Dhananjaya de Silva

A technically sound top-order batsman and a handy off-break bowler. The Sinhalese-born dynamic all-rounder plays all forms of international cricket for the Sri Lankan national side. 

Like most of the youngsters, he got his opportunity into the U-19 World Cup squad and rose through the ranks to become one of the most prolific top-order batsmen. Da-Silva made his List A debut playing for Baurdeliya Sports Club against Nondescripts Sports Club on 11th December 2011.

After a string of impressive domestic performances, he was further called up for the T20I series against Pakistan in July 2015 and got his maiden cap on 30th July 2015. He made his ODI debut against Ireland on 16th June 2016. The retirement of the veteran Dilshan saw Da-Silva promoted to the opening slot and he scored 76 runs which is the highest ever scored by an opener opening for the first time. 

In his first-ever Test series, against Australia at home, he was the highest run-getter. A stark highlight in it was his 211-run partnership with Dinesh Chandimal in the third Test, which bailed his team out of a tough spot, and eventually, Sri Lanka went on to win the match. He made a decent start in the 50-over format as well, having scored a couple of strong fifties in his first few games, but then experienced a dip in form. He’s been in-and-out of the side a lot, largely down to inconsistency, and found it difficult to impress whenever given a chance.

In 2017, De Sliva was initially shifted to the middle-order from an opener due to his inconsistency and eventually dropped from the ICC Champions Trophy squad. With Kusal Perera being injured, Sliva was called to replace him during the tournament but again he failed to capitalize on that opportunity.

During the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup, he was the surprise element in Sri Lanka’s squad. In a group match against England, Silva took 3 wickets in nine deliveries to secure a 20 run victory. Making his comeback from a wrist injury in a Test series against South Africa in December 2020, Silva scored 79 unbeaten after showing severe discomfort and collapsing to the ground. After an MRI scan, he confirmed a tear in his thigh and was immediately released from the squad.

An aggressive batsman with finesse and amazing technique, Silva has experienced both highs and lows in his career, but he still has time on his side and the Lankans would be wise to persist with him as he has the talent and can be a crucial part of going forward in this rebuilding phase of theirs.

(As of March 2021)