The penultimate game of Sri Lanka’s three-match T20I series last week against visitors India in Colombo, as it turns out, was left-arm pacer Isuru Udana’s final appearance in the national colours. On Saturday, he announced his retirement from international cricket.
“I believe the time has come for me to make way for the next generation of players,” Udana was quoted as saying in a Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) press release. “It is with immense pride and passion, and unfathomable commitment that I have represented and served my country.”
Bursting onto the scene as a left-arm paceman of good slow-ball variations, Udana made his debut for Sri Lanka during the 2009 T20 World Cup in England.
He played a total of 35 T20Is for his country with 27 scalps at an economy rate of 8.70. Udana also played 21 ODIs and took 18 wickets while going for 6.27 runs per over.
Udana, who never played a Test match for Sri Lanka, managed to feature regularly in their limited-overs side only towards the latter part of his career, which is reflected in the fact that he represented the Island nation only 66 times in over 12 years.
Apart from his bowling, Udana could also contribute as a lower-order batter for Sri Lanka. He had a strike-rate of 95.18 in ODIs and 137.63 in T20Is.
Udana’s ability to chip in with useful runs down the order besides the left-arm angle and variations he provided to the attack also earned him gigs in T20 leagues around the globe, including the Indian Premier League with popular franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore. Udana played 10 matches for the Virat Kohli-led side in UAE last year and took eight wickets.
