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Who Is Tharindu Rathnayake? SL Debutant Who Rocked BAN With Early Wickets In 1st Test

Jatin

Tharindu Rathnayake made his Test debut in SL vs BAN 1st Test [Source: @thesidelinesLK/x.com]Tharindu Rathnayake made his Test debut in SL vs BAN 1st Test [Source: @thesidelinesLK/x.com]

In just a few overs on his Test debut, Tharindu Rathnayake has made cricket fans across the world sit up and take notice. Playing his first-ever Test for Sri Lanka at Galle, the ambidextrous spinner has already struck gold, picking up two key wickets (Shadman Islam and Mominul Haque) in the morning session of Day 1 against Bangladesh.

Who Is Tharindu Rathnayake?

While all eyes were on Angelo Mathews’ farewell Test, it’s the 29-year-old debutant who has stolen the early limelight. Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto won the toss and chose to bat, but it was Tharindu who made the ball talk.

He first sent back Shadman Islam for 14 and followed it up with the big scalp of Mominul Haque, who was looking dangerous on 29 off 33 balls. Both batters fell to tight, accurate spin and suddenly, the Test had a new storyline brewing: the rise of a rare gem.

Here is what makes Tharindu Rathnayake special. He is ambidextrous as he bowls left-arm spin as his main craft but can also dish out right-arm off-spin with impressive control. Flat, fast, and full of fire, he iss not your average rookie. And the best part? He has been bossing domestic cricket for years.

Tharindu Rathnayake Stats

Tharindu Rathnayake made his first-class debut way back in 2015 for the Sinhalese Sports Club and since then, has quietly built up one heck of a record.

In first-class cricket, Tharindu has played 73 matches, bagging 337 wickets at an average of 29.30, with 26 five-wicket hauls and five 10-wicket match hauls. His best figures are a stunning 9/65.

In white-ball cricket too, he is no slouch. He has got 122 wickets in List A and 73 scalps in T20s with an economy of just over 6 in the shortest format. That is tidy bowling across formats.

And with the bat? Well, he can swing a few. With over 1700 runs in first-class cricket, including nine fifties, Tharindu is a proper lower-order contributor.

A Long Wait Finally Ends

Despite all the domestic success, the big break came a little late. But better late than never, right? At 29, Tharindu finally got the Test cap, and he is already proving he belongs on the big stage.

Sri Lanka’s search for the next big spin weapon might just have ended at Galle with a guy who can spin it both ways, literally.

With Bangladesh reeling at 52/3 after 19 overs at the time of writing this article, Tharindu Rathnayake has already given Sri Lanka the upper hand. And while Mathews’ farewell tour will grab headlines, it’s the debutant who’s quietly making it a day to remember.