| Ruchira Palliyaguruge | |
| Fullname: | Ruchira Shaman Akmeemana Palliyaguruge |
| Birth Date: | 22 January 1968 |
| Birth Place: | Matara, Sri Lanka |
| Batting: | Right-handed |
| Bowling: | Right-arm medium |
| Role: | Umpire |
| Umpire: | true |
| Testsumpired: | 9 |
| Umptestdebutyr: | 2018 |
| Umptestlastyr: | 2021 |
| Odisumpired: | 95 |
| Umpodidebutyr: | 2011 |
| Umpodilastyr: | 2024 |
| T20isumpired: | 48 |
| Umpt20idebutyr: | 2011 |
| Umpt20ilastyr: | 2024 |
| Wodisumpired: | 14 |
| Umpwodidebutyr: | 2013 |
| Umpwodilastyr: | 2022 |
| Wt20isumpired: | 5 |
| Umpwt20idebutyr: | 2016 |
| Umpwt20ilastyr: | 2023 |
| Date: | 7 June 2023 |
| Source: | http://www.espncricinfo.com/srilanka/content/player/50159.html Cricinfo |
Ruchira Palliyaguruge (born 22 January 1968) is a Sri Lankan umpire and former first-class cricketer. He played for Bloomfield Cricket and Athletic Club, Chilaw Marians Cricket Club, Saracens Sports Club, Nondescripts Cricket Club, Old Cambrian Sports Club.[1] Palliyaguruge bowled right-arm medium pace and batted right-handed. Playing mostly club cricket, he has over 200 first-class wickets to his name and also over 4000 runs in a career that began in 1989/90.
Palliyaguruge's One Day International (ODI) umpiring debut was in a match between Sri Lanka and Australia at Hambantota in 2011.[2] Ruchira's umpiring career has been marked with controversy. According to an article in The Sunday Times: Senior cricket umpires have petitioned Sri Lanka Cricket that umpires such as Ruchira Palliyaguruge named for the ICC Panel have not been done according to merit.[3] He made his Twenty20 debut on 17 August 2004, for Panadura Sports Club in the 2004 SLC Twenty20 Tournament.[4]
He was selected as one of the twenty umpires to stand in matches during the 2015 Cricket World Cup.[5] He stood in the final of the 2016 Asia Cup.[6] In November 2016 he won Sri Lanka Cricket's award for International Umpire of the Year.[7] [8] In 2018, in the 2nd Test Between Bangladesh and West Indies in Dhaka Palliyaguruge stood his first match as a Test umpire.[9]
In April 2019, he was named as one of the sixteen umpires to stand in matches during the 2019 Cricket World Cup.[10] [11] In February 2022, he was named as one of the on-field umpires for the 2022 Women's Cricket World Cup in New Zealand.[12] [13]