Oshada Fernando

A right-hand batsman who plays all formats of the game for the Sri Lankan national side is an attacking gem in the middle order. He is well-known for his broad spectrum of classic orthodox shots against the quickies and the time he generates while playing the back foot drives is one of his trademarks.

Fernando made his first-class debut at a very young age playing for Colts Cricket Club against Lankan Cricket Club on 1st April 2011. Playing domestic cricket for almost 9 years and having a boatload of experience, he was a finished product out to play on his national call-up. 

The Colombo-born prospect made his debut for the national side against the Proteas on 13th February 2019 for the Test series outside the subcontinent. Oshada celebrated his maiden fifty in just his second Test match against South Africa which led them to victory and their first test series win at their own backyard. 

Oshada’s domestic fame came when he stockpiled 1181 runs in the Premier League Tournament in 2018-19, hitting six centuries. On top of that, after a famous test series win in the land of Proteas, he finally received his ODI cap against South Africa on 3rd March 2019.

His ordinary performances in limited over cricket saw him in and out of the national side but his appetite to bat all day marked him as a regular in the longer format. When most of the players pulled out from the series in Pakistan due to security concerns, he was keen on making his country proud on foreign soil. 

He soon received his maiden T20I cap against Pakistan on 9th October in Lahore. With most of the senior players out of the team, he proved his significance in a match-winning knock of 78 unbeaten on his T20I debut which led them to their first series victory in Pakistani Soil. 

In the following series, he got to his maiden Test century against Pakistan which further cemented his spot in red-ball cricket.

With the Sri Lankan national side going through a rough patch in all forms of cricket, Oshada Fernando, being a top-notch batsman and backed up by domestic experience, could be the answer to the middle-order woes for the Sri Lankan national team.

(As of March 2021)