For a player, who has been in and out of the Sri Lanka ODI and T20 teams despite early promise in big time cricket, the tour of England could well be the opportunity for Isuru Udana, the left arm medium pace bowling all-rounder. 

Udana did make an impressive foray into international cricket when he contributed to Sri Lanka making it to the final of the T20 World Cup in 2009 in England. But since then having been largely sidelined until 2017, Udana’s ability to varying his pace in exploiting movement off the seam with the faster and slower deliveries has put the 33-year old in contention of spearheading the Lankan attack effectively as Sri Lanka mounts its T20 campaign on June 23. He has the uncanny ability to reveling with the slower delivery accentuated by back of the hand stuff.

The Chilaw Marians and former D.S. Senanayake College product is also capable of contributing with the bat as a lower order batsman who could keep one end going. He did make a 20 odd in the recent lost second ODI to Bangladesh in a big victory chase. He made his ODI debut against India in 2012 at Hambantota, and his T20 debut against Australia in 2009 at Nottingham.

Isuru Udana’s early career was of great promise when he got a call up to the Sri Lanka Under-20 Schools Team even before he could represent his chosen club NCC at the time. Similarly, when he was called up for the Sri Lanka A Team tour of South Africa in 2008 he had not played any top grade domestic cricket.

His most recent performances of note are 18 not out and 2 for 49 against Bangladesh at Dhaka, 21 Vs. Bangladesh at Dhaka,  47 for SL A Vs. SL B, 33 and  2 for 37 Vs. Ragama CC, 2 for 16 Vs. Nugegoda SWC, 22 Vs. Negombo, 51 Vs. Ace Capital and 21 Vs. KTC.