Colombo, Jan 14, 12.10PM – In a bid to reach a milestone, Sri Lanka’s new Twenty20 captain and star leg-spinner, Wanindu Hasaranga, is eyeing his 100th Twenty20 wicket during the upcoming three-match series against Zimbabwe. The series is set to kick off on Sunday at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
Hasaranga, 26, recently delivered a remarkable bowling performance, marking the best in One Day Internationals over the past two decades. With a current tally of 91 wickets in 58 Twenty20 matches, he is eager to reach the 100-wicket milestone.
Expressing his goal at a pre-match press briefing, Hasaranga stated, “I have only nine wickets to get the 100th Twenty20 wickets. I hope to achieve that target within the next few games. That’s my main aim. As well as I want to win the matches.”
Looking ahead to the Twenty20 World Cup in five months, Hasaranga emphasized the importance of fielding for his team. “Our main focus is for the Twenty20 World Cup which is coming in five months’ time. As a captain, I am concerned about fielding. We should improve our fielding because fielding is the easiest way to win a match. After that, we want to improve batting and bowling.”
“I give priority to fielding when a player is considered for the team. Because if we bat well, bowl well, but if the fielding is not good, it is difficult to win as a team. As a team, we hope to elevate the fielding standard. As a captain, I expect fielding to be number one from every player,” Hasaranga added.
With only nine matches remaining before the Twenty20 World Cup, spanning series against Zimbabwe, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh, Hasaranga is determined to make significant improvements. “We want to do better during these series and aim to play and win the Twenty20 World Cup,” he concluded.
Sri Lanka Twenty20 Squad:
1 Wanindu Hasaranga (c), 2 Charith Asalanka (vc), 3 Kusal Mendis (wk), 4 Pathum Nissanka, 5 Dhananjaya de Silva, 6 Sadeera Samarawickrama, 7 Kusal Perera, 8 Anglelo Mathews, 9 Dasun Shanaka, 10 Dushmantha Chameera, 11, Akila Dhananjaya, 12, Dilshan Madushanka, 13, Kamindu Mendis, 14, Matheesha Pathirana, 15, Maheesh Theekshana, 16 Nuwan Thushara.