ICC T20 World Cup 2022: Mahela Jayawardena Finds Lasith Malinga's Characteristics In Sri Lanka's Wanindu Hasaranga

Wanindu Hasaranga, an all-rounder for Sri Lanka, won the recent Asia Cup and was instrumental in his team’s victory. Last year’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup was only the latest step in the ascension of the island nation’s newest hero.

Mahela Jayawardena, a legend of Sri Lanka, discussed Hasaranga’s remarkable ascent in The ICC Review. He shed light on his formative years and increasing maturity while also drawing comparisons between him and another legendary Sri Lankan player, Lasith Malinga.

Wanindu Hasaranga’s Leadership Characteristics Are Evident: Mahela Jayawardena

Wanindu Hasaranga was expected to reach new heights this year, especially after thrilling the audience in the T20 World Cup in 2021 by taking 16 wickets to finish as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker.

He continued in the same vein in 2022, playing a pivotal part in Sri Lanka’s triumph in the Asia Cup, and his bat-related contributions gained weight.

The all-rounder contributed 66 runs, including a crucial 36 and 3/27 in the final against Pakistan, and was the second-highest wicket-taker in the competition with nine wickets.

Hasaranga’s recent achievement in cementing his growing status as a player for the big game was being selected Player of the Tournament. All of this has persuaded Jayawardena that Hasaranga possesses leadership skills in addition to his weaponry.

“In the last 12 months, he has shown how mature he is – not just as a bowler but with the bat as well. In tough situations, he has really come and delivered,” Jayawardena told host Sanjana Ganesan on The ICC Review.

“But as a leader in that group, even if he doesn’t have the title as the vice-captain or the captain or anything like that, but underneath all of that he has become a leader who all the young guys look up to.”

Wanindu Hasaranga Always Had An X-Factor About Him: Mahela Jayawardena

Thanks to Hasaranga’s brother and former teammate Chaturanga de Silva, Jayawardena has known him since he was 19 years old.

“To be honest, his brother was actually playing cricket while we were playing cricket as well,” Jayawardena said. “So Wanindu was much younger, was playing Under-19 cricket when we were finishing off and then he started playing first-class cricket.

“We always knew that this guy can bowl and bat, but we never knew the quality of bowler he could turn out to be. I mean initially, he didn’t have the accuracy but he always had some X-factor about him, how he went about things.

“That’s where Sri Lanka invested in him when he was quite young, especially in white-ball cricket.”

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Mahela Jayawardena Feels Wanindu Hasaranga’s Development Has Been Similar To How Lasith Malinga Blossomed As A Player

Hasaranga and Malinga both began outwardly reserved before becoming into pillars of the Sri Lankan team, according to Jayawardena, who finds many parallels between the two players.

“The way he has blossomed … he’s also from down south, quite close to where Lasith was (Galle) and they have similar mannerisms,” Jayawardena noted.

“The way they both came out, they started their careers quietly – you know, sat in the corner of the dressing room – and little by little they grew. The hairstyles change, the tattoos came out and the whole thing.

“It (Hasaranga’s development) is quite similar to how Lasith became who Lasith was, and that’s how I see the way Wanindu has blossomed as a player.”

According to Jayawardena, the two are most alike in their ferocious competition.

“The most important thing is, once they cross the field, like Lasith, he is a competitor – that’s what I love about him,” Jayawardena said.

Wanindu Hasaranga is now among the best all-rounders in the game’s shortest format. He is now ranked No. 3 among bowlers in the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s T20I Rankings and No. 4 among all-rounders.

And with just 25 years old, the potential is endless.

“He is still young and (there is) a lot of cricket in front of him,” Jayawardena said.

“So long as he understands what needs to be done and be competitive out there, that’s the most important thing.”