Sonal Dinusha: 25-year-old Sri Lankan all-rounder Sonal Dinusha has made waves in the cricketing world after securing a draw against India in the second Test match at Colombo's Sinhalese Sports Club through his gritty batting.
For the player who single-handedly snatched victory from the Indian team's grasp, cricket is not merely a sport but the sole means of lifting his family out of poverty and hardship.
In the two-match Test series against India, Dinusha scored 420 runs at an average of 140, including three centuries. Behind the success of this left-handed batsman who was playing only the fifth Test of his career—lies a story of immense struggle and a significant sacrifice made by his sister.
Sister Borrowed Money to Buy His First Cricket Bat
In a recent interview with PTI, Ashan Priyanjan Sonal Dinusha’s childhood coach revealed that Dinusha was initially very interested in basketball. However, when school coach Susantha Felix Dias saw him play, he recruited him into the cricket team.
At the time, Dinusha possessed neither a bat nor a kit, and his family was grappling with severe financial hardship. Under these circumstances, his elder sister borrowed money from others to buy him the first cricket bat of his life. Today, Dinusha remains very close to his parents and siblings, and his earnings from cricket serve as the family's sole source of support.
Took a major step right after the series ended
Since his college days, Dinusha has been known for playing long innings and winning matches by shielding the lower-order batsmen from the strike. He replicated this feat in Colombo as well, partnering with Nuwantha, Jayasuriya, and Kumara.
Given this, Coach Priyanjan advised him to rest immediately after the grueling series against India; however, Dinusha insisted on returning to the nets right away, as he is scheduled to play a Major League 50-over match for his club on August 31, followed by a T20 tournament in the first week of September.
World Record Set with Sweep Shots
Before the Test series against India began, Dinusha called his coach, noting that India possessed a formidable spin attack and that he would need to prepare specifically for it. To this end, he spent hours at the Colombo Cricket Club practicing nothing but the reverse sweep.
This preparation paid off on the field, where he played fearless sweep shots against spinners like Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Manav Suthar, and Saransh Jain. He scored 173 of his 420 runs solely through sweep shots, setting a world record for the most runs scored against spin using the sweep in a Test series.
