Preview: Pakistan vs Sri Lanka | Pakistan keen to maintain unbeaten run in T20I series
The T20I Tri-Series 2025 moves to the sixth match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Thursday. Pakistan is in great form with no losses yet in the tournament, while Sri Lanka have a do-or-die match ahead of them with a loss opening up the exit doors for them.
AI Simulation, PAK vs SL | Pakistan knock Sri Lanka out of T20I Tri-Series with clinical win
AI Simulation, SL vs ZIM | Sri Lanka edge past Zimbabwe in nail-biting finish at Rawalpindi
AI Simulation, SRI vs ZIM | Sri Lanka extend dominance as Nissanka anchors total and Hasaranga spins Zimbabwe out
Sri Lanka vs Zimbabwe Preview | Fresh Battle in Rawalpindi as Sri Lanka Aim to Extend Dominance
International career
Wanindu Hasaranga was born on July 29, 1997. He plays limited-overs cricket for Sri Lanka and has been the T20I captain. He is an all-rounder in white-ball cricket.
He started playing for Sri Lanka in July 2017. His older brother, Chaturanga de Silva, also played for the national team. In 2021, Wanindu made history by taking the first hat-trick for Sri Lanka in a T20 World Cup. He was also the first Sri Lankan to take a hat-trick on his ODI debut. After the 2024 T20 World Cup, he stepped down as captain on July 11.
2017
- Made his ODI debut on July 2 against Zimbabwe.
- Took a hat-trick in his first match, becoming the youngest bowler to do so on ODI debut and the first leg-spinner to take a hat-trick in ODI history.
- Awarded a national contract by Sri Lanka Cricket for the 2018–19 season.
2018
- Continued playing domestic and international cricket, building his experience.
2019
- Made his T20I debut on September 1 against New Zealand.
- Played as the only specialist spinner during Sri Lanka’s T20I series in Pakistan, helping the team to a 3-0 whitewash and winning player of the series.
2020
- Showed his all-round skills in the ODI series against West Indies, scoring an unbeaten 42 to win the first match.
- Made his Test debut on December 26 against South Africa, taking four wickets and scoring his maiden Test fifty.
2021
- Scored his first ODI half-century on March 14 against West Indies, setting a record for Sri Lanka for the highest score batting at number 8 or lower.
- Achieved second place in ICC T20I bowling rankings in July.
- Took four wickets in a T20I against India, breaking the record for best bowling on a birthday with figures of 4/9.
- Played in the 2021 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup and took the first-ever hat-trick for Sri Lanka in T20 World Cup history.
- Finished as the highest wicket-taker in the tournament with 16 wickets.
- Reached number one in ICC T20I bowling rankings in November, also ranked third as an all-rounder.
- Became joint leading wicket-taker in T20Is for the year with 36 wickets.
2022
- Named in the ICC ODI and T20I Teams of the Year in January.
- Played a key role in Sri Lanka’s Asia Cup win, including man-of-the-match performances against Bangladesh and Pakistan.
- Scored 36 runs and took 3 wickets in the Asia Cup final, becoming the second player ever to do so in a men’s T20I knockout between full-member nations.
- Was named player of the tournament at the Asia Cup.
2023
- Included again in the ICC T20I Team of the Year.
- Took six wickets in the Cricket World Cup Qualifiers match against UAE, his first 6-wicket haul in ODIs.
2024
- In February, became the second-fastest bowler to reach 100 T20I wickets.
- In May, named captain of Sri Lanka’s squad for the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
Leagues Participation
Wanindu Hasaranga has played in many important T20 leagues around the world. He took part in the Bangladesh Premier League, Lanka Premier League, and Indian Premier League. He also played in The Hundred in England, the Pakistan Super League, Major League Cricket in the USA, and the Caribbean Premier League. Playing in these leagues helped him improve and show his skills in different places.
Bangladesh Premier League
Wanindu Hasaranga made his Twenty20 debut for Sylhet Sixers on November 11, 2017, during the 2017–18 Bangladesh Premier League. He played in the league to gain early experience in franchise T20 cricket.
| Year | Team | Notes |
| 2017 | Sylhet Sixers | Made T20 debut in BPL |
Lanka Premier League
Wanindu Hasaranga started playing in the Lanka Premier League in October 2020 when he was picked by the Jaffna Stallions. He became the player of the tournament after taking 17 wickets. In 2021, he played for the Jaffna Kings.
| Year | Team | Notes |
| 2020 | Jaffna Stallions | Player of the tournament: 17 wickets |
| 2021 | Jaffna Kings | Played in the LPL season |
| 2022 | Kandy Falcons | Joined for the third season |
| 2023 | B-Love Kandy | Led team to victory; 19 wickets; 4 awards won |
| 2024 | Kandy Falcons | Took 15 wickets in 10 matches |
Indian Premier League
Wanindu Hasaranga joined Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in August 2021 for the second phase of the IPL in the UAE. He made his IPL debut on September 20, 2021, against Kolkata Knight Riders.
