In a significant development in Sri Lanka Cricket, the star spin all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga has been named in the Test squad for the forthcoming Bangladesh series commencing on March 22. Hasaranga notably announced his retirement from Test cricket last year to concentrate on limited-overs formats, but his unexpected inclusion comes as a surprise to fans.
During the two-Test series between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, scheduled from March 22 to April 3, Hasaranga will be among the 17-member squad led by Dhananjaya de Silva. His participation means he will be unavailable for the initial matches of the Indian Premier League 2024 with Sunrisers Hyderabad.
At the age of 26, Hasaranga declared his retirement from Test cricket on August 15 last year, expressing his desire to focus on participating in more franchise cricket. Sri Lanka has only played one Test match since Hasaranga’s retirement and has yet to secure a victory in the ICC World Test Championship 2022-25 cycle.
Sunrisers Hyderabad acquired Hasaranga for his base price of INR 1.5 crore during the player auction for the IPL 2024. His remarkable performances in both T20 and ODI cricket have been noteworthy, leading to his being appointed as the captain of Sri Lanka’s T20I team after their disappointing campaign in the ICC ODI World Cup 2023.
SRH is slated to kick off their IPL 2024 journey against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens on March 23, with four games scheduled in the initial phase of the tournament. Due to prior commitments, Hasaranga will be absent for the first three matches and is anticipated to make his debut for SRH in a significant encounter against Chennai Super Kings in Hyderabad on April 5.
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Sunrisers Hyderabad is scheduled to begin their IPL 2024 campaign against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens on March 23. With four matches lined up in the initial phase, Hasaranga’s prior commitments will lead to his absence for the first three games.
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