By Srian Obeyesekere

Former white ball captain, Dasun Shanaka’s cameo match winning century 103 off 56 balls for Dambulla versus Kandy chasing an unlikely 392 target in less than a day in the ongoing National Super League Tournament has once again thrust the eft-hander into the focus of reckoning following a back seat lull in his career following his removal as the national captain in 2022 following a dismal run with the bat.

At 31 years, Shanaka, by his breathtaking knock having come one drop, drove home the fact that he is still one of the most powerful hitters of the ball in the short format of the game in making a statement that though down he was not out.
Indeed, the 150-run rollicking second wicket partnership Shanaka fronted with opening batsman Nishan Madushka, who himself drove a point in reviving his penchant for record scores by a 127-run knock, did echo the liveliness of a mauler of the ball who apparently could not translate that sledge hammer powder keg in his armour on a consistent basis apparently due to the captaincy burden of leading the country, the latter responsibility which he did accomplish with a fair record of Shanaka did enjoy a pleasing run of 45 overall wins from 89 matches with 22 T20 triumphs from 48 matches for a win percentage of 47.91.

The gangling six footer’s recent back to form century has with it brought him into the limelight from the dark in an interesting phase of his career whether he will translate that form to bigger things to forcing himself back into the big show groove by the sheer power hitting merit of his bat to do the talking for a recall. It is relevant that the national selectors yet believe that it is difficult to find as powerful timer of the ball as Dasun Shanaka which this writer gathered in discussion with one of them not so long ago.