"If we meet again, it will go the same" - Bhanuka Rajapaksa explains how he took down RCB star Wanindu Hasaranga
Sri Lanka batter Bhanuka Rajapaksa has spoken about his battle with fellow countryman Wanindu Hasaranga in the ongoing IPL season. The destructive southpaw underlined that learning to pick the ball from the hand was handy in playing the number one T20 bowler.
Rajapaksa, who shone for the Punjab Kings in their first game, took Royal Challengers Bangalore's Hasaranga to the cleaners. The 30-year old smashed the leggie for two massive sixes and a boundary in the nine balls he faced Hasaranga. He made 43 off 22 deliveries for a winning cause.
Super excited to be joining the @PunjabKingsIPL. It's always been a dream to participate in the @IPL and I'm thankful to everyone who has helped me along the way. Special shout out to coach @Mickeyarthurcr1 for making me the tough character that I am today. Thank you all. ❤️
Speaking to ESPN Cricinfo, Rajapaksa admitted that the Punjab Kings had little knowledge of how to handle him. Hence, the 30-year old said he decided to take him on as the pitches in India are the true ones. He stated:
"We all know Wanindu is the No. 1 bowler. He hasn't played cricket for a couple of months, but he had the top rank in the world a few months ago. We all were hesitant in the beginning about how to handle him, but we had a plan, and we knew that trying to block him wouldn't do any good for the team."
Rajapaksa added:
"My game plan was that if the ball was in my area, I was going to go for it, because wickets are so good in India and you can trust the bounce. Hopefully, If we meet again, it will go the same."
The Colombo-born cricketer joined the Punjab-based franchise for a base price of ₹50 lakhs. However, he has made an impact straight away. Following his exploits aga the RCB, he hammered 31 off only nine balls against the Kolkata Knight Riders.
"I was coached by one of the best in Sri Lanka" - Bhanuka Rajapaksa
The Sri Lankan credited coach Chulaka Amarasinghe from his school days for helping him pick googlies and teaching him how to read the ball from the hand. It helps him play Hasaranga well.
"One good thing from my school days is that I was coached by one of the best in Sri Lanka, Chulaka Amarasinghe, who taught us to pick the ball from the hand. That gives you that split second of an advantage, and you know if it's going to be a googly. Then it's a case of taking the length on and going for your shots. That's especially true for a bowler like Wanindu."
Bhanuka Rajapaksa's cameo comes to an end on 31(9)
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Punjab Kings, who have won two out of three games, will take on Gujarat Titans on Friday at the Brabourne Stadium.