Uncapped 21-year-old budding all-rounder Chamindu Wickremasinghe was the surprise package in the Charith Asalanka-led 16-man Sri Lanka T20 squad which was approved by the Sports Minister yesterday to face India in a three-match series starting this Saturday (27) at Pallekele.
Wickremasinghe who hails from the hill-capital has managed to earn his maiden call up to the national ranks, following some eye-catching performances for his Lanka Premier League (LPL) franchise Dambulla Sixers, in the tournament which concluded last Sunday (21).
The right-arm pacer who can also wield the long handle to good effect lower down the order had captured seven wickets across eight games while also scoring 186 runs at a strike rate 131.91-inclusive of two half centuries.
Stunning rise
Cricket analysts point out that the youngster’s rise is all the more stunning as he had initially gone unsold during the LPL auction, but then he was snapped up by the Sixers after their 11th hour ownership change had thrown up the possibility of roping in unsigned players.
In the meantime, left-handed top-order batter Asalanka becomes the new skipper of the side in the shortest format taking over from Wanidu Hasaranga.
Hasaranga, who retains his place in the squad, resigned early this month following a controversy laden six-month tenure which climaxed with the team’s sorry first-round exit from the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in the US and West Indies last month.
The new captain also has previous leadership experience behind him having led the team in two T20Is on the tour of Bangladesh earlier this year, when his predecessor was serving an ICC enforced suspension at the time.
Asalanka has also skippered the Sri Lanka Under-19s and he covered himself in glory days before the final T20 squad was approved by the Minister, by captaining Jaffna Kings to the LPL title, having assumed the leadership role from ex-Sri Lanka all-rounder Thisara Perera at the start of the season.
The other notable inclusions in the squad are the recalls given by the selectors to veterans Kusal Janith Perera, Dinesh Chandimal, Avishka Fernando and Binura Fernando, while two seniors Angelo Mathews and red-ball skipper Dhananjaya de Silva have been discarded altogether.
Last chance saloon
Perera, who was strangely overlooked by the selectors for the concluded T20 World Cup, last featured for his country in the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan in February this year.
Analysts reckon that this could also be the last chance saloon for the 33-year-old explosive wicket-keeper batter to revive his floundering white-ball career and nail a permanent place, with a crop of youngsters knocking on the door already.
Like Perera, 34-year-old Chandimal too makes a welcome return to the national fold having last turned out for Sri Lanka in the format almost 30-months ago.
But, his improved form for his LPL franchise – Kandy Falcons where he had struck 287 runs across eight matches at a strike rate of 168.82 – which had been far superior to his career strike rate of 123.03 had prevented the selectors from overlooking him further.
Opener Avishka Fernando, has also been recalled by the selectors having last played in the three-match T20I series against Bangladesh in March this year.
The batting will revolve around Asalanka, Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Kusal Janith, Kamindu Mendis and Avishka Fernando, with Dasun Shanaka, Hasaranga, and Chamindu Wickremasinghe being the three all-rounders.
Mahesh Theekshana and Dunith Wellalage will be the spinners in the squad to support Hasaranga, while the pace battery will consist of Dushmantha Chameera, Matheesha Pathirana, Nuwan Thushara and the recalled left-arm pacer Binura Fernando.
The T20I series will be played at the Pallekele Stadium on 27, 28 and 30 July while the ODI series will be held on 2, 4 and 7 August at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
Sri Lanka’s 16-member squad:
Charith Asalanka – Captain
Pathum Nissanka
Kusal Janith Perera
Kusal Mendis
Kamindu Mendis
Dasun Shanaka
Wanindu Hasaranga
Mahesh Theekshana
Matheesha Pathirana
Nuwan Thushara
Dunith Wellalage
Dushmantha Chameera
Binura Fernando
Dinesh Chandimal
Avishka Fernando
Chamindu Wickremasinghe