Nuwan Pradeep

Like one of the many unconventional finds of Sri Lankan cricket, Nuwan Pradeep's story is also one of someone unconventionally found. A product of soft-ball cricket and a tearaway quick bowler with a distinct slingy action, he came through a pace contest in 2007. It was only after he was 20 that he started bowling with a proper cricket ball and thanks to his ability to generate good pace with a threatening outswinger in his armoury, he was fast-tracked into reckoning.

Troubled by injuries right through his career, he's been in and out of the squad even before he made his debut, which eventually happened against Pakistan in 2011. Such was his inconsistency with fitness that over the next four years he played only four Tests, one every year. It was only after 2014 that he could cement his spot, first playing a key role in Sri Lanka's series victory over England in England and was particularly impressive with his ability to generate good pace and nip the ball around. His personal stand out moment came in 2017 at Galle, where amidst the pasting that Sri Lanka were handed over by India, he managed a six-fer in the first innings.

Fun trivia: During the 2016-17 tour to South Africa, he found himself in the history books when he dismissed Hashim Amla - LBW, hence making him the 10000th LBW victim in the history of the game.

However, after a lean patch towards the end of the 2017 season, where he could manage only three wickets over six innings, he was back in the Test wilderness. But he continues to remain part of the the ODI setup surviving all the chopping and changing that the side has been through. As he leads into the 2019 World Cup, he would hope to use whatever little swing there is around to his advantage as his side faces their toughest challenge in decades.

Written by - Vineet Anantharaman