The surname Rajapaksa can trigger a long conversation if Sri Lanka's economic crisis concerns you. Well, the surname can also draw you into a gushing cricketing exchange if you're closely observing the ongoing Asia Cup 2022.
Not all's well in the island nation after the Rajapaksa family led the country into helplessness and civil unrest. Right from fuel stations running out of petrol and diesel to the exchequer’s coffers failing to import essentials such as medicines and food, almost every desperation carries a Rajapaksa stamp. Former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is now back in the country after a two-months-long stay in Thailand. Now that he has lost his constitutional immunity, legal charges are waiting in the wings.
An islander can probably see hope at the end of the tunnel when left-handed batter Bhanuka Rajapaksa pads up to give the country some bragging rights on the international stage.
On Saturday, chasing down a 184-run target was by no means easy given the Afghanistan bowling line-up, spearheaded by the wizard Rashid Khan. But the islanders did not throw in the towel, and fought tooth and nail to clinch the encounter by a four-wicket margin. The Lankan team management sent Bhanuka in at number five to strengthen the batting order. And the strategy paid off in a chase that could have given many other teams sweaty palms.
In the 16th over, when Bhanuka slapped a loose one outside the off-stump, Samuillah Shinwari dropped a sitter at deep extra cover, giving the southpaw a lifeline, which he made the most of to see his side through in a Super 4 humdinger.
Bhanuka has been around on the international stage for only 24 T20Is, and such high-voltage matches are most likely to wean him into a better cricketing brain. Despite a limited number of outings, he has shown sparks of brilliance, batting, at times, under immense pressure. Bhanuka’s under-19 career kicked off back in 2010 with the U-19 World Cup, and he made his senior T20I debut against Pakistan in Lahore in 2019.
It's been a while the Sri Lanka cricket team has been down in the dumps. There was a time when the team featured heavyweights such as Sanath Jayasurya, Marvan Attapatu, Mahela Jayawardene, Lasith Malinga, Kumara Sangakkara, Chaminda Vaas and the greatest of them all, Muttiah Muralidharan. Let alone hitting a purple patch, the team these days is struggling to find its feet. But there's some glimmer of hope with players such as Bhanuka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dasun Shanaka and Kusal Mendis.
Cricket’s helping hand
If one is to look beyond cricket, there’s an athlete putting in the hard yards to keep Sri Lankan spirits buoyant. Yupun Abeykoon became the first South Asian to breach the 10-second mark in the 100m category at the Resisprint International meet in July. But there was more glory waiting in the wings for the champion sprinter. A month later, Abeykoon clinched a bronze in the 100m category at the Commonwealth Games, giving Sri Lanka its first medal in athletics in 24 years. Former 400m Olympian Claudio Licciardello, who trains Italian sprinters who clinched gold in the 4x100 relay at the Tokyo Olympics, is full of praise for Abeykoon. “He’s fast. One of the best I have seen in terms of on-the-fly speed. He’s outstanding. I haven’t seen his level in a lot of athletes," Licciardello was quoted as saying by Sri Lanka's Sunday Times.
All this while, backing Abeykoon was the Sri Lankan cricket team, who funded the country's CWG contingent’s stint in Birmingham.
Boost to tourism
The silver lining, however, can be seen during the Asia Cup 2022. All games are bookmarked with advertisements urging viewers to visit Sri Lanka, who hold the hosting rights of the tournament.
The nation’s tourism sector was brought to its knees after the 2019 terror attacks and the subsequent Covid-19 pandemic. And the Rajapaksas, who went to the extent of knocking on the doors of SAARC countries to tide over the strenuous period, eventually failed to deliver.
Now that things can only improve from such an unfortunate crossroad, pinning hopes on the country’s cricket team wouldn’t be a bad idea.
(This article was written before the Super 4 match between India and Sri Lanka)