(Image Source: ICC Twitter)
[Saba Sports News] Sri Lanka’s Dunith Wellalage made a significant impact against India in the Asia Cup, dismissing top-order batters Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and KL Rahul in the span of three overs. Here’s a brief overview of the slow left-arm orthodox bowler’s journey.
School Cricket:
· Wellalage gained recognition as a spinner for St. Sebastian’s school when he was just 13.
· He represented the under-15 Division 1 team for three years and was named the best bowler of the tournament for two consecutive years.
· In 2017, he moved to St. Joseph’s school, where he honed his bowling and batting skills.
· He made a notable contribution with the bat, scoring 85 runs against his former school.
· In the 2017-18 season, he emerged as the top wicket-taker for St. Joseph’s, picking up 72 wickets in 18 games.
· The following season, his batting prowess shone as he accumulated over 700 runs in 15 games, with a top score of 197.
· Despite being called up to the under-19 team for a series against Bangladesh, he declined the opportunity to focus on his education.
Age-Group Cricket:
· Wellalage was appointed captain of the Sri Lankan under-19 team in October 2021 and made his captaincy debut against Bangladesh.
· In 2021, he boasted a bowling average of 13.26 in Youth ODIs and achieved the rare feat of scoring a 50 and taking a five-for in the same under-19 ODI against England.
· He led Sri Lanka to the final of the youth Asia Cup in 2021, finishing as the tournament’s top wicket-taker with 17 wickets.
· During the under-19 World Cup, he continued to impress with all-round performances, scoring 264 runs and taking crucial wickets.
· He made his international debut for Sri Lanka in ODIs against Australia and picked up nine wickets in five games with a bowling average of 22.33.
· Notably, his debut wicket was Steve Smith, and he also dismissed key Australian batters like David Warner and Glenn Maxwell.
· Although he made his Test debut against Pakistan in Galle, he hasn’t played any red-ball games since.
· In the ongoing Asia Cup, he has taken 10 wickets in four ODIs, including his career-best performance against India.
· With three 30-plus scores in nine innings with the bat, Wellalage is poised for a promising career and is a player to watch in the upcoming World Cup in India.