Michael Roberts
Kasun and Dasun. Two raw young and unknown pacemen. They sliced the formidable Indian top-order of batsmen apart, spiking a poor total of 101 which Sri Lanka reached in relative comfort. That line of emphasis is striking… eye-catching and sensationalist. It is only a part-truth. As with most cricket outcomes it took many factors to come together to craft Sri Lanka’s unexpected win – unexpected because Lanka were/are without Mathews, Dilshan and Malinga.
Many will point to the crucial winning of the toss and the Sri Lankan think-tank’s wise decision to bowl first. Yes, two crucial elements in the final outcome.
Kasun Rajitha of Sri Lanka celebrates the wicket of Shikhar Dhawan of India during the first Paytm T20 Trophy International match between India and Sri Lanka held at the MCA Cricket Stadium in Pune on the 9th February 2016
Photo by: Ron Gaunt / BCCI / Sportzpics
But let me emphasize another: Dushantha Chameera’s outstanding catch off Sharma in the second ball. It was absolutely brilliant –a difficult catch pouched so decisively that it was made to look easy. Those who are versed in cricket know that such catches simply lift sides to new heights, injecting adrenaline that sustains momentum.
This adrenaline enabled Chandimal to pouch another difficult catch a few balls later. After that the momentum was maintained by a sustained bowling effort and not destroyed by two missed catches (one difficult). Dasun Shanaka, Chameera and Senanayake got wickets, Thisara Perera (for once) was economical and India ended with 101 runs.
Dasun Shanaka of Sri Lanka celebrates the wicket of Hardik Pandya of India during the first Paytm T20 Trophy International match between India and Sri Lanka held at the MCA Cricket Stadium in Pune on the 9th February 2016
Photo by: Ron Gaunt / BCCI / Sportzpics
Suresh Raina of India is bowled by Dasun Shanaka of Sri Lanka during the first Paytm T20 Trophy International match between India and Sri Lanka held at the MCA Cricket Stadium in Pune on the 9th February 2016
Photo by: Ron Gaunt / BCCI / Sportzpics
The Indian commentators were as surprised as overawed. They built up a picture of Sri Lanka’s a factory for medium pacers. Rubbish. I wish it was true. But it is nice to have fresh new medium-pacemen together with one lean keen beanpole ‘fastie’ named Dushantha. One thing about that lad – he is not mean like … well, so many pacemen from that land down under.
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Sri Lanka
Full name Chandrasekara Arachchilage Kasun Rajitha
Born June 1, 1993, Matara
Current age 22 years 254 days
Major teams Badureliya Sports Club, Sri Lanka Under-19s
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm medium-fast
Education St. Servatius College
Batting and fielding averages
| Mat | Inns | NO | Runs | HS | Ave | BF | SR | 100 | 50 | 4s | 6s | Ct | St | |
| T20Is | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 |
| First-class | 10 | 16 | 8 | 41 | 13* | 5.12 | 248 | 16.53 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| List A | 13 | 8 | 4 | 21 | 12* | 5.25 | 48 | 43.75 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| Twenty20 | 16 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 4* | 6.00 | 8 | 75.00 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Bowling averages
| Mat | Inns | Balls | Runs | Wkts | BBI | BBM | Ave | Econ | SR | 4w | 5w | 10 | |
| T20Is | 1 | 1 | 24 | 29 | 3 | 3/29 | 3/29 | 9.66 | 7.25 | 8.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| First-class | 10 | 17 | 991 | 814 | 8 | 2/63 | 2/82 | 101.75 | 4.92 | 123.8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| List A | 13 | 12 | 469 | 463 | 15 | 5/37 | 5/37 | 30.86 | 5.92 | 31.2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Twenty20 | 16 | 16 | 360 | 416 | 34 | 4/20 | 4/20 | 12.23 | 6.93 | 10.5 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Career statistics
| Only T20I | India v Sri Lanka at Pune, Feb 9, 2016 scorecard |
| T20I statistics | Top of Form
Bottom of Form |
| Top of Form
Bottom of Form |
|
| First-class debut | Nondescripts Cricket Club v Badureliya Sports Club at Colombo (NCC), Jan 16-18, 2015 scorecard |
| Last First-class | Sri Lanka Army Sports Club v Badureliya Sports Club at Panagoda, Dec 4-6, 2015 scorecard |
| List A debut | Badureliya Sports Club v Sri Lanka Army Sports Club at Kaluthara, Dec 5, 2014 scorecard |
| Last List A | Sinhalese Sports Club v Badureliya Sports Club at Colombo (SSC), Dec 15, 2015 scorecard |
| Twenty20 debut | Sinhalese Sports Club v Badureliya Sports Club at Colombo (SSC), Apr 2, 2015 scorecard |
| Last Twenty20 | India v Sri Lanka at Pune, Feb 9, 2016 scorecard |
Recent matches
| Bat & Bowl | Team | Opposition | Ground | Match Date | Scorecard |
| 3/29 | Sri Lanka | v India | Pune | 9 Feb 2016 | T20I # 496 |
| 1/35 | Commandos | v Guardians | Colombo (RPS) | 5 Feb 2016 | T20 |
| 3/25 | Commandos | v Troopers | Colombo (RPS) | 3 Feb 2016 | T20 |
| 1/28, 0* | Commandos | v Kurunegala W | Colombo (RPS) | 30 Jan 2016 | T20 |
| 3/28 | Commandos | v Crusaders | Colombo (RPS) | 29 Jan 2016 | T20 |
| 0*, 0/27 | Commandos | v Troopers | Colombo (RPS) | 27 Jan 2016 | T20 |
| 2/10 | Commandos | v Guardians | Colombo (RPS) | 26 Jan 2016 | T20 |
| 2/23 | Badureliya | v Colts | Colombo (NCC) | 20 Jan 2016 | T20 |
| 4, 0/31 | Badureliya | v Sinhalese | Colombo (SSC) | 15 Dec 2015 | LA |
| 2/39 | Badureliya | v SL Army | Panagoda | 9 Dec 2015 | LA |
Profile
Virtually unheard of before 2015, the first inkling of right-arm seamer Kasun Rajitha’s potential came during a three-dayer against the touring Indians in August of that year. He took 5 for 68 on a spicy Khettarama deck in that match, dismissing Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in a single spell, before claiming Kohli’s wicket in the second innings as well. Achieving appreciable seam movement at a sharp pace, and from a high release point, Rajitha proved to be a penetrative T20 bowler in the following domestic season. He was the second-highest wicket-taker in the Super T20 Provincial Tournament, with 10 scalps in six matches. That performance earned him an international T20 debut, where he claimed two wickets in his first over, against India in Pune.
