He picked up four wickets at the cost of just 10 runs in the first ODI against Bangladesh.
Sri Lanka has beaten its Asian counterpart, Bangladesh, in the first ODI in Colombo. After posting a competitive total of 244, the Lankan Lions managed to limit Bangladesh to a mere 167, registering their victory by a comprehensive margin of 77 runs. After skipper Charith Asalanka did the heavy lifting with the bat, Rajasthan Royals star Wanindu Hasaranga scalped four wickets out of thin air to seal the deal for the Lankan Lions. The two teams will now face each other in the second ODI at the same venue on July 5. Earlier, the hosts also registered a 1-0 victory in the two-match Test series, winning the second Test by an innings and 78 runs.
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Sri Lanka opted to bat first after winning the toss and were soon reduced to 29/3 by Taskin Ahmed. It was Kusal Mendis and Charith Asalanka’s partnership that got the hosts out of trouble before the former fell for a well-made 45. Skipper Charith Asalanka went on to pile a magnificent century, his fourth at the venue. This is no mean feat, as it has placed Asalanka amongst names like Sachin Tendulkar, Sanath Jayasuriya, and Virat Kohli.
In response, none of the batters, apart from opener Tanzid Hasan and Jaker Ali, were able to make an impact for Bangladesh. To add to their woes, Hasaranga scalped four wickets, giving away just 10 runs in 47 balls. He bowled with an incredible economy of 1.47, taming the Bangladeshi lions at will.
Sri Lanka’s prime leg-spinner did not have a very impressive Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. He managed to bag 11 wickets in as many appearances for the Rajasthan Royals, with best figures of 4/35. However, performances like these will keep the selectors and the scouting team in the hunt for the next season. Hasaranga has been of tremendous value to any side that he has represented, and he is certainly making a point yet again in this series against Bangladesh.
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What makes him difficult to read is the way his wrist is positioned while the release of the ball. Hasaranga is one of the players who can bowl the stock delivery (leg-spinner) as well as the googly (wrong-un) with a very similar grip, making it extremely difficult for a batter to read. As a result, most of the batters tend to read the movement off the pitch, which proves to be too costly for them. The 27-year-old is a great judge of what the batter might try to execute and hence plans his bowling accordingly to deceive the batter.
The Rajasthan Royals management will surely have an eye on Hasaranga despite his poor run last season. With the kind of quality that he possesses, the Sri Lankan leg-spinner can turn games on their head at will. And that is something which the Royals from Rajasthan desperately need at this point.
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