By Admin 
Sri Lankan spin bowler Malinda Pushpakumara created history, she has completed her 1000 wickets in first class cricket. The 38-year-old cricketer has represented Sri Lanka in 4 Test and 2 ODI International matches. By touching this figure, he joined an exclusive club along with Muttiah Muralitharan.
Left arm spin bowler Malinda Pushpakumara has become the fourth Sri Lankan bowler to take 1000 wickets in first class cricket. Before him, this record was made by Rangana Herath (1080), Muttiah Muralitharan (1374), and Dinuka Hettiarachchi (1000).
Pushpakumara made this record in the three-day tournament of Sri Lanka Major League. He made this record against Moors Sports Club while playing for Badurelia Sports Club. Before this match, Pushpakumara had taken 998 wickets. In this match, he took 7 wickets for 137 runs and made a big contribution in his team’s victory by an innings and 46 runs.
218th bowler to take 1000 wickets
Malinda Pushpakumara completed her 1000 first class wickets by dismissing Moors’ Pasindu Suriyabandara on the final day of the three-day match. He is the 218th bowler in the world to take 1000 wickets in first class. Apart from him, only two bowlers have made this record among the current players. James Anderson made this record in the year 2021, while Simon Harmer touched this figure only last year. Currently, the closest to touching 1000 first wickets is Nathan Lyon, who has taken 860 wickets so far.
Malinda Pushpakumara’s first class career
Pushpakumara has so far scored 2541 runs in 219 innings of 173 first class matches and taken 1005 wickets. In first class, he has taken 5 or more wickets in an innings 86 times. He has taken 10 wickets 28 times.
Talking about international cricket, his career was not very long. Pushpakumara, who made his international debut in 2017, played his last international match in 2018. He took 14 wickets in 4 Tests and 1 wicket in 2 ODIs.