I'm excited to be here
Buoyant Kalana Perera sees LPL stint as an opportunity to reach the next level
As the inaugural season of the much anticipated Lankan Premier League (LPL) is scheduled to get underway in less than two weeks, the focus shifts back to cricket which brings a sense of relief to the cricket loving public.
Kalana Perera has been an emerging prospect for Sri Lanka cricket in the recent years. Due to his stellar performances in school cricket and consistent performances for Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) at the domestic level, his commitment and dedication were rewarded when he was picked during the LPL player draft by Colombo Kings.
"I am excited to participate in a major tournament such as the LPL. It is a learning curve for me and being able to play alongside senior players such as Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal gives me a great opportunity to enhance my abilities. I am looking forward to be a part of this historic tournament," Perera said.
The 20-year-old left-arm fast bowler noted that the experience he gains from the LPL will enable him to learn the key aspects of bowling especially in crunch situations. He also believes that dealing with pressure plays a crucial role in T20 cricket and that is an area that he needs to work on to perform consistently in the future.
The SSC is considered to be one of the best clubs in the country and Perera has the luxury of gaining a lot of knowledge from senior players including the current captain of the national cricket team Dimuth Karunaratne and other senior players such as Dasun Shanaka and Nuwan Pradeep who gave him invaluable advice which enabled him to perform consistently across the three formats.
Perera highlighted the fact that his objective is to gain the experience of playing in an international league and do everything to make his team win the tournament. He went on to say that even if he doesn’t get a chance to play in the first XI, he will be able to practice and share his ideas among the senior players and foreign players. This is a rare opportunity a youngster would get.
The Colombo Kings will be fortunate to have the services of the 1996 World Cup winning coach Dav Whatmore. He also worked from close quarters with Perera during his tenure as the consultant coach of S. Thomas' College, Mt Lavinia in 2017. Perera is pleased about the fact that he will be able to work with his former coach once again.
Whatmore has been an influential character in Perera's cricketing journey. According to him, Whatmore had given him several invaluable tips, especially the process of becoming a quality fast bowler.
Furthermore Perera said that he has been focusing on improving his fitness standards which is a vital part in modern day cricket. Perera outlined that he was able to regain his fitness during this untimely pandemic period, where he tried to focus on his physical and mental fitness simultaneously.
Having played all the major international tournaments at the junior level, Perera has a wealth of experience to move forward in his cricketing journey, but he is aware about the challenges that lie ahead of him.
"There is a vast difference between the standard of school cricket and club cricket. It took a while for me to identify the differences. Cricket is all about learning through challenges, and at the same time we must stick to the basics. I think if I'm consistent it will enable me to fullfil my ambition," he added.
Perera has set himself a short term goal - to win the LPL for Colombo Kings. He also revealed his long term goal of representing his country in the 2023 World Cup in India.
"The LPL is a great opportunity for the local domestic players to showcase their capabilities. There will be fierce competition among the teams. We will do everything possible to win the tournament for the Colombo Kings," he said with optimism.