THIS Royal Challengers Bangalore All-Rounder Announces Retirement From Test Cricket

Wanindu Hasaranga has expressed desire to Sri Lanka Cricket to focus on limited-overs cricket for his nation.

Sri Lanka all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga. (Source: Twitter)

Sri Lanka and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) all-rounder and leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga announced his retirement from Test cricket on Tuesday. Hasaranga, who is 26 years of age, turned out in just 4 Tests for Sri Lanka in his career, scoring 196 runs with 1 fifty and claimed 4 wickets.

Hasaranga is currently the captain in B-Love Kandy team in the ongoing Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2023 season. “Sri Lanka Men’s all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga has informed Sri Lanka Cricket that he will retire from playing test cricket. Informing his decision, Hasaranga said the reason behind the move is to prolong his career as a limited-overs specialist,” a Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) release said on Tuesday.

“We will accept his decision and are confident that Hasaranga will be a vital part of our white-ball program going forward,” said Ashley De Silva, CEO of Sri Lanka Cricket in the statement.

Sri Lanka Men's all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga has informed Sri Lanka Cricket that he will retire from playing test cricket. -
READ: https://t.co/cPV4jbzHeZ #SLC — Sri Lanka Cricket __ (@OfficialSLC) August 15, 2023

The all-rounder has played four Test matches for Sri Lanka; however, the 26-year-old has represented the country in 48 one-day internationals and 58 T20I games.

Hasaranga is world No. 3 T20I bowler currently and world No. 8 ODI all-rounder. Hasaranga has picked up 67 ODI wickets in 48 matches – including a hat-trick of five-wicket hauls during the ODI Cricket World Cup 2023 Qualifiers earlier this year.

The leg-spinner has also picked up 91 T20I wickets in 58 matches at an excellent average of 15.8. Virat Kohli’s RCB bought Hasaranga for Rs 10.75 crore during the IPL 2022 mega auction. In IPL 2022, Hasaranga picked up 26 wickets in 16 matches at an average of 16.54 for RCB and in IPL 2023, he claimed 9 wickets in 8 matches.

Hasaranga’s destructive performance against Galle Titans was one to remember for the ages last week. Not just with the ball but Hasaranga toppled an all-time LPL record as he smashed the fastest half-century in LPL 2023.

He walked out to bat at No.5 for B-Love Kandy, and with the team already going all guns blazing, Hasaranga joined in on the onslaught with Angelo Mathews enjoying from the other end. Hasaranga clobbered nine fours and two sixes in his 27-ball 64, finishing up with a strike rate of 237.03 while propelling his team to a staggering 203/5 from their quota of 20 overs. However, the Titans’ misconception of the fact that they have already seen the last of Waniya was soon about to dissipate as he came out to bowl.