This is an exiting time for Sri Lanka cricket. After the retirement of great players Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene and Tilakratne Dilshan, Selectors are willing to give chances to all the emerging players, who are performing well at domestic level. in last two years, Sri Lanka cricket has been blessed with plenty of young cricketers like- Kusal Mendis, Dhananjaya De’silva, Dushmantha Chameera, Sehan Jayasuriya, Dasun Shanaka, Amila Aponso, Jeffery Vandesrsay. following the retirement of greats, selectors mantra has been simple: give the player a chance, when he is in his peak in domestic cricket.
Ron Chandraguptha is another emerging player, who has constantly been smashing new records in this season. Chandraguptha, a dashing left-handed batsman, has smashed three consecutive centuries in ongoing premier league tournament, followed by another century just yesterday against NCC. His first century was against BRC, followed by Tamil Union and strong Nondescript cricket club.
with his blistering run of form, chandraguptha raised his claim for a national call, perticulary, when opening slot of the test team has been a headache for the selectors for long time now.
Chandraguptha, aged 21, is a proud product of the prestigious Trinity College, same college where great sangakkara played his school cricket. And as recently as ongoing South Africa tour, three former Trinity players Sachith Pathirana, Niroshan Dickwella and Lahiru Kumara are representing the national team. it has already been a big achievement for him, as he captained the college in 2014.
In domestic cricket too, since his first class debut in 2015, he has been striding big. Before the ongoing match against NCC, In his 14 First Class matches so far, he ammased 1093 runs, with a impressive average of 45.54, including four centuries.
So, no surprise that he admires Sri Lanka’s all time greatest run-machine Kumar sangakkara. “representing the national team as a opener is my dream” he says.
At the same time, he remembers those, who contributed in his career. ” I want to thank to my first coach Mr. Sunil Fernando, Mr Indika Fernando, Mr Panditharathna,Mr Sampath Perera…Mr Lasith Randunu, and now my club coaches Mr Tharanga Dammika, Mr Kelum Gangodawila, Mr Wasalathanthri, Mr kavinda jayasuriya, Mr Nishantha hennayaka. They played great role in developing me as a cricketer” he says with great respect.
And, just like great sangakkara, he has another good quality. And, it is to speak English with good fluency, which is, strangly, becoming a rare thing, even if you look at younger players for other subcontinent teams, including India and Pakistan also.
But, this is just a secondary quality. Right now, he is smashing century after century in the cricket field. And by doing so, indeed, he is also giving a pleasant headache to the national selectors.
(full story on Ron Chandraguptha will be published in the next edition of Cricket Age magazine)
