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Avishka Fernando
Sadeera Samarawickrama
Nuwanidu Fernando
By Sa’adi Thawfeeq
Top performers in the recently concluded Lanka Premier League (LPL) were given due recognition for the upcoming cricket tour of India.
Opening batsman Avishka Fernando and middle-order batsman/wicket-keeper Sadeera Samarawickrama who helped Jaffna Kings retain the LPL title for a third year have been included in the 20-member squad which will leave for India on 31 December to play a series of three T20Is and three ODIs commencing next month.
Fernando won the Player of the Final award scoring a half-century against Colombo Stars and finished as the leading run-getter of the tournament with 339 runs (avg. 37.66) and a strike rate of 124.63 and three 50s.
Samarawickrama who was model of consistency throughout the tournament won the Player of the Series award by becoming the second highest run-getter with an aggregate of 294 (avg. 58.80) and a strike rate of 131.25 and one fifty.
Both players were marking their return to the national side, Fernando after a ten-month lay-off following knee surgery and Samarawickrama recalled to the side after 17 months, his last appearance was against India at the R. Premadasa Stadium in July 2021.
Also recalled is all-rounder Chamika Karunaratne who was left out on grounds of poor form and discipline in Sri Lanka’s last international series – three ODIs against Afghanistan.
Dasun Shanaka continues as captain of the two white ball teams, but will have two deputies Wanindu Hasaranga (for T20Is) and Kusal Mendis (for ODIs). Shanaka led Dambulla Aura in the LPL and the team finished at the bottom of the league with two wins from eight matches.
Hasaranga’s inspired leadership saw Kandy Falcons make it to the play-offs where they lost to Colombo Stars, and Mendis captained Galle Gladiators who also suffered at the hands of Colombo Stars in the eliminator. Left-arm seamer Dilshan Madushanka who missed out on the T20 World Cup through injury also returns to the side.
Bhanuka Rajapaksa should consider himself lucky to be retained following a poor T20 World Cup and an LPL with Dambulla Aura where his last three innings were single digits 4, 0 and 0. At the other end of the stick Dinesh Chandimal finds himself very unfortunate to be left out after taking Colombo Stars to the final of the LPL where he finished as the third highest run-getter with 287 runs and a strike rate of 126.99.
Of the 20 players selected Rajapaksa and Nuwan Thushara will play only in the T20Is while Jeffrey Vandersay and uncapped Nuwanidu Fernando will take part in only the ODIs.
Thushara and Nuwanidu stood out for Galle Gladiators although they were knocked out in the first round of the play-offs. He picked up 14 wickets, the second highest wicket-taker in the LPL at an economy rate of 7.44 with his low slinging action. Nuwanidu stood out with 211 runs and a strike rate of 131.05 displaying his ability to clear the boundary especially against the spinners.
In the batting, three form batters Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis and Avishka Fernando will vie for the openers slot. If all three play with Avishka pushed to the number three slot, there would be stern competition for the rest of the batting slots with Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Ashen Bandara, Rajapaksa, Nuwanidu, Samarawickrama and Shanaka all in the fray.
The seam attack will be spearheaded by Kasun Rajitha, Pramod Madushan, Lahiru Kumara, Thushara and Dilshan Madushanka with the spin in the capable hands of Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana and the left-arm all-round skills of Dunith Wellalage.
The tour will be an acid test for Shanaka not only as captain but for the contribution he makes to the team with the bat and ball. There have been concerns that he retains his place in the team only because of his captaincy, the Indian tour gives Shanaka the chance to dispel those doubts.
Sri Lanka Squad to India
Dasun Shanaka (Captain), Pathum Nissanka, Avishka Fernando, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Kusal Mendis (Vice Captain for ODIs), Bhanuka Rajapaksa (Only for T20Is), Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Wanindu Hasaranga (Vice Captain for T20Is), Ashen Bandara, Maheesh Theekshana, Jeffrey Vandersay (Only for ODIs), Chamika Karunaratne, Dilshan Madushanka, Kasun Rajitha, Nuwanidu Fernando (Only for ODIs), Dunith Wellalage, Pramod Madushan, Lahiru Kumara, Nuwan Thushara (Only for T20Is).
Sri Lanka tour itinerary
