PAK vs SL: Lasith Malinga Reckons Dunith Wellalage Will Be Sri Lanka's Most Important Player

Former star Sri Lankan pacer, Lasith Malinga heaped praise on Dunith Wellalage after his five-wicket haul against India in the fourth Super Fours match of the Asia Cup 2023 on Tuesday (September 12th) at R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo and said that the 20-year-old Sri Lanka spinner will become a star for the island country.

Both in the first and second innings, Dunith Wellalage made a mark for Sri Lanka. In the first inning, the 20-year-old bagged five wickets and dismissed top Indian batsmen like Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, and Hardik Pandya.

On the other hand, in the second inning, Wellalage scored the highest runs among his teammates after he played a 42-run knock from 46 balls with a strike rate of 91.30. However, it was not enough to clinch a win against India as the Men in Blue won the game by 41 runs.

The former Sri Lanka player took his official X (formerly known as Twitter) account and said that Sri Lanka played with 12 men against India just because of the 20-year-old’s performance in the match.

The former Sri Lankan pacer lauded the youngster and added that Wellalage has a brilliant brain on his young should which will help him in the future to flourish.

Malinga further added that in the next 10 years, Dunith Wellalage will become a crucial player for the island country in the 50-over format.

“It’s fair to say that SL played with 12 players today. That’s how good Dunith was. He’s got a brilliant head on his young shoulders to go with his all-round skill set. I believe he’s on his way to becoming the most important player for SL in ODIs for the next decade,” Lasith Malinga wrote.

It’s fair to say that SL played with 12 players today. That’s how good Dunith was?
He’s got a brilliant head on his young shoulders to go with his all-round skill set.
I believe he’s on his way to becoming the most important player for SL in ODIs for the next decade❤️#INDvSL

— Lasith Malinga (@malinga_ninety9) September 12, 2023

We’ll keep pushing forward and striving for victory: Dunith Wellalage

The Player of the Match of the fourth Super Fours game took to X account and said that he has been learning from Babar Azam and that he is proud of himself. Dunith Wellalage further added that he will keep pushing forward to clinch a win.

“Though the result didn’t go our way, I’m proud of my performance on the field. Learning from the best, @babarazam258, whose journey and dedication continue to motivate me. We’ll keep pushing forward and striving for victory,” Dunith Wellalage wrote.

Though the result didn’t go our way, I’m proud of my performance on the field. Learning from the best, @babarazam258, whose journey and dedication continue to motivate me. We’ll keep pushing forward and striving for victory.#INDvsSL #INDvSL pic.twitter.com/w045sOXMtp

— Dunith Wellalage (@dunithwellalage) September 12, 2023

In the fifth Super Fours match of the Asia Cup 2023, Sri Lanka will lock horns against Pakistan on Thursday (September 14th) at R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.