Lahiru Thirimanne

A solid left-handed batsman hailing from Moratuwa, Lahiru Thirimanne, is considered to be the next big thing in Sri Lankan cricket. Domestically, he plays for the Ragama Cricket Club (RCC) and in his first full season in 2009-10, he scored heavily - 709 runs in eight games. That showing won him a place in the Sri Lankan ODI squad for the tri-series played in Bangladesh in 2010.

Back home, he is known for his technical expertise with the bat and is also renowned for his finishing skills. An upright opener, he is solid both off the back-foot and the front-foot. He relies more on wearing down an attack and once set, look to play freely. He has had his fair share problems while facing England swing-merchant James Anderson, but Sri Lanka certainly look at him as a player, who can become the mainstay of their batting line-up.

He was selected as the third opener for the England series in 2011 and made his Test debut at the Rose Bowl after Tillakaratne Dilshan was ruled out. In the second innings, he displayed considerable composure to keep Chris Tremlett and Co. at bay and along with Kumar Sangakkara managed to save the Test. Sri Lanka coach Stuart Law was impressed with Thirimanne's effort and called him a 'player for the future'.

A cultured middle-order batsman, Thirimanne has often drawn comparisons with Sangakkara. Unfortunately, despite showing flashes of brilliance, he hasn't fulfilled his potential. However, an enforced promotion to the top of the order following an injury to Dilshan helped him to make his presence felt.

He guided Sri Lanka to their fifth Asia Cup title in March 2014 with a well-crafted ton in a high pressure final. Having finally tamed his nemesis that is inconsistency, Thirimanne topped the Asia Cup batting charts with 279 runsin five games at an enviable average of 55.80. Interestingly, all of Thirimanne's centuries have come when he has batted in the top three.

Carrying forth his rich form, Thirimanne made substantial contributions in the 2014 World T20, forcing original captain Dinesh Chandimal out of the XI. His new found calmness bodes well for Sri Lanka across multiple formats.

Thirimanne was decent against New Zealand in Sri Lanka's December-January tour and was one of the bright spots in the country's otherwise drab campaign. In the fifth and sixth ODIs against New Zealand, he captained Sri Lanka in the absence of an injured Angelo Mathews. However, it was not a pleasant start for him as Sri Lanka lost both the games by a big margin.

World Cup through the years

Picked to open the batting along with Tilakaratne Dilshan amidst the various combinations tried out in the months leading up to 2015, Thirimanne sealed his spot with his knock of 139 against England while chasing 309 as Sri Lanka romped home with nine wickets to spare. This included a 212-run stand for the second wicket with Kumar Sangakkara, which still remains the highest second-wicket-partnership for Sri Lanka. He finished the tournament with 302 runs, including a couple of half-centuries as well. Now recalled into the ODI setup after nearly 18 months in the wilderness, the Lankans would be relying heavily on his experience in 2019, a tournament that promises to be the most batting-friendly yet.

by Cricbuzz staff

As of June 2019