Dhananjaya Lakshan

Dhananjaya Lakshan, a batting all-rounder who is a young gun, full of enthusiasm and passion for the game. With the bat, he is a free-flowing stroke player, while he is also a canny left-arm pacer who relies more on variations and the steep bounce. Lakshan was also part of the Sri Lankan contingent during the 2018 Under-19 World Cup. 

Born in Galle, Lakshan started playing the game at a young age but he sharpened his skills at the famous Richmond College. The all-rounder made his first breakthrough when he toured New Zealand to represent Sri Lanka Under 19s. During the Junior World Cup, the allrounder was the heartthrob of the team as he scored 250 runs, including a century and a fifty, and also chipped in with crucial wickets throughout the tournament. 

Post the ICC event, the allrounder was picked in Galle's squad for the 2018 Super Provincial One Day Tournament. Later that season, he made his T20 debut during the domestic T20 league for Kandy. While the Colts Cricket Club picked the budding all-rounder for the Premier League Tournament, where he made his first-class debut in 2019. 

In 2021, Lakshan was drafted into the Galle Gladiators’ squad for the Lanka Premier League. The allrounder had a depressing tournament with the bat, but he had a sublime form with the ball as he picked 13 wickets at 17.30. Later that year, Sri Lankan was part of the title-winning Northern Warriors team during the Abu Dhabi T10 League. Lakshan picked five wickets in eight matches, including his best of 2 for 14 in the final. 

The national selectors rewarded the budding allrounder by picking him in the national squad for the tour of England, in June 2021. A talent like Lakshan would just have to replicate his domestic performances on the world stage to cement a place in the Sri Lankan setup. 

(As of June 2021)