Twenty-four year old Charith Asalanka proved to be one of the most promising discoveries following Sri Lanka’s recent tours of Bangladesh, England and the home series against India. It was not big going in his foray into international cricket following the early failures on the tour of England when he made his debut in the match at Chester-Le-Street. But from a hollow of a duck and 01, coming good in the second ODI against India scoring 65 off 68 balls in the second ODI that Sri Lanka let India off the hook from a winning position. When Sri Lanka won the final ODI in a high scoring game Asalanka once again came good with the bat making 24 when it mattered. He went a mite further scoring a 26-ball 44 in the opening T20 against the Indians in another lost cause. But the former Richmond College, Galle and SSC product had signaled his arrival with the bat.

The strong point about Asalanka’s batting is that he has displayed the wholesome potential of a batsman who could fit into any given situation. He did play innings of character of holding an innings together batting with restraint when the chips were down. Similarly, the left-hander displayed that he was a batsman for any season by showcasing the type of pinch hitting flair in getting quick runs. Moreover, Charith Asalanka has proved to be a durable discovery as a team man for the future capable of adjusting to any given situation. At a juncture Sri Lanka is on a rebuilding curve mainly accentuating on the next cricket world cup and the T20 world cup, the former Sri Lanka youth captain raising his hands as a great hope of the new fold is high stuff.