a former Sri Lankan cricketer who played as a wicket-keeper and opening batsman. He is one of few batsmen in the world to score a double century on debut. Brendon was often played in One Day Internationals, making 54 appearances for the national team from 1983 to 1990, but his short Test career was largely unremarkable but for one productive innings in Colombo when he scored 201, becoming the first batsman to score a Test century on debut for Sri Lanka.

Kuruppu is the current coach of the Maldives national cricket team. In November 2018, he was named on Sri Lanka Cricket's National Selection Panel.

Early life

Kuruppu was born in Colombo in January 1962, and played school cricket for Ananda College and club cricket for Bloomfield Cricket and Athletic and Burgher Recreation Clubs. He became the first opening batsman to score double hundred on debut and only the third player to do so, after R. E. Foster and Lawrence Rowe. He holds the record for the longest innings as a Test debutant (777 minutes), and was the first wicket-keeper to score a century on Test debut.