Sridharan Jeganathan – World Cup, 1987

Jeganathan seemed an all but forgotten man after the 1982/83 tour of New Zealand... until the 1987 World Cup, at 36. Even there, he did not start the tournament in a campaign where Sri Lanka lost all six matches. He took four wickets (including Richie Richardson and Graham Gooch) while going at 4.24 an over, but played only once more for his nation. In 1996, he became the first Sri Lankan Test cricketer to die.

Upul Chandana – Austral-Asia Cup, 1994

The weakest team in Group B, Sri Lanka thrust Chandana into the deep end against Australia and New Zealand. He bowled only three overs across his first five games. His batting and superlative fielding were enough to give him that five-match stint, but he had to remain on the fringes for some time before getting a much-deserved extended run.

Kumar Dharmasena – Super World Series, 1994

Dharmasena’s ODI career was one match old when he was thrust into a tournament that featured Australia, India, and Pakistan. Still not the behemoth that they became later that decade, Sri Lanka backed this off-spinner (and a handy bat) in whatever cricket came their way in the period. Less than two years later, he became a world champion.

Niroshan Bandaratilleke – Singer-Akai Nidahas Trophy, 1998

Left-arm spinner Bandaratilleke opened bowling on ODI debut and had an unremarkable outing against New Zealand. His second game was a must-win clash for Sri Lanka against the same opposition – and he derailed their chase with two wickets. Retained for the final, he opened bowling again; was taken to the cleaners by Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly; and never played another ODI.

Ajantha Mendis – Asia Cup, 2008

Two of Mendis’ first three ODIs were hit by rain. At this point, Sri Lanka included him in the 2008 Asia Cup, but did not include him in the Super Fours match against India. The ploy, reminiscent of West German coach Sepp Herberger’s at the 1954 FIFA World Cup, made sense three days later, in the final.

Chasing 274, India were 76 in 9.1 overs when they ran into Mendis and his carrom ball. He finished with 6-13 as Sri Lanka won by 100 runs, and continued beguiling the Indians in the Test series that followed, claiming 26 wickets at 18.38.

Suraj Randiv – T20 World Cup, 2010

A fast bowler who took to off-spin and picked up almost every trick associated with the craft, Randiv debuted in the shortest format at the 2010 World Cup. In his second game, he had 4-0-20-3 against eventual finalists Australia – but his T20I career lasted only three more games after the tournament. 

Akila Dananjaya – T20 World Cup, 2012

Capable of bowling both off-breaks and leg-breaks (with umpteen other variations), Dananjaya had played only one domestic T20 competition (the 2012 Sri Lanka Premier League) when he debuted at the T20 World Cup two years after Randiv, and played even in the final. He is still going strong.

Chaturanga de Silva – Asia Cup, 2014

Quicker than most left-arm spinners, de Silva was also handy with the bat, but the international cap came only when he was 34. De Silva  played five ODIs in the tournament in Bangladesh as part of the champion side, but his career lasted only two more ODIs and two T20Is. His younger brother Wanindu Hasaranga, however, is emerging as one of Sri Lanka’s all-time great limited-overs spinners.

Tharindu Kaushal – World Cup, 2015

Perhaps the most astonishing debut on the list, young off-spinner Kaushal became the second (and till date, last) to debut in a men’s ODI World Cup knockout match, after Wayne Larkins in 1979. Sri Lanka collapsed in spectacular fashion, and there was little for Kaushal to do afterwards as South Africa won a knockout game for the first time in men’s edition. He never played another ODI.

Maheesh Theekshana – T20 World Cup, 2021

Theekshana’s career was one ODI and three T20Is old when he played in the 2021 T20 World Cup. He emerged as one of the stars in Sri Lanka’s dismal campaign, routing the teams with ease in the first round and finishing the Super 12s at under a run a ball. He remains one of their primary spinners in limited-overs cricket.

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