List of Famous people born in Sri Lanka

Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman VrC is an Indian Air Force fighter pilot who, during the 2019 India–Pakistan standoff, was held captive in Pakistan for 60 hours after his aircraft was shot down in an aerial dogfight. He was awarded a medal by the Indian government for the alleged shooting down of a PAF F-16 with his MiG-21 Bison.

Chamath Palihapitiya is a Canadian-American venture capitalist, engineer, politician and the founder and CEO of Social Capital. Palihapitiya was an early senior executive at Facebook, joining the company in 2007 and leaving in 2011. He is a minority stakeholder and board member of the Golden State Warriors. In January 2021, he launched his California gubernatorial campaign, in support of a recall election for incumbent governor Gavin Newsom.

Separamadu Lasith Malinga is a former Sri Lankan cricketer. He captained the Sri Lankan 2014 T20 World Cup winning side. He was considered as one of the best bowlers of his time. He is the only bowler to have taken 4 wickets in 4 consecutive balls in international cricket. He is a right-arm fast bowler that is commonly used as a specialist death bowler, and is well known for his distinctive round-arm action, sometimes referred to as a sling action, which leads to his nicknames, 'Slinga Malinga'.

Deshabandu Muttiah Muralitharan is a Sri Lankan cricket coach and former professional cricketer. Averaging over six wickets per Test match, Muralitharan is one of the most successful bowlers in international cricket and the first to take 800 wickets in Tests. As of December 2020 he has taken more wickets in Test matches than any other cricketer.

Lieutenant Colonel Nandasena Gotabaya Rajapaksa, RWP, RSP, psc, GR is a Sri Lankan politician and former military officer currently serving as the 8th President of Sri Lanka since 2019. He has previously served as Secretary to the Ministry of Defence and Urban Development from 2005 to 2015 under the administration of his elder brother former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, leading the Sri Lankan Armed Forces to the military defeat of the Tamil Tigers, which ended the Sri Lankan Civil War.

George Maxwell Alagiah is a British newsreader, journalist and television news presenter.

Percy Mahinda Rajapaksa, commonly known as Mahinda Rajapaksa, is the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka and Minister of Finance since 2019. He previously served as the Prime Minister from 2004 to 2005 and as the President of Sri Lanka from 2005 to 2015. Rajapaksa was the Leader of the Opposition from 2002 to 2004, then again from 2018 to 2019. He has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Kurunegala since the 2015 parliamentary elections.

Kumar Chokshanada Sangakkara is a Sri Lankan cricket commentator, cricketer and former captain of the Sri Lanka national cricket team. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen in the history of the sport. Sangakkara scored 28,016 runs in international cricket across all formats in a career that spanned 15 years. At retirement, he was the second-highest run-scorer in ODI cricket and sixth-highest run scorer in Test cricket.

Angelo Davis Mathews,, is a professional Sri Lankan cricketer and a former captain in all formats. He was also a key member of the team that won the 2014 ICC World Twenty20 and was part of the team that made the finals of 2011 Cricket World Cup, 2009 ICC World Twenty20 and 2012 ICC World Twenty20. An occasional bowler who can deliver swinging match-winning spells, Mathews and Lasith Malinga holds the record for the highest ninth wicket partnership in ODI cricket.

Isuru Udana Tillakaratna, is a professional Sri Lankan cricketer who represents Sri Lanka in limited over formats. He currently plays domestic cricket for Tamil Union and Wayamba. Primarily a left arm fast bowler, Udana evolved as an all-rounder in late 2018.

Pettifleur Berenger is an Australian property developer, author and reality television personality of Sri Lankan / Ceylonese Dutch Burgher descent. She appeared on The Real Housewives of Melbourne in its second and third seasons. She released her first book, Switch the Bitch, in April 2015.

Lasith Embuldeniya is a professional Sri Lankan cricketer. He made his international debut for the Sri Lanka cricket team in February 2019, and plays for Nondescripts Cricket Club in domestic cricket.

Sajith Premadasa, MP is a Sri Lankan politician. He is the current Leader of the Opposition of Sri Lanka and Member of Parliament for Colombo District. He is the current leader of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya

Indrajit Coomaraswamy is a Sri Lankan economist and the 14th Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka.

Deshabandu Sanath Teran Jayasuriya is a former Sri Lankan cricketer and a former captain of the Sri Lankan national team. Considered as one of the greatest attacking batsmen of his era, Jayasuriya is well known for his powerful striking and match-winning all-round performances in ODI cricket. Jayasuriya is credited for having revolutionized one-day international cricket with his explosive batting with Romesh Kaluwitharana in the mid 1990s, which initiated the hard-hitting modern-day batting strategy of all nations. Jayasuriya was an all-rounder, who had an international cricket career that spread over four decades. He is the only player to score over 10,000 runs and capture more than 300 wickets in One Day International cricket, and hence regarded as one of the best all-rounders in the history of limited-overs cricket. He was named the Most Valuable Player of 1996 Cricket World Cup and Wisden Cricketers' Almanack broke an age-old tradition by naming him one of Five Cricketers' of the Year 1997 despite not playing the previous season in England. Jayasuriya was also the captain of the Sri Lankan cricket team from 1999 to 2003.

Merengnnage Edward Tennyson Cooray was an actor and comedian in Sri Lankan cinema and theater. One of the most popular comedians ever in Sinhala cinema with a career spanned for more than three decades, Cooray was best known for comedy roles in several blockbuster film franchises such as Re Daniel Dawal Migel, Cheriyo, Peralikarayo, Wada Bari Tarzan as well as Somy Boys. In addition to acting, he also worked as a director and scriptwriter, singer, lyrics writer.

Baminnahennadige Shanudrie Priyasad is an actress in Sri Lankan cinema and television as well as a model, dancer and singer.

Weerahandige Inol Avishka Fernando, commonly as Avishka Fernando, is a professional Sri Lankan cricketer, who currently plays limited over internationals for Sri Lanka national team. He plays for Colts Cricket Club in domestic cricket, and he made his international debut for the Sri Lanka cricket team in August 2016. He had his education in St. Sebastian's College, Moratuwa.

Hewa Kaluhalamullage Suraj Randiv Kaluhalamulla, formerly Mohamed Marshuk Mohamed Suraj, known popularly as Suraj Randiv, is a former professional Sri Lankan cricketer, who played all formats of the game. He plays first-class cricket for Sinhalese Sports Club. Suraj was educated at Rahula College Matara. He currently resides in Australia and works as a bus driver.

Pinnaduwage Wanindu Hasaranga de Silva is a professional Sri Lankan cricketer who plays for the national team in all three formats of the game. His elder brother, Chaturanga de Silva, has also represented the national team.