Bhanuka Rajapaksa steps out of comfort zone to embrace world stage

24th October, 2021, Sri Lanka have dug themselves an almighty hole when a burly left-handed batter aka Bhanuka Rajapaksa walks out to the centre. Prior to his arrival, the Islanders have been hell-bent on botching a run-chase and on proving that their recent upturn was perhaps the exception to a norm they’ve been wanting to correct.

To give things a little more context, Rajapaksa might not have been involved in the T20 World Cup altogether. Though he has been a consistent domestic performer over the past few seasons, he hasn’t really been looked upon as the answer to Sri Lanka’s middle order woes. Or, at least, that’s what their head coach Mickey Arthur has long believed.

Just a few months ago (June to be specific), Arthur launched a scathing attack on Rajapaksa, quipping that the latter’s love for chocolates didn’t allow him to maintain adequate fitness standards. He even said that Rajapaksa didn’t want to venture out of his comfort zone, for goodness’ sake.

“Bhanuka (Rajapaksa) has got to make some commitments and he’s got to look after his diet. His excuse has been that he loves chocolates. If you want to be one of the finest cricketers, then you have got to make some sacrifices. We had a diet plan for him and we expected him to look after himself but his skin folds have gone up again. I want our players to get out of their comfort zones,” Arthur had said.

Had that assessment come from a former cricketer, it might’ve been accepted or termed a biased opinion. That it came from the man who is supposedly calling the shots for the Sri Lankan men’s team hinted at a more damning indictment. Or, in other words, how far Rajapaksa had fallen in his coach’s eyes.

Arthur wasn't too impressed with Rajapaksa's lifestyle

So it's fair to say that when Rajapaksa turned up for the T20 World Cup, he didn’t just have to silence the doubters who have always criticized him and mistaken his languid style for laziness, he also had to illustrate to his coach that he was willing to do accommodate a stricter fitness regime and become the best version of himself.

Now back to the run-chase against Bangladesh.

Remember, post Sri Lanka’s victory against the Netherlands, Dasun Shanaka was quick to hint that the Islanders were onto something. He also suggested that they had the tools to last deep into the tournament and create more of a splash than anyone thought they ever would.

From that standpoint, the early collapse against the Tigers reeked of another possible tale of unfulfilled potential – a tale that began with lots of promise but fizzled out when push came to shove and ultimately, screeched to a standstill as a much more pedigreed opposition firmly turned the screw.

Asalanka and Rajapaksa powered Sri Lanka to victory

Rajapaksa, though, alongside Charith Asalanka, ensured that that didn’t happen. In fact, he did everything that people thought he was always capable of. More importantly, he did something that Arthur thought he wasn’t capable of – overcoming adversity in extreme heat and pressure.

By the time Rajapaksa departed in the 19th over to Nasum Ahmed, he had put the Islanders on the brink of an improbable victory. The run-chase, which incidentally is now their highest in T20 World Cup cricket, was crafted beautifully and in a manner not synonymous with Rajapaksa.

Of course, there were the usual bits of flamboyance – the bits that have almost always made Sri Lanka want to gamble on the left-handed batter. But there were also occasions where Rajapaska maneuvered the field and put in the hard yards by opting for singles and doubles.

The left-handed batter ended with 53 runs. Only 30 of those came in boundaries, though, indicating that he had adopted the philosophy Arthur had panned him for not following.

In recent times, there have been instances where Rajapaksa has been labelled a “sloppy cricketer”. Not because there is any sloppiness in the kind of audacious strokes that he attempts, but in the sort of dismissals he participates in – dismissals that aren’t befitting of a batter of his talent.

This time, though, there weren’t many of those. Apart from a skewed slog, which Liton Das was benevolent enough to grass, there was a calmness associated to Rajapaksa – a calmness that seemed the final piece in his batting jigsaw.

He also used the match-ups to perfection. All of his sixes were aimed at the shorter side of the ground, meaning that he cleared the fence comfortably each time.

Additionally, two of those sixes came on the leg side, with the other landing beyond the extra-cover boundary, highlighting that Rajapaksa has strokes all around the dial.

Most tellingly, though, he picked and chose his moments magnificently. So much so that there was an air of inevitability about the run-chase as soon as he waltzed out to the centre. An inevitably, that wasn’t shrouded in doom and pessimism. Rather, it seemed the harbinger of the crest that Sri Lanka want to continue riding at this T20 World Cup.

As for Rajapaksa, this knock was the perfect illustration of how good he can be, irrespective of whether he gives up his love for chocolates or not. Obviously, a strict fitness program and subsequent adherence to it will prolong his bouts of brilliance. But the fact that he remains capable of such magic should be enough for him to be in the Sri Lankan side week in, week out.

As far as his comfort zone is concerned, it might not be wrong to suggest that Rajapaksa has probably stepped out of it and embraced the world stage.

Till a few months ago, most people, including the player and the coach thought that was impossible. Remember, he was also banned for a year by the Sri Lankan cricket board in July 2021 (it was eventually suspended).

Now, it is well within the realms of reality – a reality where a few chocolates, especially in celebration of heroic feats, might not hurt Rajapaksa, after all!