Avishka Tharindu

Avishka Tharindu is a sensational batting talent coming through the Sri Lankan ranks.

A superstar in the making, Tharindu represented his country in 14 Under-19 matches (2018/19), then racked up 478 runs at 239, including 2 centuries (HS 215) during Sri Lankans Emerging Players 3-Day Tournament (2021/22).

Roll on May 2022, and he was selected for the Sri Lanka Development XI to tour England. It's fair to say, he excelled, with the highlight - a century (103* from 108 balls) against a Surrey side including the likes of Gus Atkinson, Tom Lawes, Brett Hutton, and Amir Virdi.

He returned home to register his maiden domestic hundred (103* from 214 balls) against Kurunegala Youth Cricket Club in the Sri Lanka Major League Tournament (first-class) for Ragama Cricket Club, and finished the 2022/23 season with 682 runs at 35.89. He has continued to excel into the current 2023/24 season, with his third first-class ton (106 v Galle), taking his tally to 1,239 runs at 37.54 in 25 red ball games.

Tharindu, who has previously earned Sri Lanka A selection (20-member squad v Pakistan), is clearly seen as a player for the future. Not only a fine batting prospect but a more than capable bowler, adept at bowling both seam-up and off spinner. According to reports, Tharindu has the potential to develop into a genuine all-rounder.

The Sri Lankan young gun is determined to hit the global stage and, to continue his development, headed to play club cricket in the UK last summer. Boy oh boy did he impress, topping our CricX client run charts with 2,144 runs averaging 76.57, including 10 fifties and 7 hundreds (HS 181*). Incredibly, he scored his runs with a strike rate over 125 and nearly 30% of his teams season runs. He also weighed in with 39 wickets at 19.82 showing his all-round skills, for good measure.

Tharindu has clearly impressed and, unsurprisingly, Bracebridge have re-signed their Sri Lankan star for another season in 2025.