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Dasun Shanaka
Sri Lanka
Full name Madagamagamage Dasun Shanaka
Born September 9, 1991, Negombo
Current age 24 years 154 days
Major teams Sri Lanka, Sinhalese Sports Club, Sri Lanka Under-19s
Playing role Allrounder
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm medium
Height 6 ft 0 in
Education ,St. Peters College – Negombo, Maristella College
Batting and fielding averages
| Mat | Inns | NO | Runs | HS | Ave | BF | SR | 100 | 50 | 4s | 6s | Ct | St | |
| T20Is | 2 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 7 | 5.00 | 12 | 83.33 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| First-class | 30 | 38 | 5 | 1258 | 127 | 38.12 | 1804 | 69.73 | 3 | 6 | 107 | 57 | 25 | 0 |
| List A | 39 | 26 | 7 | 360 | 60* | 18.94 | 474 | 75.94 | 0 | 1 | 18 | 16 | 24 | 0 |
| Twenty20 | 27 | 23 | 5 | 609 | 131* | 33.83 | 363 | 167.76 | 2 | 0 | 34 | 50 | 7 | 0 |
Bowling averages
| Mat | Inns | Balls | Runs | Wkts | BBI | BBM | Ave | Econ | SR | 4w | 5w | 10 | |
| T20Is | 2 | 1 | 18 | 16 | 3 | 3/16 | 3/16 | 5.33 | 5.33 | 6.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| First-class | 30 | 27 | 1045 | 646 | 26 | 6/69 | 8/84 | 24.84 | 3.70 | 40.1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| List A | 39 | 13 | 348 | 238 | 7 | 2/21 | 2/21 | 34.00 | 4.10 | 49.7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Twenty20 | 27 | 8 | 84 | 128 | 5 | 3/16 | 3/16 | 25.60 | 9.14 | 16.8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career statistics
| T20I debut | Sri Lanka v Pakistan at Colombo (RPS), Aug 1, 2015 scorecard |
| Last T20I | India v Sri Lanka at Pune, Feb 9, 2016 scorecard |
| T20I statistics |
| First-class debut | Sinhalese Sports Club v Lankan Cricket Club at Colombo (SSC), Jan 27-29, 2012 scorecard |
| Last First-class | Colts Cricket Club v Sinhalese Sports Club at Colombo (SSC), Jan 15-17, 2016 scorecard |
| List A debut | Sinhalese Sports Club v Tamil Union Cricket and Athletic Club at Colombo (SSC), Dec 6, 2011 scorecard |
| Last List A | Nondescripts Cricket Club v Sinhalese Sports Club at Colombo (RPS), Dec 24, 2015 scorecard |
| Twenty20 debut | Burgher Recreation Club v Sinhalese Sports Club at Colombo (Bloomfield), Mar 26, 2012 scorecard |
| Last Twenty20 | India v Sri Lanka at Pune, Feb 9, 2016 scorecard |
Recent matches
| Bat & Bowl | Team | Opposition | Ground | Match Date | Scorecard |
| 3/16, 3 | Sri Lanka | v India | Pune | 9 Feb 2016 | T20I # 496 |
| – | Commandos | v Guardians | Colombo (RPS) | 5 Feb 2016 | T20 |
| 1/14, 9* | Commandos | v Troopers | Colombo (RPS) | 3 Feb 2016 | T20 |
| 11 | Commandos | v Kurunegala W | Colombo (RPS) | 30 Jan 2016 | T20 |
| 31 | Commandos | v Crusaders | Colombo (RPS) | 29 Jan 2016 | T20 |
| 6 | Commandos | v Troopers | Colombo (RPS) | 27 Jan 2016 | T20 |
| 7 | Commandos | v Guardians | Colombo (RPS) | 26 Jan 2016 | T20 |
| 10, 0/14 | Sinhalese | v SL Army | Colombo (RPS) | 23 Jan 2016 | T20 |
| 0/11, 29 | Sinhalese | v Nondescripts | Colombo (PSS) | 20 Jan 2016 | T20 |
| 2/11, 13, 3/81, 31* | Sinhalese | v Colts | Colombo (SSC) | 15 Jan 2016 | FC |
Latest Articles
- Sri Lanka seamers topple India on green track (Feb 9, 2016)
- Dilhara Fernando gets surprise Sri Lanka recall (Jan 28, 2016)
- Shanaka sets Sri Lankan record in Colombo sixathon (Jan 12, 2016)
- Five uncapped players in SL squad for Pakistan T20s (Jul 23, 2015)
Latest Photos
Feb 9, 2016
Dasun Shanaka dismissed Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni and Hardik Pandya