Mahela Jayawardene, a legendary batsman for Sri Lanka, is quite impressed by Wanindu Hasaranga’s ascent because he recognises qualities in the 25-year-old spin all-rounder that are similar to those of legendary fast bowler Lasith Malinga. Hasaranga, an Indian Premier League player for Royal Challengers Bangalore, stole the show at the 2021 T20 World Cup in the UAE when he set a tournament record with 16 wickets. He subsequently contributed significantly with both the bat and the ball as they won the Asia Cup, moving him up to fourth in the world in the all-rounder rankings.
According to Mahela Jayawardene in the ICC Review, “the way he has developed… he’s also from down south, pretty close to where Lasith was (Galle), and they have comparable mannerisms.”
“The way they both came out, they both quietly began their careers by sitting in the corner of the dressing room, and over time, they both grew. The tattoos appeared, the haircuts changed, and everything else.
“I see the way Wanindu has developed as a player as being fairly comparable to how Lasith became who he was,” Hasaranga said of his progress.
The two are most similar in their ferocious competition, according to Jayawardene, who is currently serving as Sri Lanka’s consulting coach. The most crucial factor, according to him, is that once they cross the field, like Lasith, they become competitors.
Hasaranga finished second in the Asia Cup in terms of wickets taken with nine, and he also contributed 66 runs, earning him the title of Player of the Tournament.
He was crucial to their team’s victory over Pakistan in their final match (see minutes 36 and 3/27).
“He has demonstrated his maturity over the past year, not just as a bowler but also with the bat. He has shown to be a tremendous asset in trying times “said Jayawardena.
“However, as a leader in that group, even if he doesn’t have the title of vice-captain, captain, or anything similar, he has become a leader that all the young people look up to,” the author said. Thanks to Hasaranga’s brother and former teammate Chaturanga de Silva, Jayawardena has known him since he was 19 years old.
Jayawardena remarked, “To be honest, his brother was actually playing cricket while we were playing cricket as well.
“Wanindu was much younger when we finished off, playing Under-19 cricket, and then he began playing first-class cricket.
On Thursday, they will play their final exhibition game against Ireland before opening the T20 World Cup against Namibia.
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