Sri Lankan captain DasunShanaka stood out the moment he made his International debut in a T20 against Pakistan at Colombo in 2015.
Obvious talent
Although he wasn't consistent with his performances, there was enough to see that the all rounder possessed a lot of talent.
In the course of time, he went on to make his debut across the formats in 2016 and was in and out of the side. However, over the last couple of years, he cemented his place in the team and began to be a little more consistent with both bat and ball.
DasunShanaka has exceptional talent and has the ability to both play dry for long stretches and use the long handle when required.
His bowling, particularly on surfaces on which the ball grips a bit is underrated.
Shanaka's captaincy philosophy This is what DasunShanaka had to say before the 2021 T20 World Cup as he replaced KusalPerera in the role.
"As a young team you have to expect the kinds of losses we've had in the past," Shanaka said. "When new players come in, you lose some games and learn from those losses and that's how you start to win. We practised right through and developed our skills as well. You've probably seen the improvement from Lahiru Kumara, and MaheeshTheekshana, and Pathum Nissanka. They've all started producing results at the right time. Their effort has been fantastic, and the coaching staff gets credit for that as well."
"The whole dressing room is relaxed. Players can do their own thing, the way they like. There's no one to force them. The same things they do in practice, they take to the field. I think they'll show what they've got in the World Cup. I had a big belief that our team could go a long distance. I've been here as captain a little while now, and I think we are close to getting the best out of the players. The coaching set up and the advice we get is great as well. In terms of ability, we're not far off. I think we can do something big in this World Cup, and finish it really strongly."
Sri Lanka did register a couple of impressive victories but could go no further than the super 12 stage in the WC.
