Wanindu Hasaranga

Pinnaduwage Wanindu Hasaranga de Silva, better known as Wanindu Hasaranga, is a professional Sri Lankan cricketer and current T20I captain who plays for the Sri Lanka cricket team in white ball cricket as a batting all rounder. He is a right – arm leg spinner.

Hasaranga made his international debut for Sri Lanka in July 2017. His elder brother, Chaturanga de Silva, has also represented the national team.

Hasaranga made history when he took the first ever hat – trick for Sri Lanka in a T20 World Cup during the 2021 edition of the tournament, and was the first Sri Lankan on an ODI debut to take a hat – trick. He is regarded as one of the best bowlers in the T20 format.

Early life

Wanindu Hasaranga de Silva was educated at Richmond College, Galle, where he started his cricket career. He represented Sri Lankan under 19 cricket team at the Under-19 Cricket World Cup held in Bangladesh in 2016.

At the age of 16, he played as a frontline seam bowler and even opened the bowling for Richmonds College cricket team.

However, he switched to bowling leg – spin after witnessing a demonstration by his coach Lanka de Silva who taught him on how to bowl leg spin. He soon followed the footsteps of his coach and transformed into a leg – spinner.

It was the coach who identified the potential in him to convert him into a leg – spinner after realising Hasaranga’s great arm speed.

He also underwent a pace – to – spin bowling transformation workshop and also took part in an age group 50 over local tournament at the age of 17 where he bagged a tally of 28 wickets in just 6 matches.

Domestic Career:

• List A debut: on 30 November 2015 in the AIA Premier Limited Over Tournament
• In December 2015, he was named in Sri Lanka’s squad for the 2016 Under – 19 Cricket World Cup. He took seven wickets in the 2016 U19 World Cup which also included a match winning bowling performance of 3/34 against England in the quarter – final of the tournament to help Sri Lanka reach semi – final stage.
• First – class debut: for Sri Lanka Ports Authority Cricket Club in the 2015 – 16 Premier League Tournament, on 26 February 2016
• In November 2017, Hasaranga was named the most promising player in domestic cricket for the 2016 – 17 season at Sri Lanka Cricket’s annual awards. He gained limelight for his all – round efforts scoring 586 runs including a century averaging just under 40 with a strike rate of 93 and taking 15 wickets including a five – wicket haul in the 2016 – 17 domestic FC season.

Indian Premier League (IPL) T20 Franchise Career:

• Twenty20 debut: for Sylhet Sixers on 11 November 2017 in the 2017 – 18 Bangladesh Premier League
• Hasaranga was the leading run – scorer for Colombo Cricket Club in the 2018 – 19 Premier League Tournament, with 765 runs in nine matches. In October 2020, he was drafted by the Jaffna Stallions for the inaugural edition of the Lanka Premier League. He was named the player of the tournament, after taking seventeen wickets.
• In August 2021, Hasaranga was included in the Royal Challengers Bangalore squad for the second phase of the 2021 Indian Premier League (IPL) in the UAE.
• IPL debut: on 20 September 2021 against Kolkata Knight Riders
• In November 2021, he was selected to play for the Jaffna Kings following the players’ draft for the 2021 Lanka Premier League.
• In the 2022 IPL Auction, Hasaranga was bought by the Royal Challengers Bangalore. He delivered his best bowling figures in an IPL match and the best for any bowler at the Wankhede Stadium when he took 5 for 18 against Sunrisers Hyderabad in May 2022.
• In 2022, Hasaranga was signed by Desert Vipers in International League T20. He played for Desert Vipers in 2023, he ended up being third highest wicket – taker scalping 9 wickets.
• Hasaranga played Major League Cricket in the US, as he was signed by Washington Freedom in 2023. Before 2024 IPL, the Royal Challengers Bangalore released Hasaranga and was signed by Sunrisers Hyderabad for Rs. 1.5 crore in the auction.

International Career:

• ODI debut: for Sri Lanka against Zimbabwe on 2 July 2017
• In his debut match, he took the final three Zimbabwe wickets in the innings in three consecutive deliveries, becoming the youngest bowler to take a hat – trick on debut in an ODI.
• He was also the third debutant in ODI history to claim a hat – trick after Bangladeshi Taijul Islam and South African Kagiso Rabada.
• He also became the first leg – spinner to take a hat – trick in ODI history.
• In May 2018, Hasaranga was one of 33 cricketers to be awarded a national contract by Sri Lanka Cricket ahead of the 2018 – 19 season.
• In August 2019, he was named in Sri Lanka’s Twenty20 International (T20I) squad for their series against New Zealand.
• T20I debut: for Sri Lanka, against New Zealand, on 1 September 2019
• In September 2019, Hasaranga was included as the only specialist spinner for the Pakistan series in Pakistan, where many major players withdrew from the team due to security concerns.
• During the T20I series, he took eight wickets, where Sri Lanka dominated against Pakistan. Sri Lanka won all three matches and whitewashed Pakistan for the first time. It was Sri Lanka’s first ever series win against Pakistan in a T20I bilateral series.
• Sri Lanka went on to win the final T20I match by 13 runs, winning the series 3–0. It was the first time in a three – match T20I series that Sri Lanka had won 3–0, and the first time that Pakistan had been whitewashed.
• Due to his match winning all round performances, Hasaranga was adjudged as man of the match in the third T20I as well as was adjudged player of the series.

Major Achievements:

• Hasaranga made history when he took the first ever hat – trick for Sri Lanka in a T20 World Cup during the 2021 edition of the tournament, and was the first Sri Lankan on an ODI debut to take a hat – trick.
• In his ODI debut match, he took the final three Zimbabwe wickets in the innings in three consecutive deliveries, becoming the youngest bowler to take a hat – trick on debut in an ODI.
• He was also the third debutant in ODI history to claim a hat – trick after Bangladeshi Taijul Islam and South African Kagiso Rabada.
• He also became the first leg – spinner to take a hat – trick in ODI history.
• In May 2018, Hasaranga was one of 33 cricketers to be awarded a national contract by Sri Lanka Cricket ahead of the 2018 – 19 season.
• In September 2019, Hasaranga was included as the only specialist spinner for the Pakistan series in Pakistan, where many major players withdrew from the team due to security concerns.
• During the T20I series, he took eight wickets, where Sri Lanka dominated against Pakistan.
• Sri Lanka went on to win the final T20I match by 13 runs, winning the series 3–0. It was the first time in a three – match T20I series that Sri Lanka had won 3–0, and the first time that Pakistan had been whitewashed.
• Due to his match winning all round performances, Hasaranga was adjudged as man of the match in the third T20I as well as was adjudged player of the series.