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Century After 9 Years! Sri Lankan Captain Ends MAJOR Drought In First-Class Cricket

Aakash Saini

Charith Asalanka [Source: @2Mirhamzamughal/x]Charith Asalanka [Source: @2Mirhamzamughal/x]

Sri Lankan white-ball captain Charith Asalanka punched out a majestic 142* against Galle in the ninth match of the National Super League 4-Day Tournament 2025. Batting at number five for the Colombo team at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium, Asalanka clattered 17 boundaries and two huge sixes in his innings.

Arriving to the crease at 120-3, his innings elevated Colombo to 341-6 from 96 overs by stumps on Day 3, as they find themselves another 94 runs behind Galle’s 435.

Charith Asalanka hits first century in nearly a decade

Charith Asalanka notched up only the third century of his first-class career through the course of his 142* against Galle in Dambulla on Tuesday, April 22. Notably, the innings also holds a significant weight to Asalanka’s career, as it marked his first century in first-class cricket after nine years.

Leading Colombo, the 27-year-old brought up his century from 115 balls, and raced to 142* off 193 deliveries with a strike rate of over 70 before stumps.

Earlier in the match, Galle batted first and conjured 435 courtesy of a scintillating 132 from senior man Dinesh Chandimal. Captain Ramesh Mendis, and tailenders Nisala Tharaka and Dilum Sudeera all unleashed dazzling half-centuries in the innings. For Colombo, fast bowler Dhananjaya Lakshan toiled away for nearly 30 overs to pick up five wickets.

Charith Asalanka’s recent form

Charith Asalanka has already registered two half-centuries in the ongoing National Super League 4-Day Tournament 2025 season, notching up scores of 51 against Jaffna and 65 against Kandy in successive matches.

While the senior Sri Lankan cricketer leads the national team in ODIs and T20Is, he has played just three Test matches in his career, with the last of them being Sri Lanka’s 2022 away fixture against India.