Ranjan Anandappa, courtesy of a news item in 2013 with title “Chaturanga de Silva – good investment for future Sri Lanka”
At a time when Sri Lanka are in search of quality all-rounders, Moors Sports Club cricketer Chaturanga de Silva is no doubt a good investment for the country’s future cricket. Chaturanga hails from Galle and played for St. Aloysius College, Galle and was an outstanding member in their cricket teams from the junior level to the first eleven.
As an all-rounder who bats and bowls left handed, he made a big impact in the recently concluded Mercantile Premier Cricket Tournament by excelling in all three departments of the game which enabled him to proceed on a scholarship to the Darren Lehmann Cricket Academy in Australia.
The Mercantile Cricket Association headed by it’s President Ashley Ratnayake had offered the scholarship for the emerging player of the tournament and Chaturanga de Silva representing Commercial Credit in the MCA Premier Tournament, was the unanimous choice. For Chaturanga, there were no short cuts and he had to go through the vigorous process as any other cricketer who is eager to represent, the country at the highest level of the game. While at St. Aloysius’, he made it into the Sri Lanka Under 19 team then led by Dinesh Chandimal and thereafter was selected to play in the Sri Lana ‘A’ teams which toured South Africa and the West Indies.
He has been included in the Sri Lanka ‘A’ team pool to meet the England ‘A’ team which is expected to be in the Island next month.
ESPN bio-data from Andrew Fidel Fernando
Full name: Pinnaduwage Chaturanga de Silva
Born: January 17, 1990, Galle
Current age: 24 years 55 days
Major teams: Sri Lanka,Chilaw Marians Cricket Club,Colts Cricket Club,Combined Provinces,Moors Sports Club,Schools Invitation XI,Sri Lanka A,Sri Lanka A Emerging Players
Playing role:Batsman
Batting style: Left-hand bat
Bowling style:Slow left-arm orthodox
Height:5 ft 6 in
Education: St. Aloysius’ College, Galle
A promising allrounder who delivers left-arm spin at a sharp pace and plays brisk innings from the lower order, Chaturanga de Silva made his international debut in the 2014 Asia Cup, after good returns for the A team against the visiting England Lions. Two forties and five wickets in the first unofficial Test in February cleared the path to his selection in the Asia Cup squad, in Rangana Herath’s absence, but de Silva had been among the most consistent fringe players for over a year, both for the A team and for his domestic team, Moors Sports Club.
De Silva was earmarked as a future international prospect by the Sanath Jayasuriya-led selection panel in 2013, when he hit first-class hundreds in both the A-team tour to the West Indies, and New Zealand A’s tour of Sri Lanka. An alumni of Galle’s St. Aloysius College, de Silva has also played for Colts Cricket Club and Chilaw Marians in his domestic career.
Moors Sport Club coach Mahesh Weerasinghe said that, Chaturanga is definitely a potential national player who is confident that in the near future he could find a place in the national team. He is a all-rounder, a left-arm spinner and a top fielder.
In an era where the game is moving fast, he has all the qualities of a player who could easily fit in to the game today.
Chaturanga is mobbed on taking his 1st wicket during the Asia Cup
Additional Notes:
ONE: Chaturanga wisely opted to take up the option of a short traing spell at Adelaide at the Lehmann Academy instead of playing for Sri Lanka A. Shaun Seigert who directs the Lehmann academy operations told me that Chaturanga was quick to learn and immediately adjusted his style in batting when an improvement in technique was suggested. Michael Roberts
TWO: Chaturanga first represented Sri Lanka against Pakistan at the recently concluded Asia Cup. The match was played on 25 February, which Sri Lanka won by 12 runs, where he contributed 2 runs with the bat and bowled 10 overs taking 1 wicket for 56 runs. In the match against India played on 28 February, which Sri Lanka won by 2 wickets, he scored 9 runs and took 1 wicket for 51 runs in 10 overs. His next match was against Afghanistan on 3 March, which Sri Lanka won by 129 runs, where he scored 17 runs and took 2 wickets for 29 runs in 9.4 overs. In the match against Bangladesh played on 6 March, which Sri Lanka won by 3 wickets, he took 1 wicket for 33 runs bowling 10 overs, and scored a brisk 44 in 52 balls cracking 5 ‘fours’.
In the finals against Pakistan played on 8 March, which Sri Lanka won by 5 wickets, he bowled 4 overs for 19 runs and was not out on 6. He was batting with captain Angelo Mathews, who was on 16, when victory was achieved. Johnny de Silva