EXCLUSIVE
Wanindu Hasaranga aims to do Sri Lanka proud at the T20 World Cup
Upon being appointed Sri Lanka’s T20 captain for the World Cup, Wanindu Hasaranga expresses his gratitude to well-wishers, acknowledging the immense honour of leadership in cricket.
“Thank you for the wishes,” he begins, adding: “Leadership at any level in cricket is a huge honour for a player. I love representing my country at any level; but to represent and lead at the same time is a unique and outstanding opportunity.”
Looking ahead to the challenges of captaining Sri Lanka in such a prestigious tournament, Hasaranga exudes confidence in his squad’s capabilities.
“I am looking forward to leading this squad of amazingly talented men,” he says: “We have the right balance of experience and skills. And I believe we have a good unit, and everyone is brimming with confidence. We’re looking to play each game on merit and give our best performance.”
When asked about the key attributes or skills he brings to the team as its captain, Hasaranga emphasises his commitment to contributing across all departments of the game.
“As captain, I need to be able to contribute in all aspects of my own game,” he explains.
The skipper continues: “I fully expect to give my all, be it when bowling, batting or fielding. I’m blessed with a squad that bats deep, and we probably have one of the world’s most unique bowling lineups that can rattle any batting order.
“My job is to extract the best from everyone while ensuring we have a good time doing what we do,” he adds.
Regarding expectations of himself both as a player and captain, as well as Sri Lanka playing in the T20 World Cup, Hasaranga reiterates the importance of staying grounded and focussed on the task at hand.
“My expectations as a player and captain are to do my best, and win as many games as we can,” he declares: “I want to make Sri Lanka proud of us. But as I said earlier, you cannot get ahead of yourself. Play each game on merit and take it one game at a time.”