IPL NEWBIES
Follow UsBhanuka Rajapaksa' lit up the second day of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 with a blitz of 22-ball 43 against Royal Challengers Bangalore as Punjab Kings mowed down a big target of 206 with an over to spare on Sunday.
However, his new found limelight in the cash-rich tournament has taken years of struggles in Sri Lanka's domestic circuits and few run-ins with former national team coach Mickey Arthur. The 31-year old saw himself being sidelined from Islanders' team set up due to weight issues and lagging fitness and announced international retirement in January this year, before withdrawing his decision a day later.
Rajapaksa made a name for himself in the 2010 Under 19 World Cup when he finished Sri Lanka’s top scorer in the tournament with 253 runs from six innings. However, that did not translate into a chance with the Sri Lankan national team as he spent the next nine years playing for Sri Lanka A and multiple domestic sides in the First-Class circuit.
The left hander amassed 2767 from 114 List A matches at a strike rate of 96 and has scored 4087 from 121 First-Class innings.
Known for his power-hitting in the middle-order, Rajapaksa was finally handed his international debut in 2019 T20I series in Pakistan. He has scored two fifties in his 320 runs so far from his 18 T20Is innings. Rajapaksa made his ODI debut against India in July last year.
Despite not being considered for a place in the national team, Rajapaksa went back to work in the Lanka Premier League and led Galle Gladiators to the semifinals of the 2021 season.
Punjab Kings, with the largest purse in February's mega-auction, made a surprise decision to go for lesser-valued players with tons of potential and Rajapaksa fell right in to that bracket. He was bought for a price of Rs 50 lakhs and Sunday's performance which was studded with four sixes and two boundaries, should've assured the team management they have made the right decision.
