- Being overlooked amid performances has been the story of his life, but spinner Akila Dananjaya always finds a way to come back stronger.
He made his debut as a teenager in a T20 World Cup (2012) encounter against New Zealand. After being overlooked by the Under-19 selectors, the off-spinner made an instant impact, picking up two wickets in what eventually turned out to be a memorable game, with Sri Lanka winning in the Super Over.
However, one shouldn’t forget to credit one of the greatest brains in cricket, Mahela Jayawardene, who was the captain at the time for having the confidence to pick an absolute rookie for such a high-profile tournament.
Dananjaya has since made brilliant progress in white-ball cricket, picking up wickets consistently against top teams like India.
However, his career hit rock bottom when he was called for his illegal action. The tiny tweaker was slapped with a one-year ban in 2018, which many thought would mark the end of his career. But once again, Dananjaya made a gallant comeback.
He picked up a stunning hattrick in 2021 against the West Indies upon his return, but the ecstasy didn’t last long as he was smashed for six sixes by Kieron Pollard in his next over. Since then, he has not been given a proper run in any of the formats, but he continues to perform well.
Dananjaya was one of the standout performers for Colts in the first-class season, picking up plenty of wickets. Now, he is making his mark in the ongoing National Super League tournament.
The off-spinner has so far taken 22 wickets in just two games for Dambulla, pushing them to second spot in the points table, reminding the national selectors that he has still not given up on his career-especially at a time when Sri Lanka is desperately looking for an off-spinner in Test cricket. Another key aspect of his game that he has worked hard on is his batting.
The lefthander averages nearly 20 batting down the order. Over the last couple of years, Sri Lanka has found themselves in situations where they could have made it to the World Test Championship final.
However, in key games, they fell short, mainly due to almost no contributions from the tail. In the modern game, there is almost no chance of winning for an extended period if the bowlers are unable to score some runs down the order. Most of Sri Lanka’s opponents considered them bowled out after losing six wickets – their tail’s batting has been that bad.
This is exactly why the national selectors should give Dananjaya an opportunity in the longer format. Right now, the national Test team needs a player with his attributes.