‘Ye Test bhi khelta tha?’ – Fans react to Wanindu Hasaranga announcing retirement from Test cricket

Wanindu Hasaranga, the spinner for Sri Lanka, decided to stop his Test career in order to focus on his successful white-ball career. When it pertains to playing in the shortest format, he is one of the top bowlers in the world and plays for several international franchises in addition to his national squad.

Prior reports said that Hasaranga submitted a letter to Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) to convey his wish to only play white-ball cricket going forward and to give everything he had across the two versions for the national side. He is no longer a member of the Test cricket team as a result of the board’s apparent acceptance of his request.

Upon receiving this letter with the spinner’s request, the Sri Lankan Cricket Board chose to accept his decision. The Board later said in a statement that, “We will accept his decision and are confident that Hasaranga will be a vital part of our white-ball program going forward.”

In light of his short tenure in white-ball cricket, Hasaranga’s Test record appears insignificant. He played for Sri Lanka in four Test matches, the last of which was played in 2021 against Bangladesh. Hasaranga made his debut in a Test match versus South Africa in 2020.

He had four appearances and four wickets with a 100.75 average. In contrast, since 2016, he has 102 wickets from 44 first-class games. 

Wanindu Hasaranga – the white ball spinner

The elite spinner’s white-ball skill reached new heights when, following a fruitful personal T20 World Cup 2022 campaign, he was named the No. 1 T20I bowler. He is still the third-best bowler within the format for Sri Lanka, trailing only Rashid Khan as well as Josh Hazlewood.

His performances in the just-completed ODI World Cup qualifiers in Zimbabwe demonstrated that he is even an important player in the ODI setup. With 22 wickets, he led the team in wickets taken as Sri Lanka dominated the competition and qualified for the World Cup.

Given the fact that it is going to take place on the subcontinent itself, the mystery spinner is bound to be one of Sri Lanka’s important players during the upcoming set of competitions including the 2023 Asia Cup as well as the 2023 ODI World Cup.

Fans react to Wanindu Hasaranga announcing retirement from Test cricket: