Chasing a stiff target of 180 in the third T20I against Pakistan at Lahore, Dasun Shanaka came to bat at number five, as his team was reeling at 21/3. At the start, he took singles-doubles here and there and played normal Cricket. At one stage he was going rather smoothly with 17 runs in 15 ball.
Then, he unleashed himself! He targeted Pakistan best bowler Shadab Khan and Clobbered Massive Sixes. In no time he reached to his Half-Century. At last, he made 54 runs in 36 balls with a strike rate of 150, including three Sixes.
That was a typical Dasun Shanaka innings! But more importantly, he showcased world Cricket about his hitting abilities once again.
Kudos to Thisara Perera, who sent him bat at number five, ahead of Chaturnaga De Silva, Sachith Pathirana and himself.
And that’s where Shanaka strikes big! Gayan Wijekoon, his Coach at SSC in 2015, when Shanaka made his international debut, always backs him to bat either at number four or five, particularly in Shorter formats.
“Dasun needs some time in the middle to settle down before Whacking. If he gets 10-15 balls earlier in his innings, where he can organise his game, mind you he is one of the cleanest six hitter, Sri Lanka Cricket currently have” Wijekoon Said.
As he unleashed right from the beginning of his career, hitting Sixes was never a big thing for him.
He has smashed 82 sixes in his 44 first-class matches so far, shows he has an incredible hitter of the cricket ball.
During the Lahore T20I, he reminded everyone, what a special talent he is. Now, as he has also been included in the test squad against India, It would be a interesting battle between India’s Hardik Pandya and Dasun Shanaka!
