The lanky, veteran ODI opener for Sri Lanka, Balapitiya boy Upul Tharanga is now topping the batters’ list of the ongoing T20 League organised by Sri Lanka Cricket. As the country is heading for a packed ODI and T20 series in the next nine months, as their preparation to next May’s ICC World Cup in England and Wales, the batsman is showing tremendous form when he gave yet another winning start for Team Colombo, hammering 81 runs with eight fours and five sixes, on Sunday, 26 August, in Dambulla. That was in their game against Team Galle. Team Colombo, particularly on the back of Tharanga's stupendous form, is unbeaten in the tournament so far, after four games. Tharanga has now scored 302 runs in the tournament at an average of 100.66, inclusive of a century and two fifties. He tops the batmen’s list with a strike-rate of over 171 per a delivery indicating the kind of form he is in at the moment. He has already whacked 26 fours and 19 sixes in four matches. The 228-ODI veteran who first represented Sri Lanka in August 2005 has played in only 26 T20 Internationals for the past 13 years. That too at a modest average of 16.28 for an aggregate of 407 runs. His T20I career strike-rate stands at 123.33. Sri Lanka will be playing in ODI and T20 International series against England, New Zealand and South Africa following their next month’s participation in the Asia Cup in UAE. * The photo above shows Upul Tharanga celebrating his fifty in the match between Colombo and Galle on Sunday in Dambulla.