A bruising lower-middle order batsman, and an aggressive legbreak bowler, Wanidu Hasaranga graduated from a strong Richmond College outfit, had a fine run in Sri Lanka's 2015 and 2016 Under-19 teams, and has made a promising start to his domestic cricket career.

Though it was his bowling that largely impressed at the Under-19 level - he claimed a particularly impactful 3 for 34 in the 2016 Youth World Cup quarter-final against England - batting was Hasaranga's stronger suit in his first two seasons of senior cricket. Hasaranga made a rapid 87 on first-class debut with Ports Authority Cricket Club, and, having switched to Colombo Cricket Club, hit 586 runs at an average of 39.06 and a strike rate of 93 in the 2017 Premier League Tournament.

When this first-class runs tally was followed by a stretch of good bowling form in List A domestic tournaments, Hasaranga piqued the national selectors' interest. He was chosen in Sri Lanka's squad for the first two one-dayers against Zimbabwe in June 2017, with his fielding also cited as a reason for his selection. And what a debut it subsequently was; he became the third debutant in ODI history to claim a hat-trick when he wiped out Zimbabwe's tail with the 14th, 15th and 16th deliveries of his international career.
Andrew Fidel Fernando