Bhanuka Rajapaksa

A reference from the government does go a long way in getting things done in Sri Lanka. Not with Bhanuka Rajapaksa, who despite being a relative of the former Sri Lankan President, Mahinda Rajapakse, had to wait for ten long years before breaking into the national side.

A hard hitting left-handed middle-order batsman, Bhanuka made waves as early as 2010, when he emerged as the leading run-getter in the under-19 World Cup. He followed it up with the 'Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year' award and the 'Young emerging U-19 Player' in the following year.

Having modeled his game around Australia's Adam Gilchrist, Bhanuka has been a consistent performer in Sri Lanka's domestic circuit over the years. It was in the U19 World Cup in 2010 that he first showcased his range of shots, ending up as Sri Lanka's highest run-scorer in the tournament. Bhanuka's style of play doesn't guarantee consistency, especially in the longer format but his gameplay is well-suited for limited-overs cricket. For someone who made his domestic debut in 2009, he had to wait 10 years before representing Sri Lanka. His international debut came in the away tour of Pakistan, where many senior Sri Lanka players refused to travel citing security issues. where he impressed one and all with his dynamic strokeplay. Rajapaksa played a Man of the Match innings in the second T20I in that series, scoring 77 off just 48 balls.

However, he failed to make the cut for the Sri Lanka squad for the 2019 World Cup, and was then dropped from the team that toured England and West Indies in 2021 in controversial fashion. Bhanuka was deemed to be unfit and then Head Coach Micky Arthur dubbed him a comfort zone cricketer since Rajapaksa failed to comply with the skin fold tests to certify fitness standards. In frustration, Bhanuka Rajapaksa decided to retire at the young age of 30, but took back his retirement upon the request of the sports minister.

Rajapaksa was then named in his squad for an ODI series away to Australia, where he performed admirably. His crowning moment for Sri Lanka though came in the 2022 Asia Cup, where Rajapaksa was asked to play the role of a finisher. He played vital cameos against India and Bangladesh, in must win games for Sri Lanka. Then in the final, Rajapaksa scored an unbeaten 71 against Pakistan to rescue Sri Lanka from 58/5 to post a total 170 runs. Sri Lanka picked up an unfancied win while batting first in the UAE, deservedly claiming the 2022 Asia Cup.

Rajapaksa was picked for the first time in the IPL in 2022, and fit in perfectly with the brand of cricket Punjab Kings were trying to play. His devil may care attitude towards attacking cricket made for some entertaining viewing in the IPL, despite not always getting results.