| Year | Team | Notes |
| 2021 | Royal Challengers Bangalore | IPL debut in the UAE phase |
| 2022 | Royal Challengers Bangalore | Took 5/18, best bowling at Wankhede |
| 2024 | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Signed for 1.5 crore rupees |
| 2025 | Rajasthan Royals | Bought for 5.25 crore rupees |
The Hundred
In April 2022, Wanindu Hasaranga was signed by the Manchester Originals to play in the 2022 season of The Hundred in England. This gave him a chance to compete in a new format and gain experience in English conditions.
| Year | Team | Notes |
| 2022 | Manchester Originals | Played in The Hundred season |
Pakistan Super League (PSL)
In 2022, Wanindu Hasaranga was signed by the Quetta Gladiators to play in the eighth season of the Pakistan Super League. He joined the team to strengthen their bowling attack during the tournament.
| Year | Team | Notes |
| 2022 | Quetta Gladiators | Played in PSL Season 8 |
Major League Cricket
In 2023, Wanindu Hasaranga played in Major League Cricket in the United States. He was signed by the Washington Freedom team to compete in the league and bring his experience to the new cricket market.
| Year | Team | Notes |
| 2023 | Washington Freedom | Played in Major League Cricket |
Caribbean Premier League
In 2024, Wanindu Hasaranga played for the St Kitts & Nevis Patriots in the Caribbean Premier League. He joined the team to contribute with his spin bowling and all-round skills.
| Year | Team | Notes |
| 2024 | St Kitts & Nevis Patriots | Played in the Caribbean Premier League |
Domestic career
Wanindu Hasaranga began his cricket career at Richmond College, Galle, first as a fast bowler. After coach Lanka de Silva showed him how to bowl leg-spin, he changed his style. His strong arm speed helped him succeed as a leg-spinner. He quickly took 28 wickets in six matches during a local youth tournament.
He made his List A debut in November 2015 and played for Sri Lanka in the 2016 Under-19 Cricket World Cup, where he took seven wickets and helped the team reach the semi-finals. His first-class debut was in February 2016 with the Sri Lanka Ports Authority Cricket Club.
By the 2016-17 season, he was seen as a rising star in domestic cricket. He scored 586 runs, including a century, and took 15 wickets with a five-wicket haul. He continued playing for strong provincial teams like Colombo and Dambulla in later years.
In the 2018-19 Premier League Tournament, Hasaranga was Colombo Cricket Club’s top scorer with 765 runs in nine matches. He also played well in domestic one-day and T20 tournaments, showing skill both as a batsman and bowler.
In 2022 and 2023, he played in the International League T20 for Desert Vipers. In 2023, he was one of the best wicket-takers with nine wickets, proving his growth in franchise cricket outside Sri Lanka.
Records and achievements
Wanindu Hasaranga has achieved many important milestones and earned several awards during his career. His skills in limited-overs cricket stand out as he broke records and helped Sri Lanka win key matches.
- 2017: Named the most promising player in domestic cricket for the 2016-17 season by Sri Lanka Cricket
- 2017: Took a hat-trick on his ODI debut against Zimbabwe, becoming the youngest bowler and first leg-spinner to do so
- 2019: Won Player of the Series in T20I against Pakistan with 8 wickets in three matches, helping Sri Lanka win 3-0
- 2020: Awarded Player of the Series in ODI against West Indies after bowling economically and scoring an unbeaten 42 in the first match
- 2021: Set the record for most wickets in a single ICC T20 World Cup by taking 16 wickets
- 2021: Became the first Sri Lankan to take a hat-trick in a T20 World Cup match, against South Africa
- 2021: Reached 50 wickets in just 33 T20I matches on November 1, against England
- 2021: Selected for the ICC Men’s T20I Team of the Year
- 2023: Led B-Love Kandy to win the Lanka Premier League and received Player of the Tournament, Green Cap (most points), Orange Cap (most wickets), and Most Sixes awards
- 2024: Named Best T20I Bowler and Best ODI Bowler by Sri Lanka Cricket after taking 38 wickets in 20 T20I matches with an economy rate of 7.11
- 2024: Became the fastest bowler to reach 300 wickets across all T20 formats
Personal life
Wanindu Hasaranga is a well-known Sri Lankan cricketer who keeps most of his personal life private. He has a few controversies but remains popular with fans.
Family
Hasaranga is married to his long-time partner, Vindier. Their wedding was private with close friends and family. There is no public information about children. His father used to be a policeman, and his mother is a housewife. He has an older brother, Chaturanga de Silva, who also plays professional cricket, and a younger sister named Chathuri.
Finance
In 2025, Hasaranga’s estimated net worth is around 2 million dollars (about 16 crore rupees).
Scandals
In 2023, the ICC warned Hasaranga for using his equipment aggressively during a match against the Netherlands. In 2024, he was banned from playing in a series against Bangladesh after he grabbed a referee’s cap and mocked the umpiring during a game, which broke ICC rules. In February 2024, Hasaranga got a two-match ban for verbally abusing an umpire in a match against Afghanistan when a delivery was not called a no-ball, and Sri Lanka needed 11 runs off 3 balls.
Fans
Hasaranga has about 380,000 followers on Instagram.
