Rags to riches: Nuwan Thushara strikes big at IPL auction

Stepping into the real world of cricket after stamping his authority as an ardent softball six-a-side fanatic, speedster Nuwan Thushara is now shaping up to become a world renowned figure. Having no experience at all from handling the tennis ball weighing merely 60 grams, to becoming a top end fast bowler who could perform magic with the approximately 130 gram leather ball, Thushara’s value eventually pinnacled last week.

This was when Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Mumbai Indians fetched the 29-year-old Sri Lankan southerner for a thumping amount of 4.8 crore India Rupees, an amount equivalent to over halfa-million US dollars. He was initially rated at a base price of Indian Rupees 50 Lacks, but after Royal Challengers Bangalore won the initial bidding war against Kolkata Knight Riders, the five-time IPL champions Mumbai Indians raised the value to grab Thushara, who would join with his former mentor Lasith Malinga.

“I heard that I was going to be picked and that Mumbai (Indians) were interested of fetching me. But I didn’t imagine it would end up this big. I was playing for my club (CCC) in the domestic One Dayers and it was through friends I got to know that I’m part of Mumbai now,” elated but not overwhelmed, Thushara told the Sunday Times.

By now Thushara has already earned slight popularity in India, as his bowling action emulate that of Malinga, who became the first bowler to accomplish many feats with his sling-arm action. Now comes Thushara, who will be the third Sri Lankan in the IPL after Matheesha Pathirana, still 21, and going great guns with MS Dhoni led Chennai Super Kings.

But this was not the glamour or life Thushara spent or dreamt of over a decade ago. With no experience at all in cricket, he was an average youngster from Thalawa, a village near Elpitiya, approximately 40 kilometres away from the iconic Galle International Stadium.

“My school, the Thalawa Junior National School in Elpitiya, did not have extra-curricular activities, leave aside cricket. But I used to play softball (tennis ball) cricket with friends and it later became an obsessive to play six-a-side tournaments in and around my home town,” he recalled.

Fostering his newfound obsession, Thushara turned out to play in softball sixes tournaments beginning from his hometown club Dedunu Thalawa, then to Mihindu CC, Weragoda Eksath, Gampaha Eksath before switching to Ragama Super 6s. It was during this phase of life that Thushara was spotted by one of his hometown politicians, who was also a schoolboy cricketer.

“This gentleman then introduced me to Mr. Kumara Helambage under whom I trained ‘real’ cricket, in particularly bowling. He (Helambage) then introduced me to Mr. Anusha Samaranayake, who taught me everything from basics to take off on a whole new path,” profoundly paying gratitude to his gurus, Thushara said.

By 2015, when he was merely 21-years of age, he got his big break to play in the local domestic tournament representing Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC), precisely on December 26 the same year. He bowled six overs in the first innings, ended up wicketless conceding 17 runs with a maiden. He went on to play four more first class games and picked just two wickets. This meant that Thushara had to adjust himself to become a top contender in the biggest stage of domestic cricket.

“It was not an easy start. But I happen to meet Lasith Malinga, my idol, one day and he started to give me advice and tips on how to become an effective bowler.

From there I worked hard on my own, with advice from coaches and seniors to perfect my bowling”.

By now he has played 38 List ‘A’ games and has a tally of 44 scalps. In addition Thushara has 107 wickets in 79 T20 games, proving that he is a bowler meant for the shorter formats of the game. Eventually he ended up being picked for the Sri Lanka T20 side in the series against Australia, making his debut on February 13. In four games Thushara rakes up two wickets, and with an additional game against Afghanistan at the Asian Games held in Hangzhou, China his tally became six, with figures of 4 for 17, his best at international level so far.

By now at 29, Thushara has played franchise cricket around the globe representing Galle Gladiators and Jaffna Kings at the Lanka Premier League, Quetta Gladiators at the Pakistan Super League and Deccan Gladiators and recently Dubai Capitals at the Abu Dhabi T10.

Currently he is in prime form at the SLC Limited Overs tournament, playing for Colombo Cricket Club (CCC), and has a tally of six wickets in two games. The notable and outstanding of all came at the Abu Dhabi T10 where Thushara flummoxed world renowned batters with his much improved slinging action to grab 13 wickets in nine game for Dubai Capitals.

“The wickets were helpful in Abu Dhabi. But before going there I was working hard in perfecting the swings with the new ball and it was the ideal stage to experiment what I mastered. Eventually I got paid off with 13 wickets, and ended up the second best bowler of the tournament,” proud of his Middle East venture, Thushara added.

The icing on the cake for his efforts through the years was laid at the IPL Auction held in Dubai, where three franchises were on a battle to grab the once unknown ‘Malinga Clone’ as reported by the Indian media. This could be termed as a well-structured effort, coming out from the scratch to reach the global stage.

“I’m really humbled to have achieved this much and it was never an easy task for someone like me, without any experience at young level. I’m ever grateful to my coaches and team mates at SSC and CCC for helping me become who I am today,” stated the youngest of a modest family of five, whose two older brothers are ordinary employees.

With more to offer to his country, Thushara is willing to take up any challenge if given the proper opportunity. Despite having represented Sri Lanka only in five T20Is, the happy-go-lucky bowler, who mastered the art of in-swings, outswings, yorkers and wide yorkers, of course with the insights from the original Slinger Malinga, is ready to deliver any given task.

“Each game I learn, and each of those outings I want to do my fullest, be it domestic cricket, T20Is, ODIs or Tests, the opportunity has to come to me. Then I will make sure that I fulfill my duties as assigned,” Thushara made a statement, longing to work alongside Malinga at the upcoming IPL, which will stage in March and April in 2024.