SL vs SA: Pulina Tharanga survives Tsunami crisis to make it to the Sri Lanka national team

Back in 2004, young all-rounder, Pulina Tharanga would have lost all hopes of staging a comeback in life, leave alone structuring his cricket career. The youngster, who was only 11 years old back then, had lost both his parents to the disastrous Tsunami that accounted for the lives of over 30,000 in the coastal areas in Sri Lanka. However, 17 years later, the scenario isn’t quite the same.

The 28-year-old cricketer has been named in Sri Lanka’s 22-member squad for the ODI and T20I series against South Africa. Tharanga and 21-year-old off-break bowler Maheesh Theekshana are the only uncapped members for the home series against the Proteas. It was learned that a 30-member squad was initially picked after which the squad had to be pruned down to 22.

Pulina Tharanga rises to glory

After he lost his parents, Tharanga had been taken care of by the Foundation of Goodness (FoG) at Seenigama off Hikkaduwa. The likes of Muttiah Muralitharan, Russel Arnold, Mahela Jayawardene, and Kumar Sangakkara form the Board of Trustees at the FoG.

“Tharanga was on an MCC (Marylebone Cricket Club) scholarship programme since the time he came under our (FoG) care. By 2012, he reached a standard where he could represent Sri Lanka in the Under-19 World Cup,” Kushil Gunasekera, Founder and Chief Trustee of the Foundation of Goodness, told the Morning Sports.

Tharanga made his first-class debut as an 18-year-old back in 2011. In 58 first-class matches, he has scored 1744 runs with one century and six half-centuries. He also picked up 31 wickets. In white-ball cricket, Tharanga has scored over 1,200 runs with six half-centuries. The leg-spinner also accounted for 71 wickets with one four-wicket haul to his name.

Tharanga also impressed one and all in the SLC Invitational T20 League in Pallekele. Plying his trade for the (SLC) Greys team, he picked up seven wickets from six matches at an average of 19.44. It was during the tournament when SLC picked the initial 30-man squad for the South Africa series.

The white-ball series against the Proteas is all set to start on Thursday, September 2 with the opening game at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. The three ODIs will be followed by as many T20Is, starting September 10.