Chamindu Wickramasinghe is the only uncapped player in the 16-member Sri Lanka squad for their home T20I series against India – here’s all you need to know about the batting all-rounder.

Wickramasinghe is a hard-hitting middle-order batter who can bowl handy right-arm medium-pace. He was arguably one of the breakout stars of this year’s Lanka Premier League, shooting to fame with a brilliant display of his all-round skills. It’s worth noting the breakthrough season didn’t come out of the blue, as the 21-year-old showed glimpses of his talent in his formative years.

Hailing from Kandy, Wickramasinghe played school cricket for Saint Anthony College, the alma mater of Muttiah Muralitharan.

According to Wickramasinghe, it was his footballer grandfather who inspired him to pursue sports as a career.

"I always loved to play cricket since I was small and I have enjoyed every bit of it. My Grandfather was the main reason why I entered the world of sports. He was a great football player during his days," Wickramasinghe revealed to Daily News.

Wickramasinghe was well in contention to make it to the Sri Lanka 2020 Under-19 World Cup squad before an injury forced him out at the last moment. His chance finally came in 2022 but didn’t have the likeliest of outings.

Having made his T20 debut for the Sinhalese Sports Club in 2021, the all-rounder was off to a great start in the other two domestic formats. A 55-ball 83 not out on his List A debut next year, followed by a 149-ball 106 in his maiden first-class appearance, was the perfect beginning one can ever imagine.

LPL 2024 was a breakthrough year for Wickramasinghe

Representing Dambulla Sixers, Wickramasinghe's watershed moment came in LPL 2024. He racked up 186 runs in eight matches at a strike-rate of 131.91 while averaging 62. He also picked up seven wickets at 21.14 apiece.

Wickramasinghe caught the attention with a stunning rescue act in the curtain-raiser match against defending champions Kandy Falcons. The Sixers, having lost their first four wickets for just 25 runs in the powerplay, recovered well to put 179-4 on the board, thanks to an unbeaten 154-run stand between Wickramasinghe (62 not out off 42) and Mark Chapman (91 not out off 61). Though his team eventually lost the match, Wickramasinghe's ability to handle pressure down the order was praised.

That was not the only time the all-rounder pulled his team out of a precarious position. Against Galle Marvells, he smacked 56 not out off 34 to drag Dambulla from 87-6 to 160-8. He fittingly defended the total by bowling the last over, picking up 2-1, including the wicket of threatening Isuru Udana, who was batting on 72 off 38. The effort earned him the Player of the Match as well as solidified his all-round credentials.

Wickramasinghe, who grew up idolising Ben Stokes, pointed out that the years of toil are finally paying him rich dividends, and he is shaping up to put an end to Sri Lanka’s prolonged search for a fast-bowling all-rounder.

"To come to this position I’ve worked hard," said Wickramasinghe after his match-winning outing. "I was in India for the past three months at the MRF Pace Foundation. I did a lot of work there and I believe I learnt a lot. That experience has helped me to perform well. This is my second LPL, I played two matches in 2022 but I didn’t perform that well. I have got another opportunity this year and I intend to make the most of it. It is a great experience playing in the LPL as there are a lot of foreign players from whom you can learn a lot. For players like me, the LPL is very beneficial. Sri Lanka requires a fast-bowling all-rounder and I am working hard towards attaining that position and winning as many matches for the country."

When Sri Lanka take the field in the first match of the T20I series against India, they will play under a new T20I captain in Charith Asalanka, who will hope to bring them back on track after a disappointing T20 World Cup. Whether Wickramasinghe successfully curves a niche for himself in the redemption story, time will tell.

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